SEMA 2018
Photographs and Words by Lowkey Captures
The 2018 SEMA Show hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada was one to remember as they all typically are. This one being my third show ever attending, it doesn’t feel like it would ever get old. Working the show as a media personnel is a challenge that I would personally say is close to impossible for one person to just see let alone photograph every showcase that’s presented. You will find everything and anything that has to do with the automotive industry in some way shape or form. Definitely one of the, if not the, biggest events in the world. Just getting to the event from the moment you wake up for the day is a mission within itself.
There’s several parking lots not far from the convention center, but they do tend to fill up fast and come at a price. Personally my method is to park at one of the nearby casinos and take the monorail over to the convention center which is somewhat easier. As soon is you step into any of the entry points of the event you will see how large of a scale SEMA really is. Vehicles and crowds of people as far as you can see. Multiple models of lifted trucks as high as full scale monster trucks, and cars of all types that are so low that they literally sit on the ground. Also, for those not afraid of a rush you can go on a drifting ride-a-long with a professional driver on one of the several drift areas. It’s safe to say there’s some of everything at the SEMA show for any type of vehicle enthusiast.
As media we have the privilege of being able to enter the show 30 minutes early before the vast majority of the industry which helps us greatly. Otherwise it’s pretty difficult to get that decent shot during regular show hours. A photographer could be standing at one spot waiting for half an hour just for that couple seconds of people clearing the area to snap the money shot. The amount of people that visit this event is pretty ridiculous, it’s really thousands of people in and out. Although, that makes good practice for any level photographer or videographer. There’s so much amount of content to capture. I personally had 300-500 photos to sort through after the end of each day. Definitely was hectic, but always worth it in the end. Achieving that perfect shot always makes the struggle of getting it worth while. One of my favorite parts of events like this is the people, and companies that you get to meet and connect with.
Meeting with other photographers is always cool as well since you can network and get tips about the craft that we share in this automotive industry. You’ll see people like celebrities, Youtubers, professional drivers, models, and much more. Any serious car enthusiast or company from around the world will attend SEMA at some point in their venture at least once. That’s the beauty in it, because it serves as a reunion, and a place to make new friendships for many attendees. Thousands of people coming together under one huge event. Overall, I would say as an automotive photographer; that SEMA is the main convention that you have to see for yourself. Once you do it may become an event that you wouldn’t want to miss for the future years to come. It just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait for next year. If you missed out this year, you can find some images from the event on the following pages.