You can take a photo of a car just to show the car. Or you can make it the main character of the image. Kenneth Sagar chooses the second approach. He is less interested in perfect shots and more in moments that give a car presence, mood, and a story of its own.

Disclaimer: This material was first published in the special print issue of The Sandy Times Newspaper, created for House of Porsche. This digital version has been adapted for online publication.

— Kenneth, every photographer has their own approach, and you can often recognise a distinct style at a glance. How would you describe yours?

— For me, it is always about telling a story through each picture. I don’t really change anything afterwards. Once the picture is taken, it is exactly what was seen and captured on that day. I’m drawn to something imperfect, yet still beautiful. That is what I go hunting for with my camera. I’m not looking for the perfect moment; I’m looking for what is true to itself.

— Is there a story that still stands out for you?

— There is one photo of a car I took back in 2012. At the time, it was just a memory: me imagining that one day, when I owned a car, it would look something like that.

Ten years later, I bought my own car, and it looked almost identical. I had completely forgotten about that photo until a friend sent it to me. Same modification, just a different colour. That is when you realise why photography matters: sometimes memories come back to you years later.

Another moment came in 2023, when I attended Icons of Porsche. I took pictures of one bright yellow car. Later, my photos were selected among the top 16 images from the event, out of thousands.

In 2024, I went to this exhibition again, but with more intention. I noticed a Porsche Targa covered in Sadu fabric, but I couldn’t get a clean shot. I remember telling the car, half-jokingly, “I’ll shoot you one day, the way I want.”

A few months later, I was invited to work on a project involving art, design, and cars. When I received the brief, it was the same Porsche Targa. I ended up shooting it in the desert, and it felt like a full-circle moment.

— How do you approach photographing a car?

— Porsche is delicate, yet fast. It is known for its design — the refined lines, the perfect interiors, the colours, the way everything pops. Whenever I take a photo of this car, I keep one thing in mind: showing the delicacy of how it is made.

There are minute details running through the car. Sometimes it is as simple as looking at it from the side and seeing how the entire design flows as one line. Everything has an aesthetic purpose — from the interiors to the steering wheel, from the proportions to the finishes.

I prefer to look closer rather than from afar because there is so much in the details.

— How would you describe the Porsche’s personality and character?

— Sometimes, certain cars feel like they are made for certain people. But with Porsche, I feel it is for everyone. There is a Porsche for every stage of life and for every need. If you want a race car, it can be a proper race car. If you want an everyday car, it works perfectly. If you want a family car, it can be that too.

Porsche becomes part of your life naturally. It is not just a car with four wheels. It is like a member of your family. It is a car you buy because you want to experience it and because you value it.

— If the car were human, what kind of person would it be?

— It would be something I’d take care of the way I take care of my daughter. At the same time, I’d make sure to push it so it reaches everything it was made for.

It is like having a horse. You take care of it, but you also make sure it runs, that it gets enough exercise, that its legs grow strong. For me, Porsche is both of those things. It is something you protect and respect, but also something you test to its limits.

— What would be your dream setting for a Porsche photoshoot?

— The Spice Souk in Deira, Dubai. I have always imagined placing a Porsche there, right in those streets. There are old abra boats by the water, and I have always envisioned the car sitting next to all of that: the Dubai of twenty years ago, which I still love deeply.

For me, it is about showing how modern and vintage can come together beautifully. That is exactly what Porsche represents. It is modern, but it carries its historical design language from back in the day.

— There is something architecture and cars clearly share, isn’t there?

— It is a proper marriage made in heaven when you place a car next to architecture. Both are designed by someone with a very specific vision. One is thinking about a motor car; the other is thinking about landscape or architectural space. Each has its own unique personality.

When you bring the two together, the result is beautiful. It brings out the best of both worlds.