Though my tune would probably change were I ever to experience one, I can’t help but have a certain fascination with car crashes. It’s not the prospect of people getting hurt, but instead the magic of the physics involved. The amount of power contained within a vehicle is incredible, and to see a car slam into something else is certainly a sight to behold. This collection of car crash pictures by Nicolai Hawalt shows the effects of said crashes, but without all the nasty whiplash.
None of the following cars are exploding per se, and yet I can’t help but compare them to the the incredible exploding Xbox photographs that Dan Saeilinger took so many years ago. In many of the shots, the cars are so completely decimated that they may as well have been blown up. The close up shots take on an almost fractal aesthetic, which lends itself well to the “blown up metal” motif.
Car Crash Studies
I really enjoy this collection, and I think a big part of that is the 80s lighting and quality to the shots. Yes, they’re twisted heaps of scrap cars, but for some reason I picture them as distinctly 1980s era. That’s a good thing, and it goes a long way towards making the photos look a bit more interesting. After all, just about anyone can snap half decent photographs with a digital camera these days.
Now, I’ve only included 6 of my favourite photos from the collection, but you’ll find plenty more at Nicolai Howalt’s official site. He’s also done a slew of other collections, including many nature shots which are equally impressive. Less distructive looking, but pretty damn cool just the same.
