A futuristic car with exposed internal components, showing the wheels, suspension, and part of the chassis.

Polestar 2

Direction, Design & Animation

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Photography has always been about control. Control of light. Control of composition. Control of timing.
But what happens when control becomes unlimited?

For the Polestar 2 project, we approached the car as a photographer would: studying its morphology, understanding its surfaces, exploring its hidden details. The difference is that we built the entire environment digitally. No physical studio. No weather constraints. No production limitations.

This is not about replacing photography. It is about expanding what is possible.
Below, we break down how 3D allows us to think like photographers, but create beyond real-world constraints.

Front side of a modern grey car with stylish alloy wheels and yellow brake calipers, set against a black background.
Close-up of a modern car's rear end with illuminated tail lights against a black background.
Close-up of the rear corner of a modern car, showing its taillight with illuminated LED light design.
Close-up of a modern car's front, showing sleek headlights and part of the hood, in a dark setting.
Close-up of a modern car wheel with a tire, alloy rim, and orange brake caliper labeled 'Polestar' against a dark background.
A sleek, dark-colored sedan car in a studio setting
Close-up of the front of a modern car, with the headlights on in a dark setting.
A sleek silver electric SUV with modern design, illuminated headlights, and sporty wheels, set against a dark background.

How do we like to photograph products?

  • Close-up of the front end of a white modern car, showcasing the headlight and part of the hood against a black background.

    We analyze the product.

    Each product has its own characteristics. The role of the photographer is to capture the essence of that uniqueness in a compelling and sensitive way, in order to glorify the beauty and features to its maximum.

  • Top-down view of a silver modern electric car on a dark surface.

    We understand its morphology.

    The shape of a well designed object is the foundation and the key to everything else. Once we understand its morphology, we can work on composition, materials, lights and environment.

  • Close-up of a silver car door mirror with black accents, showing a sleek and modern design.

    We explore unexpected corners.

    When working with excellent designs like this one, the exploration of details and composition becomes broader and more interesting, as if the designers were hiding details that want to be discovered little by little.

Side silhouette of a modern black car in a dark setting with minimal lighting highlighting the vehicle's contours.
A close-up of a car tire with a black and silver rim, showing the brand name Polestar on the yellow brake caliper inside.
Close-up of the front right corner of a silver modern car, showing the wheel, headlight, and part of the front grille.

Why 3D is better than traditional photography?

  • Close-up of the rear of a modern car, showing taillights with a red illuminated LED strip and a silver body.

    Customizable content

    Standardization is the main advantage of computer generated imagery. Especially when a product comes in a variety of colors or sizes, the computer allows us to scale up the catalogue of content exponentially.

  • Close-up of a car's rear tail light and part of the white car body with a black trim near the trunk

    Sustainable Photography

    Digital photo shooting is very powerful when it comes to revisiting previous scenes and recycling the same setup. We can shoot a product remotely from a computer, and come back to exactly the same studio several years later.

  • Close-up of a car's rear taillight with illuminated red LED lights and a sleek, dark exterior.

    Testing the markets

    Before launching the product to the market or even starting production stages, brands sometimes decide to release new variants of the product to the media first, in order to test which option is more suitable for the them.

If your product needs to be showcased in a very specific way, and you are not yet sure what that way is… If you want to explore creatively before committing to production, test multiple directions, environments, or variants… If you need consistency across markets, campaigns, and years… 3D might be the right solution for your brand.

At Glid, we approach 3D the way photographers approach light: with sensitivity, intention, and respect for the object. But we build systems instead of single shots. Digital assets that can evolve, scale, and adapt long after the first campaign is released.

If you’re curious how this could apply to your product, let’s explore it together.

Close-up of the rear left corner of a modern car with illuminated taillights against a dark background.
Close-up of a modern car's front right headlight and grille, with LED daytime running lights illuminated.
Front view of a silver modern car with illuminated headlights against a dark background.
Silver futuristic sedan car with sleek design, modern tail lights, and black wheels, displayed against a dark background.
Project: Polestar 2
Direction, Design & Animation: Glid Studio

Discover more projects