The origin
This photo series started back in 2020 during the UK’s lockdown "one-hour walk" allocation. To pass the time, I began photographing the unusual, weathered, rare and colourful cars hiding in plain sight around my local area and eventually started sharing them on Instagram.
The narrative of wear and environment
Every vehicle tells a story through its history and setting. I’m drawn to the contrast of identical models living completely different lives and marked by rust, dents, custom modifications or decades of wear. The backdrop is just as important. A vintage hatchback parked against a Brutalist housing block, a forgotten classic rusting in a rural field or an immaculate and rare show car at an event.
Global scope
Over the years, the project has expanded across 20+ countries. From the coastal roads of Montenegro and the mountains of Slovenia to the urban streets of Japan and the US. Instagram proves to be a great way of connecting with an international community of car enthusiasts and passionate car owners.
Visual curation and grid system
Utilising Instagram’s three-column layout, I curate posts into cohesive horizontal trios. Each row is deliberately matched by brand, color palette, design era or geographic theme turning individual spots into a structured visual study.
Role: Photography, Curation, Social media strategy
Timeline: 2020 – present
Platform: Instagram (@parkedin_)
Scope: 21 Countries, 1,000+ vehicles documented
Tools: iPhone, DSLR, Adobe Photoshop
To establish visual unity across the entire project, every photo follows a strict structural guideline with the vehicle's wheels anchored along a 1/6 baseline from the bottom of the frame. This intentional grounding creates a predictable horizontal rhythm across individual images and keeps the overall profile grid visually balanced.
By grounding the wheels, the top 5/6 of the photo gives generous headroom to capture the local surroundings, placing the car in a clear sense of environment and culture.
What started locally has become a global obsession. The archive now spans 20+ countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. It connects with an international community of spotters and passionate car owners along the way.
All images use the same aspect ratio and square crop for the 1:1 Instagram format, ensuring the car fills enough of the horizontal space to feel substantial without getting cut off at the edges.
To keep the feed visually dynamic yet structured, I treat each row of three images as a micro-editorial. By pairing photos through colour theory, mechanical symmetry or regional aesthetic, the grid functions as an intentionally designed layout rather than a random feed.
Explore the Archive
Follow the daily grid on Instagram – @parkedin_