A system and method is disclosed for capturing images of one or more moving vehicles (i.e., a target vehicle) from another moving vehicle (i.e., subject vehicle). The disclosed system dynamically adjusts illumination power, exposure times, and/or other settings to optimize image capture that takes into account distance and speed. By optimizing for distances and moving vehicles, the disclosed system improves the probability of capturing a legible, usable photographic image. In one example, the disclosed system may be incorporated into an asymmetric license plate reading (ALPR) system.