The best part of every car enthusiast’s new build project is the end when you have a running vehicle, and it is all polished up and ready for pictures. You want to show everyone what you did and the amazing project that is now running and is a complete vehicle.
But is there a certain way to take these pictures? We want to have the best images we can take so we can show everyone on social media our new creation. Since I am not an expert photographer, I asked numerous full-time photographers what they find essential when taking automotive pictures. So here is a list of 8 easy tips to improve your car photography today!
A Straight Shot isn’t Always the Right Shot
Every picture has that crucial feature that you catch by trying different angles, and this proves that. Position and angles can make or break a great shot when photographing vehicles.
You need to try a diagonal picture than a head-on picture. My favorites are the angle pictures, these show the sleekness of the vehicle, and if you can get the right time of day, then you will have a fantastic picture for your collection.
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Know your Ingredients
Composition decides everything in a picture; this is the way your image is made up. The composition is the arrangement of ingredients in your piece.
Finding the right composition is why many photographers say they use the
rule of thirds which I will go over as well. You need to make sure that everything flows with each other. As long as the composition of your picture is correct, then your photo will turn out great.
Set your Stage Correctly
It is always a good idea to have your vehicle all washed and polished up to get some great pictures. But remember that the problem with nice and shiny cars that they are very similar to mirrors.
The last thing you want is to complete the photoshoot and get back to your studio to find out someone was standing too close to the car, and now you have their reflection with the vehicle. You have to set your stage correctly, as long as you do, you will have no problems with reflections.
Remember, you are the artist of this painting and do not forget to set your picture correctly. You can use props in your image to relay the focus to the vehicle. That might give your photo that extra edge you were looking to add.
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What time do you want to start?
Time will help your picture stand out, even more, depending on what part of the day you choose. It is all up to the photographer to select the time of day, but each part of the day has its tricks you must tame to get that great shot.
The morning and evening seem to be the best time because you can implement the sun into the shot to make the car stand out that much more. By using blur and composition, you can adjust the lighting features in the photo to make the car pop in the picture.
If the light becomes too big of a problem, then you need to look into purchasing a Circular Polarizing filter for your camera so you can get rid of those annoying reflections so you can find that perfect shot.
Use motion and panning
Have you ever seen a picture of a vehicle in action? The rims and background are blurred, and the focus is set onto the car. It is always a big eye-catcher and puts that shot on another level if done correctly.
The best way that I saw through my research is to put your camera at a 1/1500th or faster camera setting and take numerous shots of the vehicle in motion. You do not want to take a still shot because the car will look stationary and that is not the look you are looking to capture.
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Rule of Thirds
I briefly went over this in the section about composition. Keeping it simple with the rule of thirds will help you make a beautiful picture time and time again.
This setting divides your screen into nine different categories, and as the photographer, you need to go from one box to the next and make sure that you incorporated everything correct to make that great picture.
Keeping it simple will ensure you do not overwhelm yourself with your photoshoots, and you can enjoy your passion for years to come.
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Software
Have you ever heard someone when they were giving excuses why they can’t get this, or they can’t do that because of some lame excuse? Hopefully, you are not that person, but just in case you are this section will help you to find the photo editing software that you can afford and will better your business.
With photo editing, I use Adobe Photoshop, I do have the entire Adobe package, and it costs me $29 per month. That is change compared to the money we are trying to make with our photography.
So knowing that we can accept the price more because we are going to make money with this new tool of ours.
The Car is the Focus
Why are we focusing on anything else but the vehicle? This is a photoshoot for the cars not for landscape or architecture. So keep the car as the main focus in the picture.
You can do this by setting the picture as a different color, blur out the background, or even take the picture at night so you can highlight your focal point in the photo.
Off-Center the Car in the Photo
Having the car off-center is another excellent option in helping make the vehicle the focus of the picture. With this option, we will be putting the car on the side of the picture instead of having it look straight at the camera.
You are trying to make your pictures look different and stand out so you can advertise the vehicle for sale and get the best price for it. Remember that people will pay more for something if they see the value in it.
Take, for example, a vehicle auction; if a vehicle comes into the sale that does not run, will it get the same price for the same model but does run?
No, you will not get the same amount of money because the person with the running vehicle shows that the car has a better value because it runs, unlike the other vehicle. Show the value, and you will get more offers on your vehicle.
Location
This tip is not just for automotive pictures but for all images in general. The location of your photo shoot can mean everything to the image itself. The place could also prove to be more work for you to have that clean shot you are looking to find.
Shutter Speed
Also known as exposure time, the shutter speed is set depending on how fast you would like to freeze time in your pictures. So if you are taking photos of a hummingbird, then you would like to use a fast shutter speed like 1/1000th or faster.
Then if you are taking pictures of a vehicle driving past or water falling into a puddle, you would use 1/1500th or faster. Long shutter speed would blur out a motion like photographers do when taking pictures of streams and rivers to show a sense of movement. When using fast shutter speeds
Lighting
Lighting can change a photoshoot from professionals to an amateur hour if not correctly handled. Now I am not saying you need to have thousands of dollars in videographer equipment.
But I am saying to use lighting to make your photos better to the capacity of your budget. If you are starting with a phone then moving up to a better camera then at least you are trying to up your game.
The same goes for lighting, if you can’t afford it at first, then that’s fine, but when you can afford it, you need to get a proper setup. Having a couple of LED umbrella lights with a beautiful backdrop will do the trick, then you can move up from there.
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In Conclusion
Photography has always been the ability to tell a story with your picture. You are letting others see the beauty behind the beast. With the close-up view that you gave with your photographs, this will make the viewer connect with your picture.
If you are trying to sell your vehicle, the pictures will do the job for you, and the buyer will see the value in the car by the photographs. So make sure you take great photos at all times, and you will be able to connect just that much easier.
Thank you for reading my article! I hope you enjoyed it and it was beneficial to you with your photography! Check out my YouTube channel to get up to date how-to video guides! Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy my next piece!
