Looking to upgrade your car photography or simply looking to sell your car and get the best price? Check out our top tips for taking great photos of your car.
Taking photos of cars is easy, just point and shoot, however, if you want to take really good photos of cars, here are some tips, tricks, and techniques that will elevate your shots to the next level. So, whether it’s for a bit of fun or to make your car look the best it can be before selling it, check out our guide below.
Best angles to take a photo of a car from?
There are a few basic angles that work for every car. You might need to walk around a car a few times before you figure out its most flattering angle, but generally speaking, you should use the front three-quarters and rear three-quarters as a starting point.
This angle helps to include either the front or the rear quarter of the car as well as the side and will help to show off as much of the car as possible in one shot.
Our top tip is to turn the front of the wheels slightly too, so the face of the wheel is angled towards the camera.
If you want to take your photos to another level, we’d suggest you get down low, flat to the floor if possible. Lower angles help the subject of your photo do the talking, in this case, the car.
If you’re looking to take photos of your vehicle to sell it, then along with some nice angles, you’ll need to remember the details. When selling your car, it’s great to make it look good, but you aren’t competing in a photography competition. Good photos of your car when selling your car include the flaws and imperfections.
Any scratches, scuffs, dents, or dings should be highlighted as well as other aspects of your car such as the condition of your tyres.
What’s the best light to take a photo of a car in?
Understanding how light can impact your photos is key. Whilst natural light will help to show your car off in its best light, the sun can often cause glare on the vehicle. There are a couple of things you can do to avoid sun glare, such as shooting on an overcast day or working around the sun, perhaps consider taking your photos at dawn or dusk as the sun won’t be as high in the sky.
Depending on your camera setup, you could choose to buy a polariser to help with lighting. If you have a camera with a detachable lens, a polariser can be used to redirect the angle of the light entering the camera.
Want to get the best photos to sell your car? Where possible follow some of the above advice, try not to take photos in the dark, as your phone’s flash might cause some unsightly reflections, lowering the quality of your images.
Best locations to take photos of cars?
There are two ways you could look at locations for taking good photos of your car. The first is that you don’t want a cluttered background, as you want the car to be the main focus of your image, this is especially important if the purpose of your photos is to sell the vehicle.
However, if you want to get creative with your imagery, then why not incorporate your surroundings into the photo? If you’ve got an idea in mind, then go out and execute it, it might include a woodland backdrop, using the trees in the foreground, you may want to get a couple of models involved or even do something crazy like incorporate smoke bombs or lights. There really is no right or wrong when it comes to location, as long as you have permission to be parked up where you choose, or you won’t be a distraction to drivers on the road.
Next steps:
If you’re taking photos for fun, then why not consider sharing it with the world? There are a range of sites in which you can do this but the best part is the feedback. The photography community is a lovely place and the wealth of knowledge that people have is unmatched, so listen to them. Take everything on board and apply it to your next shoot.
If you’re looking to sell your car, if you’re looking to do this through private sale then the above tips and tricks should help you with this. If you’re looking to sell your vehicle to an online buyer like Sell 2 Swansway, then you’ve got everything you need to successfully and smoothly work through the online car valuation process.
Armed with little more than a reg number, mileage details, and some photos of your car, online car sellers like Sell 2 Swansway can offer an accurate and representative valuation, letting you sell your car quicker than ever before.