Here are some suggestions for the car photos you will need.
Location: Please do not photograph you car in your driveway. Don’t have distractions or a mailbox number in the photo that someone can use to figure out where you live. Take it to a shopping center or park all by itself and start shooting.
Let me repeat.. look at the background and make sure nothing will keep people from looking at your vehicle. I hope that the examples I have included are a help. But I have made many of these mistakes as well. Here is one of my mistakes. When you photograph a vehicle in a parking lot do not have the parking lines at a different angle than the vehicle.
In theatre and movies, you will hear photographers refer to the key light. It usually lights the front top of a models head. I suggest that when you are “shooting “a car. The sun is your key light. An overcast day is the easiest day to photograph a vehicle because there are no shadows. Please remember the sun can make a car’s paint job look brilliant. In movies and on stage they move lights. In your case, you have to move the car. Please think of the car like a clock if you “shoot” it in order you will not forget a shot. Also remember that white, silver and some bright cars may look better on the shadow side and overcast days..
STARTING TO PHOTOGRAPH A CAR
If the sun is over your shoulder Be careful your shadow is not in the photo.
Left side front
Left entire side
Left side rear corner
Open the left door and shoot the front seat showing the carpet,
(A Lincoln dealer and friend named Dana Prosky felt that the front driver’s side floor photo was very important. If the rug was in great shape then you must remove all mats and show the customer how inviting the car is).
Then shoot the back seat.
Get inside the backseat and shoot the dashboard ( you may be asked to shoot the door panel)
Get out close the door and shoot the front wheel cover or wheel.
Lift the hood and shoot the engine from both sides
If the motor looks bad or dirty.. do NOT shoot it
Open the trunk if it looks good shoot it. (Now if the sun is putting shadows in the trunk or engine , STOP Get in and turn the car completely around).
Make sure the sun makes the trunk and right rear corner and trunk look good
Then do the right entire side, the right front side.
If you can… shoot the interior from the right side
Be daring, shoot high and stoop down low and see if these shots look better.
Shoot a photo of your car at a cruise or show. It will help the potential buyer imagine what it would be like if they owned it.
The right front side can usually be your cover shot. Pretend you are shooting your car for a digital publication.. Make it look GREAT. Never cut off a corner. Go Back and shoot it again and get it right.
Please check out the sample photos I shot. I hope this prepares you to get your car photographed and
ready for www.CarCruiseCarsForSale.com I can’t promise that we can include all of your photos on
www.CruiseCarsForSale.com. But once you sell you might always want a folder of your cars photos
I am available for a fee to photograph your vehicle in Pittsburgh [email protected] But if you follow these tips.. you will be fine. Vito
Video: if you are preparing a video of the car for youtube.com to include on
www.CarCruiseCarsForSale.com here is one format to try with your smart phone. There are so many
creative folks out there so determine what is best for you. If you tend to sigh or utter a word.. push
your tongue on the roof of your mouth when shooting video to remind yourself to shut up. Control your
breathing also. Remember that you are next to a phone mike that can record everything. Sometimes
people will try to talk to you when you are doing this. Smile and do the best you can.
- Have the drivers door open( have the hood open)
- Get behind the drivers seat with the key in the ignition
- Start the video camera aimed at the dashboard.
- Turn the key in the ignition or push the button for the car to start. Once the video reveals
what the engine sounds like when it starts. (electric car owners.. never mind the sound of the
motor .. just show the dashboard) - While continuously shooting video slowly get out of the car and walk to the left rear and
around the back then the right side all the way to the open hood with the engine running. - Slowly back up so the viewer can see the entire car.
- The sample link below was far from perfect.. but it is a starting point. Happily the car did sell
and the video helped the out of state buyer make the decision to buy.
Sample link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnlF-ydE6nY
