Photographing the car

[Gargamel]

Hi.

I need suggestions in different ways to shoot a few photos of my car now when i get it after the wrapping.
I got a few ideas but, not sure for example which angles are better, door spoen/closed? sun roof open, closed, half open etc?

I have been using google maps to find good spots where there are no signs/metals/houses etc trying to find views with only forrest/mountains or just sky views.

I know some spots far awya form home with atleast 3 hours drive each way, so it wont happen this weeks, so i am limited to my near area.

 

[Luminary]

My brother did a Photo shoot weekend before last and so far has sent me three of the 100+ he has taken after production. I LOVE the first pic. I cannot wait to see the rest. Perhaps these few could give you some ideas?

 

[RedCal]

#1, 2 and 3 things to get right are

Lighting - shoot early or late in the day when the sun is lower it makes for much better lighting, cloudy days are also good - less glare
Background - avoid clutter (lamp posts, parking lots lines, etc) you don't want a great shot with a light pole looking like it is coming out of the roof
Rule of thirds - (google it for a full explanation) but if shooting a side angle leave space in front of the car, and above or below... DON'T stick it dead centre in the shot

after that if you are not confident, shoot lots, you aren't paying for developing film anymore (I hope!! ) so take lots and lots, and delete the the poor ones, and only show the good ones

 

[M'Kehyah]

With lighting - consider using a fill-flash even on sunny days to reduce shadows.

Prep: wash car but no treatment on tires - it will pick up dust on the way to the shoot. Have a brush handy to clean tires.

Consider a night shot and wave a flashlight or even put a flashlight under the car for light effects....

Have fun and show us what you do. ;

 

[Revvdmedia]

My suggestion on positioning is ensure the front wheels are angled in a way that you see more of the wheel (if shooting the left side of the car from the front, turn then wheels right a bit so you see more of the wheel and less of the tire). Keep windows and doors closed.

As for places, sometimes you just need to drive around to find a spot. I did that some time ago and used a big vacant warehouse that had nothing going on yet since it was new. Sometimes you need to do a little tweaks in post to get your image to stand out. In the case of mine, I had to desaturate the background because the yellow stripes around the doors were a bit too bright. One of my better (but far from perfect) shots:

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm a definite fan of shoot lots and lots. The rule of thirds can be achieved by cropping, so don't worry about that so much. The main thing is don't get too close. If the car fills the frame there is no option for cropping; and on most cameras the distortion is undesirable. An obvious exception is closeup detail shots where distortion is part of the shtick.

 

[Gargamel]

Some of the images, slightly edited in photoshop.
I took in total 69 photos.

 

[RedCal]

looks good, and a great colour

 

[mfenske]

Totally agree with everything said above. Here are a few of mine

 

[Gargamel]

some more.

 

[TimT]

Some good angles can be found here: KIA Stinger GT / Vossen VFS6
Done by someone who does this for a living, making photos of cars for sale.

 

[Revvdmedia]

My thoughts on taking a photo of a car and not getting the entire car in the frame: This works if you are highlighting something particular, like wheels for example, get the wheels as the main focus, but retain a bit of fender and side profile. Gargamel, I like the last image you posted from the front with the lower angle, but since you don't have any particular feature as the main focus, I wish I could see the whole car. Also for a front shot like that one, keep the wheels straight, the angle looks awkward when parked. Just my humble opinions though!

Another tip, it looks like you are using a cell phone or a small crop camera since there is no background blur. If you have telephoto as an option on your camera or phone, zoom in (optically, not digital zoom) to try to blur the background a little. Some blur with smooth out the texture in the background, will look a bit nicer.

 

[Gargamel]

little more, takes energy to wipe out the reg plate

 

[RedCal]

Totally agree with everything said above. Here are a few of mineView attachment 46685

LOVE this last one

I have been putting off doing a photoshoot... (waiting to do tint) but now you are getting me inspired I may do it before tint

 

[Gargamel]

 

[Revvdmedia]

I have been putting off doing a photoshoot... (waiting to do tint) but now you are getting me inspired I may do it before tint

You and me both. I have probably 7K worth of camera gear sitting idle due to various reasons (motivation, business, post secondary combined with a full work week). The other weekend I was thinking of doing some night shots but never got around to doing it. I have a 5 day weekend coming up this weekend, I should take an evening to get those night shots in, need some practice. Not shooting a Stinger though, so those images won't be allowed here HAHA.

Maybe I'll hook up with one of the local guys here and see if they want some shots of their car.

 

[Gargamel]

I used this camera for todays photos.

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Review | Photography Blog

Expert review of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS digital camera with sample photos, test shots, videos and more.

www.photographyblog.com

 

[Revvdmedia]

I used this camera for todays photos.

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Review | Photography Blog

Expert review of the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS digital camera with sample photos, test shots, videos and more.

www.photographyblog.com

Try standing way far back, might need a tripod, and zoom in. Even small sensor camera can get some nice background blur even with a small image sensor.

 

[RedCal]

You and me both. I have probably 7K worth of camera gear sitting idle due to various reasons (motivation, business, post secondary combined with a full work week). The other weekend I was thinking of doing some night shots but never got around to doing it. I have a 5 day weekend coming up this weekend, I should take an evening to get those night shots in, need some practice. Not shooting a Stinger though, so those images won't be allowed here HAHA.

Maybe I'll hook up with one of the local guys here and see if they want some shots of their car.

Same here... I haven't taken my gear out in ages.... way overdue

 

[RedCal]

Try standing way far back, might need a tripod, and zoom in. Even small sensor camera can get some nice background blur even with a small image sensor.

Agreed... and if the Camera only gives you "modes" for shooting options use the Portrait or people one