Car photos

[Ellen]

Hi everyone!

My dad wants me to take photos of his limo's this arvo because he is selling them... I really want to impress him - so anyone got any tips of what angles would be good? I was thinking about setting it up with the wedding ribbon for one, and champagne and glass for the inside photo.... and thought about getting it from a low angle, and try maybe a high angle, from a ladder or something.

Any other ideas for me??? I havent done anything like this before so it will be a challenge for me.

Thanks in advance

[jjphoto]

Ellen

Your dad would probably be most impressed with good clear images that help to sell the car rather than interesting arty ones, eg low angles and similar.

It's overcast today so you should have some luck with the light, try to avoid shadows. That old gem, 'shoot with the sun over your shoulder' does help if you are trying to get good clear shots.

It probably helps to take the car some where where it fits in with the wedding theme, maybe a near by park. But make sure the background is very simple, not cluttered or distracting.

Try to avoid power poles, trees, signs poking out of the car. Keep the pictures very simple, clean, and remember the car should be the star of the show.

Avoid distracting reflections in the side of the car. If the car is pastel, silver white (a light colour) then reflections will not be much of a problem. If the car is black, or any dark colour, then it will act like a mirror and reflect your environment. These reflections can detract from the lines of the car. The best way to avoid them is to try to shoot the car in an open area, where there is nothing that can reflect in the car. As I said, it's really only a problem with dark colours.

Make sure you get the shots your dad needs, not the ones you want, but do both if you have time.

Good luck.

JJ

[ehor]

Try to shoot in the late afternoon as well

[Ellen]

Thanks for the tips guys. We didnt end up doing it this arvo, so I guess I have a bit more thinking time! Thanks.

[purephotos]

I would agree with everyone above, I'm not sure about this, but perhaps a polarising filter could help eliminate the reflections in darker coloured cars? You'd have to try it. I'd personally make sure the inside of the car is spick and span for inside shots, and I'd use some good lighting to make sure that one can see every detail in the limo. Outside lighting as everyone else said, shoot with the sun (relatively) behind you and as I said before, give the polariser a shot if you don't want reflections.
Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes!

-R

[rayray086]

Agreed with purephotos - using a circular polarising filter is definitely helpful. Some unwanted reflections from the sun or from the lights under an indoor carpark can be "removed" by playing with a CP filter.

Simple backgrounds are a must, and unlike portraits, your subject is relatively big (and have depth) so I'd recommend shooting with a high aperture. A shallow DOF can provide some interesting shots, but seeing as you're taking photos for a for sale ad, it's probably not what you're looking for!

Best angles I've found are head-on, a side profile, and quarter angles from the rear and front at about the same height as the side mirrors.

Some examples (excuse the post-processing!)



(I didn't take the photo below, but it's of the same car)


In reference to the angles, I'd much prefer this (at side mirror height)...


...to this (at eye level when standing):


Hope this helps.

[jev]

Simple backgrounds are a must,

I'm sorry mate, but then... why do you post examples with
1) ...a very busy brick wall and seemingly an antenna sticking out of the roof of an otherwise very flat looking car?
2) ...a nice eye-catching "No Entry" sign next to the car that, BTW, is in the shadows whilst the wall in the background is in direct sunlight?
3) ...lots of grafity on one side and some eye-catching posters on the other wall?
4) ...a very dark undercarriage that seems to lack a lot of detail, especially with these very deep shadows on the floor?


The car should be the eye-catcher, not it's environment. No lines leading away from or into the car (mind road striping, floor cracks etc). Car should be clean, spotless. Your images should convey the message: "buy me"! And if it has any special features (I bet a "limo" would have them), take some detailed shots too.

Here is a nice list of do's and don'ts - even though it's talking about a Mustang, the basic rules are there for every car.

[Ellen]

Thanks for the replies guys! I havent had time to do this yet, and probably wont now that I am going away for work, but its worth knowing.

Jev - thanks for that link! Really interesting read.

[Seesee]

I'm sorry mate, but then... why do you post examples with
1) ...a very busy brick wall and seemingly an antenna sticking out of the roof of an otherwise very flat looking car?
2) ...a nice eye-catching "No Entry" sign next to the car that, BTW, is in the shadows whilst the wall in the background is in direct sunlight?
3) ...lots of grafity on one side and some eye-catching posters on the other wall?
4) ...a very dark undercarriage that seems to lack a lot of detail, especially with these very deep shadows on the floor?


The car should be the eye-catcher, not it's environment. No lines leading away from or into the car (mind road striping, floor cracks etc). Car should be clean, spotless. Your images should convey the message: "buy me"! And if it has any special features (I bet a "limo" would have them), take some detailed shots too.

Here is a nice list of do's and don'ts - even though it's talking about a Mustang, the basic rules are there for every car.

Exactly right....the examples shown are ...well...bad examples

[Seven]

angled view of the limo and maybe park it with something behind that it doesn't detract from the car. Lots of people go near the beach, but I reckon every one does that.

I reckon early mornin or late afternoon sun would be the best.

Might be a interesting shot at dusk as well with the lights on and longer exposure with out a flash.

[SX2002]

As one who takes thousands of car pics every year, take your shots from a low level, not an elevated one. Cars look more impressive when viewed at their own height whether side views or three quarter views. Of course, the usual photgraphy "things" apply, light, background, etc.
Ron. (Sporting Car Club of South Australia)

[Darey]

I know this is late but I hope my 2 tips help others with their car shots.

1/. Use a polarising filter to decrease reflections.
2/. Isolate the car by getting low or close and keep it as simple as possible.

Following are some very ameture examples that I hope will help to illustrate my tips.

[purephotos]

http://l0stsnypr.deviantart.com/art/...tang-114073713

Is this a good example? Yes it is my photo I thought it was good, or maybe that's just cause I like the car so much.

-R