Secrets behind automotive photography

Automotive photography can be considered a niche in the photography industry. Therefore, many urgently need good advice to produce professional-level photographs.

Taking pictures of cars can be more and more interesting. When shooting car commercials, there are some aspects or guidelines that need to be kept in mind to get the desired results. The secret to successful car photography is simple! Keep some things under control!

Time of the day

The time of day is of the utmost importance when you want to take car pictures. Successful ads tend to show cars when the sun is barely visible, preferably a few minutes after sunset or just before sunrise. The soft gold glitter bounces off all surfaces, giving the photo a wholesome, glamorous vibe. Natural light also reduces post-processing time, making your work more authentic!

watch out for reflections

Car photography can be tricky, as hindsight can cause unwanted reflections on the surface of the car. Therefore, when you are preparing for a photo session, make sure you choose an open space. The shiny exterior of the car will reflect its surroundings, hiding its design lines. Exterior reflections and shadows can defeat the entire purpose of this product photography if they obstruct the car’s curves and designs. That’s why it’s best to avoid areas with tall buildings and trees for these types of shots.

And if your own reflection appears on the surface, then the best option is to use a tripod and a timer.

Color and Background

The color and background must be in perfect harmony; otherwise, your image will not attract attention. Each color or paint reacts depending on the time of day or lighting. Direct sunlight is a big no no! Most colors tend to hide their best features in direct sunlight; on the other hand, lighter colored cars can look stunning in the sunlight.

Depending on the color of your vehicle and the theme of your photo session, choosing a contrasting background is vital. The sole purpose of the background should be to highlight the car. Any object that could serve as a distraction should be removed.

driving shots

The classiest car photos are shots from the car. Taking pictures of a moving car from another moving car is one of the coolest and most exciting shots. Of course, it can be very dangerous!

Try shooting from your car window while driving at 60 kilos per hour (40 mph) with the shutter speed set to 1/100 of a second. This should capture the movement on the road and the wheels. Slowing down the shutter speed even more will create a blurry effect, which can look nice too!

Another way to take driving photos is to stand still and let the car drive past you. Use your lens to follow the car as it goes, with a shutter speed of 125 seconds. This method is easy and the images come out awesome! Obviously the effects change depending on the speed of the car, so play around with it.

night shots

Contradictory to popular belief, it is possible to take good photos in the dark. For car photography, we simply need an additional instrument; A flashlight.

First, you need to find a location that is Pitch Black. Street light, moonlight, billboards, etc. it can ruin the photo, so be careful with any other light source. After having reached this place; set up your tripod, set your ISO to 100 and your shutter speed should be 30 seconds with an aperture of f/9.

Now, when the shutter is about to open, you must shine your flashlight on the surface. Try to cover all sides of the car with the flashlight by walking while the shutter is open. Experiment with the angles and sides, each photo will have a different effect!

If you are shooting for car dealership business and e-commerce website, post processing is extremely beneficial and is costly and time consuming. However, you can benefit from our outsourcing photo editing services to reduce your time and cost.

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