Car photography can be a lot of fun, however, it can be quite intimidating if you don’t know the tricks of trade.
As a professional auto photographer I’ve come up with a variety of methods for taking top-quality photographs of vehicles. In this post I’ll share eight of the most important tips, which include:
- The ideal lighting for photo shoots in cars.
- A wealth of ideas for stunning automobile pictures
- Common photography mistakes that you should be on the lookout for
- More, more!
Whatever your skill degree, if your goal is to learn how to take photos of cars with the professionalism of a professional then you’re in the right spot. Let’s get started.
Also check– CGI car photography
1. Shoot at the correct time of the day.
The most frequent mistake that motorists make when taking photos of automobiles? The most common mistake is to shoot in the middle of the day where the lighting is harsh, harsh, and all-around poor. This is a surefire chance to get poor car photos which isn’t likely to impress your customers.
In reality, the ideal time to take auto photography is about a couple of seconds after sunset (or just a few minutes prior to sunrise). It’s a beautiful light and not a direct sun and you’ll get an amazing kind of ethereal look. Utilizing a tripod as the light won’t appear particularly powerful and remote release is an excellent idea to create that soft, beautiful light that reflects off the paint.
2. Keep an eye out for reflections
If you’re looking to get professional photos of your car it is important to be mindful of what reflections reflect off of the car. Therefore, before taking just one image, take a look around and then take a close look at the car and observe what reflections reflect off the car’s surface.
The reason is that a car (especially one that is brand new and shiny one) acts as mirrors. Therefore, if you shoot using trees or structures on the road in front of your car it will reflect off its surface , and appear in your photographs. Make sure you have some space in front of you, such as an ocean or a field. If you’re in a spot with bustling surroundings, attempt to shift your viewpoint. By dropping down you might be able to get rid of distractions and get an image of the sky reflecting in your car (which is much more appealing and is shown in the picture at the end of this article).
3. Take driving shots
This is one of my most-loved suggestions for creating car photography with creativity:
Photograph the car in another vehicle moving. (Please be extremely cautious while doing this. Make sure you and your camera are secure before you think about taking a picture.)
A car that is moving is beautiful, and gives a stunning sensation of motion. It’s an Audi S3 that was shot before sunset. It was traveling with a velocity of 70 km/h (43 mph) and I utilized an shutter speed of 1/125s.
4. Be aware of your car’s color. vehicle
Different kinds of paint react differently to changes in light. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that you should stay away from direct sunlight. It is true, however there are some colours that are able to take direct sunlight extremely well.
Look at this cute blue Beetle image taken in the middle of the day:
Don’t be afraid to play around with various lighting settings. Also, always look over your images carefully afterward, and make notes in your mind (or physically) notes on the color and the way it appears.
Pro suggestion: If you’re trying to improve your understanding of lighting and colors in cars go to a parking spot at various time of day. Then, walk through the area and (discreetly) capture photographs of vehicles. Naturally, you must exercise caution and be cautious. Don’t take the entire photo shoot in your car when the owner is standing and watching, and keep an eye for vehicles which could accidentally drive over you.
5. Select your background with care
A gorgeous background is the perfect finish to your car photos A poor and/or distracting background can cause a photo to be ruined.
What is a good background? Anything that isn’t distracting. It should, in the ideal case, emphasize the primary subject matter and enhance the car (and fit the subject).
Poor backgrounds, on contrary, can be distracting, they catch the eyeand aren’t logical in relation to the car’s color, shape or thematic. For instance, dustbins, electricity lines as well as many other vehicles can ruin a photo. You can get rid of them using Photoshop at times but you should avoid these in the first place (plus it will save you time in the end).
6. Pan to blur the motion
I’ve talked before about taking photos of cars through a moving car. If you’re looking for an incredible motion blur effect but aren’t a fan of taking photos through the window of a car moving What about panning instead?
