This is how you show your car the best side

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Now that spring has come, the second-hand market is gaining momentum again. Many are looking for a used car and some want to sell their current car privately. The first step to a successful car sale is photos that show your car at its best and don’t look embarrassing.

The more expensive the camera equipment, the better the photos? Meaningless! Even with expensive equipment, photos can fail if you ignore important rules for the subject – or simply take a few snaps quickly from the hip. It’s not about equipment, it’s about technique and good preparation. Here are tips on how to take perfect car photos with the camera or even your smartphone.

Before using your camera or mobile phone: Preparation is everything! Dust the interior of the vehicle and run it through the car wash so that no stains are left on the windows that can be seen later. Windows must be closed. Sun visors that go down or a curved steering wheel look awkward, so fold them up and straighten them out. And with the old coffee mug in the center console.

The next step is to look for the right background and location. Graffiti, colorful walls or exciting elements in the background can make a positive impact on the one hand, but can also steal the show of the car and let it blend into the background. It comes into its own at its best when it stands out against the background. Ultimately, the focus should be on your loved ones. Therefore, it is important to avoid traffic signs or other cars in the picture.

Exposure is the most important thing in photography. Full sunlight as at midday is not optimal: this causes unsightly reflections in the paint and the object casts a harsh shadow. If you’re shooting in the morning or afternoon, softer sunlight will improve your shots. There are interesting lighting conditions, especially during the golden and blue hours of sunrise and sunset. You can try some there.

Sometimes lighting conditions make the car look too bright or too dark, depending on the colour: dark colors absorb more light and can cause, for example, the radiator grille to disappear without its contours. Light paint or chrome plating may look a little overexposed. Therefore, it is best to manually switch to the HDR mode (High Dynamic Range) of the smartphone or camera for a series of exposures. This means: The mobile phone automatically takes many pictures, from underexposed to overexposed. These are then combined to create a photograph, and the result is a picture that is perfectly illuminated all over. Caution: The camera must be kept very still, otherwise the photos will not be exactly the same and the merging will not work. It is best to stabilize the smartphone or place it on a tripod.

Not only the height at which we take a photo, but also the distance, location and angle play an important role. So first you have to ask yourself, “What exactly do I want to show?” Taking pictures from further away is suitable for sales advertisement. Because: A photo too close to the car may distort the shape of the body. More extreme locations are also suitable for private use. Just try it: get close and see what happens to the contours of your car. Or you can shoot from a different angle from the first floor. Let your creativity flow.

Stand between the sun and the car to avoid backlighting. So the sun is behind you and you don’t go blind. It’s best to take photos in three-quarters perspective, that is, at an angle from the front so that both headlights are visible, but the rear is also shown. Don’t just drive around the car to photograph the other side – the light conditions will change. Instead, rearrange the vehicle so that it is best lit again. Very important: Make sure your shadow on the asphalt or reflection in the paint is not visible. Rear-view mirrors and windows also run the risk of reflections on them. A slight change in viewing angle or position may help.

More photos, bigger selection. This also increases the odds of getting a good one. In order not to torture yourself among hundreds of photos while choosing, you should first decide what you want to photograph. The golden ratio or the rule of two thirds helps here. Because: What is not photographed in the center is what we find more aesthetically pleasing and interesting. For the golden ratio, you can think of the image as a grid of nine rectangles. Even some smartphones display such a grid. Your car should appear mainly in the outer rectangles. Thus, the object takes up one-third of the picture, leaving space for surroundings or details. This rule also applies to close-ups of headlights, rear-view mirrors or emblems, or landscape shots against a beautiful panorama.

You can get more out of your car photos with image editing. No need for the most expensive editing programs to retouch a spot or darken overexposed elements a bit. Even smartphone apps or free tools on the web specialize in these basics. But: The better you plan your photos, the less work you have afterward.

Smartphone apps and even social media platforms are also available for color editing. Even the integrated camera app on the mobile phone already has functions such as filters or tools for color adjustment. You can also play with it and see what you like. Important: No filters or color adjustments should be made for a sales ad – after all, the car should appear as original.

Anyone who enjoys car photography can achieve even higher quality results with additional equipment. If you want to be creative, even a tripod or a simple SLR camera with different lenses can do wonders: just try it! Last tip: take a second person with you to take pictures. This saves you time maneuvering and you’ll have a second set of eyes to keep an eye on the best spot.

Source: Blick