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Introduction
I may be making a large assumption, but I am assuming that most people that are reading this blog are car lovers. And, being a car guy myself, I know that you are always striving to take that perfect picture of your car, or a car that you see while you are out and about. Whether you are a professional photographer or just a car guy, these tricks should help you become a much better automotive photographer. So, let’s get into the article!
#1: Background
The background is one of the most important parts of a picture and this is something that you need to get right. The main focus of the photo should be the car, but if the background is off, then everyone who looks at the photo will have a feeling that the photo just doesn’t look right. So, how do you get the right background? Well, the first thing that you want to decide is what kind of background you want for your car. If the car you are photographing is an off-roader, you may want to have trees and mountains behind your car, or even maybe a desert landscape. If you are photographing a small sports car, you make consider photographing it in a town setting or on a twisty road. Once you have made this decision, you can then move on to the next step which is finding the right background.
Once you have decided on a background, you then have to work with what you have! If you want mountains, but don’t have any mountains, consider a hilly forest instead. There are always going to background near you that work, you just have to find them. Once you find the perfect background, scope it out to find the perfect spot to put your car so that it looks good and fits with what will be the back drop of the photo. This is one of the most important parts of the photo and it is important to get this right! Now, moving onto the next step.
#2: The Car
I am not going to tell you what car to photograph or any of that but I would like to take a moment to talk about how you want the car to look in the photograph. Like with the background, you need to make sure that the car looks the way that it should. So, what do I mean by this? Well, if you are photographing an old vintage Porsche 911, you would want it to be extremely sleek and shiny. You would want it to be clean so that the colors are bright! However, if you are photographing a Jeep Wrangler, you may want the car to be dirty, as though it has just done some really crazy off-roading. So, you need to judge this depending on the car that you are photographing.
This is another part, much like the background, that it is very important to get right. If you are photographing a sports car, but it is all muddy, it is going to look out of place, even with the right background. On the opposite side, if you are photographing an off-road vehicle and it is shiny and clean, it may not look completely right! So, try to pay attention to this when you set up a picture of a car. If you get this right, then the photo will flow more and there will be a lot less awkwardness to your photos. Onto the next tip!
#3: Weather
It mean seem odd that I am pointing out the weather but just give me a second to explain. One important thing that you are going to want to focus on is the weather and the time of day that you are taking the photo. This is because weather can subconsciously influence the look and feel of a photo. For example, if you are taking a photo of a bright red sports car and you want the photo to look fun and bright, then the weather can not be rainy or overcast. However, if you are shooting an off road vehicle then you may want to consider shooting the photos while it is raining outside or slightly overcast. The weather can give your photos a certain feel whether you like it or not, and that is why it is quite important to take note of while to are doing a photo shoot.
#4: Action Shots
Action shots are not always a must have for every photoshoot but they definitely can spice things up a little bit. I will say that it is understandable if you do not have the correct materials or vehicles for this tip, and that is why I do not think it is completely imperative that you include shots like these in your photoshoot. However, if you do have an extra car and a good road, consider taking some shots of the car in action. This can be while the car is driving, going through rough terrain, sitting in traffic, or whatever you think looks cool! Action shots are good because they leave less to the imagination. Often, you may see a car online and wonder how it looks while it is driving. Action shots solve that! Moving on now to the final tip for this article!
#5: Car Color
It is extremely important to be aware of the color of your car. The color of your car can affect a lot for things about the photo. For instance, different colors reflect sunlight differently. Also, different colors blend with the background differently. If you have a dark green car, it is probably unwise to shoot a picture of it right in front of a forest. Instead, try taking a picture of it with the sky as the background, or maybe a light color building. This way, your car will be easily visible to the viewer and this will also create contrast in your photo! This is a very important part of the picture that a lot of people commonly mess up.
Another great example is that I often see people taking pictures of their white Mercedes with snow in the background. While the cars are beautiful and the scenery is very nice, there is no contrast between the car and the background. This means that it is quite difficult to see the car! It would be much better use a black or maybe red car on a white background. The more you are aware of these ideas of color and contrast, the better your photos will get. Remember, you always want some kind of contrast to make is easier for the viewer to make out what is the car and what is the background of the photo. Onto the final section!
Final Comments
I hope that these tips have been helpful and that you have learned something through this article. I suggest that you start practicing these techniques right away and I can promise you that you will instantly see an improvement in your photography skills. Once you have taken your photos, share them with me on Instagram by sending them to @1969_inc and I will post them on the account! Once again, if you enjoyed the article, please share it with your friends or bookmark our site! Thank you for reading!
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