Do you like taking car photography? Many people do because cars can look very shiny. But taking photos of a car is not as easy as it seems to be.
There are many things you need to know to snap creative car photography. You should have the right equipment and settings. Learning some special techniques will help you to make your car photos stand out.
In this photography article, we will teach you some of the basics of automobile photography. It will help you to adjust your camera settings. You will also learn how to use different methods like moving your camera or using lights to create amazing effects.
We will also show you some examples of car photos that will inspire you to try new things.
Best 13 Car Photography Tips For Beginners & Professionals:
Do you love capturing car photography poses? Do you want to make it your job? Then you need to learn some unique tips to make your car photos stand out from others.
Here are some photography ideas to get you started. Start reading now!
Tip#1: Using Soft Light
Cars are shiny, so they can reflect a lot of light. This can make your photos look too bright or have white spots. To avoid this, you need to use soft light. This is light that is not too harsh or direct.
If you are outside, you can use soft light by taking photos early in the morning or late in the afternoon. These are the times when the sun is low and the light is golden or blue.
Though timing is an important factor, look for a place where there is some shade regardless of timing.
You need to make flashes or lights softer too. You can do this by using things like softboxes or diffusers. These are like covers that go over your lights and make them less bright.
Tip#2: Lookout The White Balance Properly:
White balance is how your camera sees the colors in your photos. Sometimes, your camera can get confused and make the colors look wrong.
For example, if you are taking car photography for a website or a magazine, you want the colors to look real. You don't want a red car to look orange or a blue car to look purple.
To fix this, you need to adjust the white balance on your best camera for car photography. You can do this by taking a photo of something that is gray or white and telling your camera that this is the correct color. You need to do it every time the light changes.
Also, be careful when you are taking photos from inside the car. The glass of the windshield can change the color of the light too. You can fix this later on your computer, but it's better to get it right on your best cameras for car photography.
Tip#3: Pay More Attention To Composition:
Composition is how you arrange everything in your photo. It's important to make your photo look more fascinating.
A simple way to improve your composition is to use the rule of thirds. This is when you divide your photo into nine squares with two horizontal and two vertical lines.
However, you can see these lines on your camera screen or viewfinder. The rule of thirds says that you should put the most important things in your photo along these lines or where they cross.
This is just one way to compose your photo, but there are many others. You can learn more by looking at other photographers' work and seeing how they do it.
Tip#4: Nail The Deepness Of The Field:
Depth of field is how much of your photo is in focus. Sometimes, you want everything in focus, but other times, you want to focus on one thing and blur everything else.
This can make your car photography more dramatic and draw attention to what you want. To control the depth of field, you need to change three things: the aperture, the focal length, and the distance.
Aperture: This is how big the hole in your lens is. A bigger hole lets in more light, but also makes the depth of field smaller. A smaller hole lets in less light, but also makes the depth of field bigger.
Here, the aperture is measured by numbers called f-stops. A smaller number means a bigger hole and a smaller depth of field. A bigger number means a smaller hole and a bigger depth of field.
Focal length: This is how zoomed in or out your lens is. A zoomed-in lens makes things look bigger but also makes the depth of field smaller. A zoomed-out lens makes things look smaller but also makes the depth of field bigger.
Hence, the focal length is measured by millimeters (mm). A bigger number means a zoomed-in lens and a smaller depth of field. A smaller number means a zoomed-out lens and a bigger depth of field.
Distance: This is how far away you are from the car. When you are closer to the car, you have a smaller depth of field. When you are farther away from the car, you have a bigger depth of field.
To find out how these three things affect your depth of field, you can use an app on your phone that tells you what settings to use.
Tip#5: Do Some Experiment With Light Painting:
Another fun way to take photos is at night time car photography. You can use a technique called “light painting.” This is when you use a flashlight or something that glows to draw shapes or patterns on your car while your camera takes a long exposure photo.
To do night car photography, you need a tripod for your camera and a remote trigger or a timer. You also need a dark place where there are no other lights around.
Set up your camera on the tripod and frame your shot. Then, set your shutter speed to Bulb mode, which means it will stay open as long as you press the button. Set your aperture to f/8 and your ISO to 100. These are just starting points; you can change them later.
Press the shutter and start moving your light around the car. You can make lines, circles, waves, or anything you want. Be creative and have fun. When you are done, release the shutter and see what you made.
Finally, you can try different colors, shapes, and movements to get different effects. You can also use more than one light at a time. The possibilities are endless for light painting photography!
Tip#6: Make The Car Look Like It's Moving:
When you take a photo of a car that is moving fast, you can make it look like it's still. But this is not very fun. You want to show that the car is moving.
You can use a setting on your camera called shutter priority. This lets you choose how fast the camera takes the photo. The camera will change the other settings to make the photo look good.
Tip#7: Make The Photo Look Blurry:
A different way to show that the car is moving is to make the car's photo look blurry. This means that you use a slow shutter speed so that the car or the background looks like it has a trail.
Therefore, you can do this in two ways: either the car is clear and the background is blurry or the background is clear and the car is blurry. You can also try to take a photo from another car that is moving.
But be careful, don't do anything dangerous. Find a quiet street and don't bother the drivers.
If you want to make the car look blurry, you need to keep the camera still. You can use a tripod to hold the camera for you. You also need to choose a slow shutter speed depending on how fast the car is going and how much motion blur you want.
Tip#8: Don't Forget The Inside Of The Car Details:
The inside of the car is also important. It shows how the car is designed and how easy it is to use. You want to show it in your photos.
You can capture photos of different parts of the inside of the car. You can focus on the buttons or the switches or the seats. You can show how they look or feel.
On the other hand, you can try to show the road or the scenery through the window with the steering wheel in front. This will make you feel like you are driving the car.
To make both the inside and outside of the car look good in one photo, you need to use some special lights or editing tools like photo stacking or HDR.
Tip#9: Show Where The Car Is:
It's usually worth to leave some space around the car in your photo. This will show where the car is or what it is doing. To make your car photos more interesting like cat photography, you can follow some simple rules of composition.
It’s especially right when you are taking photos of a car that is driving or in a special place. You don't want to miss any part of the car or cut it off by mistake.
Tip#10: Experiment With Diverse Angles:
Taking photos of cars at eye level can be boring. They will look like any other photo of a car. To make your photos more creative and remarkable, you should try different photography angles.
Don't be afraid to get dirty; lie down on the ground or climb a tree. Do whatever you need to get the best automobile photoshoot.
You can even try using a drone. Some beautiful roads or places can be perfect for your car photos, but you need to remember to remove any shadows produced by the drone.
Tip#11: Check What's Behind The Car:
It's crucial to think about what's behind the car when you take a photo. The car is the main thing, so you don't want anything behind it that will take away attention from it.
Moreover, you can select something behind the car that matches it or tells a story about it. It can be a place or a thing that shows where the car is or what it does.
Or you can choose something behind the car that is simple and plain: a color that makes the car stand out or the classic grey, black, or white.
Tip#12: Telling A Short Story:
When you take photos of cars, you want to make them interesting and fun for people to look at. You want to tell a story with your photos so that people can imagine themselves in the car or feel like they know the car better.
For example, if the car is for families, you want to show how it can fit everyone and everything they need. You can take a photo of the car with a family inside, or at a place where they like to go. Maybe they are going to the park, or the grocery store, or the beach. Show how the car helps them enjoy their life.
If the car is for adventures, you want to show how it can handle different terrains and situations. You can take a photo of the car on a dirt road, or in the mountains, or in the rain. Show how the car is ready for anything.
Tip#13: Paying Some Attention To The Car’s Color:
Cars come in different colors, and some colors look better in different lights. I told you before that you should avoid taking photos in direct sunlight because it can make the car look too bright or too dark. But sometimes, you might find a color that looks good in direct sunlight. So don't be afraid to try different things and see what works best.
You should always check your photos after you take them, and see how the color looks. You can also take notes about what kind of light and color work well together.
Pro Tip:
If you want to learn more about light and color, you can go to a parking lot at different times of the day, and take photos of different cars. But be careful and respectful; don't take too many photos of one car, especially if the owner is there, and watch out for other cars that might hit you.
Final Thoughts About Best Tips for Car Photography:
We hope this article made you so excited about taking incredible car photography in your next photoshoot.
Moreover, capturing car photography is always fun and rewarding, but it's not so easy. You can't just go out and take a photo of any car and expect it to look amazing every time you snapshot.
Therefore, you have to think creatively about how to make the car look its best, and how to tell a story with your photos. So use these mentioned tips to take awesome photos of any car you see.
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Asha is working as a Creative Director at Clipping Mask Asia. She has completed her Graduation from the University of Dhaka inFilm and Television Studies. She has vast knowledge in Photography, Videography, Video Editing, 3D Modeling, Rendering and Animation. She loves to explore the creative world with her academic knowledge, experience and creative mind. She writes creative blogs on design, illustration and editing for renowned brands like Clipping Mask Asia.