How to Shoot Cars! 5 Tips To Help You Master on Car Photography!

What's up guys my name is Darren. Today we are talking five tips and tricks to up your car photography game, so let's get right into it! So through my experience of working with brands like Mercedes-Benz Toyota and a bunch of other clients, I thought I'd share with you some of the tips, tricks and other things I've learned along the way that will help you get some results that you're pumped on.

Here are some of the photos that I've taken in the past we'll explore some of the techniques that I used in these photos in this article today.

Let's go grab our car and her camera and take some photos today we're gonna shoot with my 1998 Mercedes-Benz C 230 with rust spots and fake AMG wheels this car should work perfectly for what we're trying to achieve here today.

Unfortunately, I don't have a parking lot as a shooting location, I'm just using my parent's house but this should hopefully at least show you some of the things that you can use to improve your shots tip.

Now there's a handful of common ways to shoot a car let's explore my favorites the first position is the front left 1/4 shot that's where you position the car to see about 25% of the left side as you're shooting down it.

Next we got the left 3/4 shot this is where you expose 75% of the side of the car so that you get more of the car in the shot this can all be reversed for the right side of the car - including the front right 1/4 shot and the front right 3/4 shot so that's 25% and 75% of the side of the car.

Next, we got the front shot very obvious you're shooting straight down the line of the car so that you can only see the lights and the windshield.

Up next, we've got a side profile now that's a hundred percent of the side that you're looking at looks great when you match it with an awesome background now.

Let's head to the back of the car let's shoot straight down the back where you only have the headlights and the windshield so you can only see just the back part of the car.

Up next we got the back right 1/4 shot where you see 25% of the side of that car next you got the back right 3/4 shot we're seeing about 75% of the side of the car from the back front.

Little pro tip for you and this is something that I've learned from a bunch of automotive journalists along the way try your best always to turn the wheel the car so that the rim is facing the photographer and generally just makes the car look better and it's more pleasing to the eye

A cool way to get some natural in-camera motion blur is this stance stationary next to the side of the road while the car drives past you at a fast speed I would suggest that the car drives about 60 kilometers an hour or 40 miles per hour at this time now grab your camera set your shutter to about one over 125th and get all the other settings so you have the right exposure and as the car in motion, you follow it along with the lens and get the shot now if you capture it properly the car should be nice and sharp but the wheels should be blurry and social the background this is the showcase speed and add some dimension to your photos.

Some of the things that you'll need are two drivers two cars and a closed-off area that you can shoot safely this is we're gonna hang your camera outside the window of your Chase car or you shoot the opposite car at about a speed of 40 miles an hour grab your camera set your shutter to one over 80th or one over 104 shutter speed this is the same principle as we talked in tip #2 where the body's nice and sharp but it shows motion on the ground or the road or the background including the wheels if you want to you can decrease your shutter speed this will increase the motion blur and if you just get that one shot that just looks like WOW that's the one.

But you probably have to take a lot more car photos in this case so a safe area to play is one over 80th or one over 100 the shutter speed obviously quick safety tip I just need to say it make sure that the camera is attached to you or latched you in some way I don't want you to be shooting and you drop your camera now a Porsche gt3 drives over it now you have to explain to the insurance company what happened because you probably cannot get that claim so please be safe I don't want to hear about anybody getting hurt this is always about fun and getting some images that you're pumped on but safety comes first every time.

Cars are basically just like giant mirrors and they capture everything especially if you're in a busy location or busy area you'll have your friends captured in them you'll have trees or buildings so I'd recommend going out into an open space a field sure work just fine you don't have to be looking at the image later and being like should've asked Pete and his damn skinny jeans to get out of the shot now I got a Photoshop them out of the side of the car great thanks Pete just told you to move.

Quick tip and something that you should definitely buy a polarizing filter when your shoot cars check out this example and see how much the reflections change when you use a circular polarizing filter.

One thing to keep in mind something that I always do when you're searching from portrait to landscape make sure you compensate your polarizing filter accordingly is every now and then I'm looking back and forth the photos like why does this photo look so dope and this one looks so bad Chris oh probably because you didn't change the circular polarizing filter again like you always do so this is mainly a reminder for me but you should also do it.

It seems obvious but changes up your shots as much as you can get low bust out a ladder to get high.

Maybe take out your drone get it right over the car shoot directly down utilize the landscape around you shoot behind trees put some stuff in the foreground change up your perspective in your composition a little bit so that number one your clients are happy and number two when your friends are swiping through your Instagram feed going why does Darren's 1998 Mercedes-Benz C 230 look so amazing yes I assume you have the same exact car as me that's because you utilize some new techniques and you kind of changed it up a little bit and in return they're gonna be smashing that like button you get like at least 32 more likes that's a lot of legs guys ultimately this is a creative space so trust your eye go out there get creative explore some light explore different angles explore locations incorporate whatever you can into your car photography so that you're happy the results that you're getting

Guys if you liked what you've learned head over to that share button give it some love and share this article out and tell your friends about these tips. If you guys want to read some more stories and article because there's plenty more coming in the future leave a little comment of what you might want to see next that's it, for now, guys I'll catch you next time.