How to take great pictures
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009By: Jon Bratton
It takes just the right eye. There is an art to shooting a great picture but anyone can take a good picture with a little practice. With the age of digital cameras it is as easy as ever to achieve the appropriate cropping, correct framing and size of pictures on the computer. Experiment and take many pictures and just delete what you don’t like.
The key to taking great pictures is lighting and framing. Make sure the sun is over your shoulder behind you. The best time is just after noon or very first thing in the morning before the sun casts shadows but is still bright. Use the zoom on the camera to eliminate your shadow in the frame, and or move the car around to get the right framing and shading. Sometimes bright cloudy days also make for great lighting with no shadows. Bright metallic colors glisten in bright sunlight and are best taken then.
We have found interior,trunk, and engine shots are best taken on a sunny day in the shade out of direct sunlight. This is obvious, but make sure your car is totally clean, tires and whitewalls scrubbed and dressings applied on all interior, tire surfaces and floor mats. In addition make sure you straighten the seatbelts.
The background also affects the total picture layout. Make sure no unwanted objects stick out above your car or are in the background. Pick a spot that looks nice by itself and then insert your car with the right angle.
Having a good set of pictures of your car for selling, for a memento, or just to show off to your friends (when not driving it) is a great conversation starter and almost as fun as having your car there.