8 Car Photography Tips: Learn From a Professional (2024)

As a passionate car enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by thebeautyandeleganceof automobiles.

However, my initial attempts at capturing these cars on film were, to be honest,not my best work. My photos lacked the impact and visual appeal that I desired.

ButI didn’t give up. I poured my heart and soul into learning the art of car photography, experimenting with different techniques, and refining my skills.

Over time, I discoveredeight essential tipsthat transformed my photography and allowed me to capture the essence of cars in a way that truly resonates with viewers.

These tips have not only helped me improve my photography but have also guided aspiring car photographers who seek to elevate their skills. Knowingwhat settings to usealso helps!

Here are the eight essential tips for capturing captivating car photography:

Rolling shots, a dynamic and captivating technique, have become a signature element in my car photography portfolio.

Unlike panning, which requires following the car’s movement with your camera while holding the shutter button, rolling shots involve shooting a moving carfrom another moving car.

It captures the speed at which you’re going, having a longer shutter speed (1/20) will have a more dramatic effect than a shorter shutter speed (1/100).

This technique creates a mesmerizing blur effect in the background, emphasizing the car’s dynamic presence.

I vividly recall myfirst attemptat rolling shots. I was asked to photograph two cars, although I had never taken a photo of a car before.

On a quiet road, we started driving while I was in the back of another car. I had done someresearchso I knew what to do.

To my surprise, the photos looked pretty good. You can see my first attempt at rolling shots in thephoto above.

By the way, I was asked multiple times after that to take photos for the dealership, weird how things go sometimes.

Compositionis the cornerstone of compelling car photography, dictating how you frame the car within the image, and creating a visually appealing and impactful composition.

My approach involves experimenting with differentcar photography anglesand perspectives to find the arrangement that best showcases the car’s elegance, power, and design features.

There are a lot of angles, including thelow-angle,high-angle, or usingnegative space.

Every composition is unique and I always try different things while photographing a car, most of the time, I will determine the best photo after the photoshoot.

One of my most memorable compositions was alow-angleshot of a new sports car, theBMW M3. I captured its sleek lines and sculpted curves from a dramatic viewpoint.

The low angle emphasized the car’s imposing presence and heightened its sense of power.

It’s not suitable for every car, but if the car is already brutal, you canemphasizethat feature by shooting low to the ground.

You can see the way the wheel is turned and how the car is positioned, I like every aspect of the photo of the M3.

It’s alwaysmultiple aspectsthat make a photo great, not just the perspective or editing.

Natural lightplays a crucial role in my car photography, adding depth, dimension, and a sense of drama to my images.

I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty ofsoft,diffused light, such as early morning or late afternoon sunlight, to avoid harsh shadows and unflattering reflections.

Harsh midday sunlight can create distracting contrasts and unflattering highlights on the car’s surface.

Thatdoesn’tmean you should never shoot in bright sunlight, sometimes, the client wants to shoot at that time of day.

If important to know how to shoot when the sun is bright, even more important is the location in these situations.

I was once photographing a Porsche on a beautiful day. It wasn’t raining and the owner had only time during the day. There were some clouds, butnot enough to create diffused light.

There I was, inbright sunlight, having to shoot a Porsche. But I knew what I had to do, namely, find locations with shadows.

Theparking lotwas perfect for that, it had shadows and highlights, creating a lot of contrast and directing your eyes to the car.

That’s how I played with the lighting, although I didn’t have direct control over the sun. It’s your job to create nice photos, sometimes you have touse the knowledge you have.

Slow shutter speedscan be used to create artistic effects and draw attention to specific elements of the car. I like to play around with alight barto lighten certain aspects of a car.

You can’t do this during the day unless you have a bright flash. Set the shutter speed to around 10 seconds and start to lighten the details you want.

In the edit, you canlayer multiple photosand create the photo you, or your client, desire. The magic of using a long shutter happens in the editing process.

At one time, I was shooting aFiat Abarth, the one shown above. At some point in time, I purchased a light bar but I had never used it.

I thought it would be time to finally use it for along exposure shot. The photo above is made out of roughly 10 photos, all highlighting a different part of the car.

It was dark outside, so I was able to use a10-secondexposure. If it was afternoon, I couldn’t have done this.

All in all, I think it worked out pretty well for the first time. I still practice with it, although not a lot of times.

Sharp focusis paramount in car photography, as it allows me to showcase the car’s intricate details and bring the image to life.

Continuous autofocus(AF) has become my secret weapon for tracking moving cars and ensuring sharp focus throughout the shot, even in challenging lighting conditions.

I also shoot a lot with single-point AF, if I’m shooting details I need full control of the autofocus points.

If your camera canrecognize cars, that’s a useful feature. If not, just tap the car and it will track the car. Make sure to use a small aperture (F8) when shooting moving cars, that helps to get sharp photos.

For detail shots, I use a larger aperture (F1.4). That creates a blurry background and emphasizes the detail I want to capture.

I once photographed a high-performance car during a personal photoshoot. It hasfine detailsand it was my job to capture these details with my camera.

Putting a 35mm lens on, I started shooting. I opened the car door and I saw abig logothat represented the car.

It showed the color, type, and logo of the Audi R8. It’s such a fine and nice detail. It’s important to put on theright lens.

With F1.4, I created ashallow depth of fieldand the only detail that stands out is the logo. The rest is either out-of-focus or in the shadow.

I’m not afraid to experiment withcreative filtersand effects to enhance the visual appeal of my car photography and create unique and captivating images.

In post-processing, I utilizecolor gradingtechniques to set the mood and atmosphere of the images. Warm tones convey a sense of nostalgia or elegance, while cooler tones suggest power and dynamism.

I also experimented with gradients to put the focus on the car. Drag agradient filterfrom the bottom to the car, lower the exposure, and look at the result.

In the early days, I didn’t use too much editing. I added a bit of contrast, and some clarity, and I was done.

Looking back on that time, I’m happy I didn’t use crazy editing techniques. I wasfocused on getting the right shot in-camera, which I am still doing.

But right now, when I’m shooting, I keep the editing possibilities in mind. I look at scenarios and think about the color gradingbeforetaking the shot.

How will it look when I edit the photo, what things need to be removed, and is the photo underexposed (and can I recover that)?

That’s what was going on in my mind when taking the photo of the Audi above. I knew the color grading I wanted to apply, andwith that in mind, I started shooting.

I’ve come to appreciate the unique perspectives and creative possibilities that differentlenses in car photographyoffer.

Wide-angle lenses allow me to capture sweeping landscapes or urban environments with the car as the focal point, while telephoto lenses help me isolate the car from the background and create a more intimate portrait-style image.

I love using the 35mm F1.4, as this is one of the best lenses to ever exist, in my opinion. It creates a lovely bokeh and isolates the car from the background.

My 50mm lens is also used widely, although I tend to use the 35mm a lot more. I’ve written a35mm vs 50mm comparison, specifically for car photography if that interests you.

I was once photography the Lotus Eletre and I had the 24-70mm lens on. I love that lens for its versatility.

While shooting the back end of the car and the wheel, Izoomed in and out a few times. You can see two photos taken from almost the same point of view.

Now, the first one is shot at38mmand the second one is shot at55mm. It’s such a small difference when you look at the numbers.

You can see the difference in the result, I like the second one a lot more because of the compressed background.

For shots like these, I will almost always use a50mmor85mmlens. It looks a lot nicer and there a fewer distractions.

Car photography should go beyond mere technical brilliance; it should capture theessence of the car and its story.

I believe that every car has a unique personality and character, and it’s my goal to convey these elements through my images.

When getting a request for a photoshoot, I alwaysask about the carthat I will shoot. If you have that information, go and look up the car and its history.

Most of the time, a vintage car has a long history and it’s our job to show the history and story of the car through an image.

I once photographed an old Audi RS2, it was a unique car, with fewer than 10 on Dutch soil. Now, it was quite a challenge to capture the details and beautiful design of the car.

It washarsh daylight, and that was making it more difficult. I didn’t exactly know what to do, but when I was shooting the perfect moment arrived.

The sun was perfect, creating abacklit image. The light hit the side of the car like I had never seen before.

All the lines, details, and curves of the Audi RS2 came out and I was astonished. I purposefully didn’t turn the CPL filter to the front, I thought thereflection added to the photo.

There is a lot of hard work being put into a car before a car like this can hit the road, the owner put a lot of work into it for a long time.

Now, I think I did a perfect job at showing the car in itsmost beautiful form, although there was harsh sunlight.