How to Shoot Automotive photography

Introduction

Automotive photography is one of those genres that looks deceptively simple but is actually quite challenging. As someone who’s shot extensive automotive work on both digital and film, and worked extensively in studios with continuous lighting as well as in natural light environments, I’ve learned that capturing a car’s essence requires a mix of technical precision and creative vision. Reflections, lighting, and the need to highlight design details while keeping an image visually appealing and well composed make it a unique challenge. In this post, I’ll share my tips and tricks for shooting professional automotive photography, whether you’re in a studio or out in the wild.

1. Pre-Shoot Preparation

Before you even pick up your camera, preparation is key. I can’t stress this enough—automotive photography is as much about planning as it is about execution. Here’s how I approach it:

• Scout the Location: If you’re shooting outdoors, visit the location beforehand. Look for interesting backdrops, lighting conditions, and potential obstacles. In a studio, plan your lighting setup in advance. If you have moveable lighting diffusers and reflectors plan where lights will be. If you have the ability to choose the location choose locations with compatible color schemes and vantage points that work with the car’s style and owners wants.

• Understand the Car: Every car has its personality. Take time to understand the vehicle’s design, key features, and unique angles. I like to talk to the client or owner to understand what they want to highlight and for automotive product photography (car sales or brand representation) your shoot should be thorough and highlight every aspect that a possible future buyer may be interested in.

• Gear Checklist:

  • Lenses: A wide-angle lens for environmental shots, a prime lens for details, and a telephoto lens for compression. If you can only bring one lens a zoom that covers 24-105 will cover the necessary inside and outside shots for automotive product photography.

  • Tripod: Essential for long exposures and maintaining consistency.

  • Polarizing filter: A must-have for managing reflections and enhancing colors.

  • Lighting: Continuous lights for studios, and reflectors/diffusers for natural light.

  • Cleaning supplies: A microfiber cloth is your best friend for keeping the car spotless dustless and limiting your post processing time.

2. Lighting Techniques

Lighting can make or break your automotive shots. Here’s how I handle it in different settings:

• Studio Lighting:

  • I prefer continuous lighting because it allows me to see exactly how the light interacts with the car in real-time.

  • Position your lights to highlight the car’s curves and lines without creating harsh reflections. I often use softboxes and diffusers to create even, flattering light.

  • Masking is a technique I use a lot in the studio. It helps me isolate specific areas of the car for detailed shots, especially when I want to emphasize certain design elements and homogenize backgrounds.

  • Make sure the interior is well lit without harsh shadows if it has a sunroof open it for interior shots if not use windows and the rear seat to increase lighting.

• Natural Light:

  • Golden hour is my favorite time to shoot outdoors. The warm, soft light enhances the car’s paint and details beautifully and creates interesting backdrops.

  • Overcast days are also great because they eliminate harsh shadows and reflections.

  • With bright and harsh lighting days don’t be afraid to expose for the shadows

  • Reflectors are handy for bouncing light into shadowed areas.

3. Managing Reflections

Reflections are the bane of every automotive photographer’s existence. Here’s how I deal with them:

• Polarizing Filters: These are non-negotiable for me. They reduce glare and bring out the richness of the car’s paint.

• Angle and Perspective: Stay moving. Don’t get caught up in one angle unless you’re refining a final image there’s always more to be found and don’t forget that you can go low or high and change focal length.

• Post-Processing: While editing, I use masking and cloning tools to remove distracting aspects of an image. It’s time-consuming but worth it. If you have photoshop their new remove reflections tool is quite good but especially if you plan to

• Studio Tricks: even when you have control of the lighting a polarizer is so valuable in emphasizing or cutting away reflections especially for windshields .

4. Composition and Angles

Composition is where you can really let your creativity shine. Here’s what I focus on:

• Highlight Design Details: I love capturing the car’s unique features—headlights, grille, wheels, and interior. These shots often tell a story about the car’s design philosophy.

• Dynamic Angles: Shooting from a low angle makes the car look more powerful and imposing. For more refined looks use the lines of the car as your leading lines. Examples of both below

• Environmental Shots: I always try to incorporate the surroundings to add context. Photoshoots with themes will often be more visually interesting and cohesive.

• Interior Shots: A wide-angle lens is perfect for capturing the interior’s layout and details. I pay special attention to the dashboard, seats, and steering wheel. It’s important to capture texture which is made much easier by smooth lighting with slower shutter speeds. To keep everything in focus stay above an f8 and don’t be afraid to use parts of the car to steady your shots. If there is a back row use it if not use the windows to keep your options for different angles open and your legs out of the image.

5. Post-Processing Tips

Post-processing is where the magic happens. Here’s my workflow:

• Exposure curve corrections: Starting with a simple s-curve I dial in the highlights shadows and mid-tones from the curve based on the lighting and exposure of the image too much contrast is distracting.

• Color Correction: I always ensure the car’s paint color is accurate and vibrant. Don’t stray too far from reality emphasize the natural tones and don’t have too many colors in one image.

• Dodge and Burn: This technique helps me enhance highlights and shadows, adding depth and dimension to the car.

• Masking: I use masking techniques to fine-tune specific areas of the car, like the wheels or headlights working with exposure, clarity, texture, as well as contrast.

• Background Cleanup: I remove serious distractions or imperfections from the environment to keep the focus on the car. For a more natural look include noticeable focus points in the background.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced photographers can fall into these traps. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Overlooking reflections and glare. They can ruin an otherwise great shot. Alternatively they can turn a boring shot into a print worthy work

• Ignoring the car’s surroundings. A cluttered background can distract from the car. In a studio masking and simplifying that background is extrememly helpful.

• Soft, even light is your friend. When the light is harsh use the shadows as a a way to emphasize the cars features.

• Rushing the shoot without proper planning. Take your time to get it right.

• Over editing. While post processing is extremely valuable in automotive photography too much clarity and over the top vibrancy makes for unprofessional looks. Learning that balance is the biggest hurdle

7. Final Thoughts

Automotive photography is a blend of art and science. It requires patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to experiment. Over the years, I’ve learned that the best shots come when you’re willing to break convention and focus on the the composition. Don’t be afraid to try new techniques and develop your own style. And remember, practice makes perfect. I’d love to hear about your experiences with automotive photography! Share your tips or questions. If you’re interested in seeing more of my work, check out my portfolio and keep a look out for my upcoming projects. And if you found this post helpful, stay tuned.