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01.31.08Prepping Your Car for Picture Day
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Just as we had to go through the tedious process of combing and primping for school pictures, you’ll want to spend some extra time getting your car ready for its pictures. A muddy car never photographs well and you’ll want to highlight it to the best of your ability. Here are some tips to get your car camera ready in no time at all.1. Wash and wax it. Take your car to a professional car wash for a complete wash and wax. Try to minimize your driving time after this to ensure that your car doesn’t pick up any extra dirt. Once you get home, you may need to buff it with a soft cloth to remove any dust that you may have attracted on the way home.
2. Clean and polish the wheels. You’ll want to make sure your wheels are looking snappy too. If they didn’t get completely clean at the car wash, take some time to thoroughly clean out every nook and cranny. Once they are completely clear of debris, buff them with either a special polish or a simple soft cloth.
3. Clean and polish the chrome. Any part of your vehicle that has chrome should be buffed to perfection for your photos. Take the extra time to really polish the chrome to get a nice high shine. Pay extra attention to any rough spots that may be lurking on the insides. These could be picked up in the photo.
4. Minimize any rust. No matter where you live, your car is bound to get a little rusty after a few years. If you do have rust on your car, consider a touch-up paint job before a photo session. If this isn’t an option, you can simply position your car so that the rust isn’t so noticeable. If all else fails, you can use a photo editor to do a virtual touch up on any really bad spots.
5. Thoroughly clean the interior. Even though you may think that this won’t be visible in exterior photos, it is a good idea to make sure that the interior is completely clean. Remove all debris and completely vacuum the interior. Take the mats out and either vacuum them or hose them off, depending on the material. Pay special attention to the outlines they may leave behind on your car’s floor and vacuum up any excess debris. You’ll also want to polish your car’s interior using Armorol or another similar product.
6. Thoroughly clean all the windows. Even after a car wash, you may have some spots on your windows. These will show up as imperfections in your car’s photographs. Get some window cleaner and really go to work to get them to shine. If you can’t get professional window cleaner, try some vinegar on a soft cloth. Make sure the vinegar doesn’t get on the paint job. After you’re done and the windows are completely dry, buff them with some newspaper for a high gloss finish.
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01.27.08Photographing Your Car
No CommentsBefore you take pictures of your beloved auto to share with the world, there are some tips that you should be aware of to ensure that you get the best photo possible. If you are not familiar with basic photography techniques, it is a good idea to keep these tips in mind so that your pictures showcase your car to its best advantage.
1. Pick the right time of day. Lighting is your enemy when it comes to photographing your car. Shadows can distort your image and sun flares make it hard to get a good picture. To minimize these effects, the best time of day to take photographs is either early in the morning or at dusk. This removes direct sunlight, allowing your car to shine on its own merits.
2. To flash or not to flash. If the day happens to be cloudy or the lighting is not the best, the use of your flash may help you get a better picture. Make sure that you are standing with your back to the light when using the flash option. You may want to take one photo with and one without to see which one turns out the best. Flash can be very helpful, but it can also wash out colors if used improperly.
3. Stand in the right place. Even if you want to get multiple views of your car, you’ll need to make sure that you are positioned properly. This may mean moving your car to take advantage of natural lighting. Always stand with your back to the sun to avoid glares and flares. However, if you are taking the photo in mid-day, you will need to make sure that you are not casting a shadow into the photo frame.
4. Taking pictures inside. If you cannot get optimum photo lighting outside, you may need to move the car into the garage. Keep in mind that fluorescent lighting is never kind to photographs and the color may not be as true as it could be. You may be able to fix this by adjusting contract and colors with a photo editing program after your picture is taken.
5. Avoid funny angles. If your car is in a strange direction, it may appear warped in the photo. Try to take shots that minimize distortion by facing your vehicle head on. You may need to move it to get the right shot. Make sure you are standing at a far enough distance to avoid the fish-eye effect.
6. Practice safety etiquette. If you plan to post your pictures on the Internet, you may want to blur out your license plate or any address that could show up in the photo. Although it is generally safe to post your pictures, you don’t want to alert possible car thieves to your actual location. This is a step that doesn’t take a lot of time and it is well worth the extra effort.
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01.24.08How To: Prepare Your Car for Photos
No CommentsTo prepare your vehicle for photographs, you must not only clean the exterior, but also the interior. Since you will take pictures of your entire vehicle, you must ensure that it has been detailed. There are vehicle detailing services available but you can easily do it yourself. To successfully detail your vehicle, you will need to have several items. These include a toothbrush, Q-tips, fabric cleaner, car window cleaner, polish, wax, soft/white rag and UV protector.
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