Remember that you must start with a good photograph in order to obtain good final results. Before taking your pictures please keep in mind the following suggestions so you will get the best possible results.

Picture Quality- Set your camera to the BEST quality mode possible.

• When composing the picture, you are focusing on the vehicle, so zoom in or get close enough so the vehicle fills as much of the frame as possible. This will provide more resolution and details.

• Pick the right lighting:
  1. Given that we are focusing on color photography, proper lighting is essential. You want to have an even distribution of light and not glaring light or shadowing. Sun light that is at a low-angle such as at sun rise or sun set is the best. Sun light that is high in the sky should be avoided as surfaces tend to get washed out, and you tend to get excessive shadows. The goal is low angle, soft, evenly distributed light that illuminates your entire vehicle. Remember, keep the sun behind you!
  2. Days with overcast (filtered sunlight) can also provide a good lighting environment. Pearl white or other pearl and metallic paints will have an added benefit.
  3. If you have a light pastel colored car, such as yellow, or pink, you need to shoot early morning, late day or behind a building where the entire car is shadowed from the sun. These colors are more susceptible to becoming washed out on the top surfaces, and excessive color distortion on the lower areas.

• Picking the location: The lighter the ground surface the better. Parking the vehicle on a light concrete surface versus a dark asphalt surface will provide reflective light off of the ground to better illuminate the lower areas and minimize shadows. Unless your final print will be of your car in a field, do not take your pictures on a lawn or grassy field. The blades of grass will hide the bottom of the tires as well as produce reflections and irregular shadowing on the lower panels.

• Positioning the vehicle:
1. Park the vehicle away from anything that will cause a reflection on it. For example, the white parking lot stripes will be reflected on the sides. Any building signs or even trees will be reflected. Remember your car can be like a mirror and many things around will show up as a reflection.
2. Position the vehicle for the best lighting. Remember that you want to always take the picture from the sun side and not the shadow side (sun behind you). This may require that you reposition the vehicle during a photo shoot for optimum lighting. Make sure that the areas that you are photographing (i.e. front/side, etc.) are position for best lighting.
3. After you have positioned the vehicle, and before you start to take any pictures, examine the vehicle and carefully look for any shadows, including those cast from distant trees, any reflections or other things that are visible on the surface. Also be sure to look at the windows, and through the windows to make sure there is nothing showing that will be distracting. Remember that once the final picture printed, these flaws will stand out even more.

• NOTE: So many of your vehicles shine like a mirror, so it is important to follow the guidelines presented here. . We can correct some of this from the picture, but often specific details such as emblems will be washed out and can not be restored. Pay attention to any reflections and shadowing that could make body panels look like a poor paint job or in need of body work.

• Remove any window plaques, displays or show stickers or items hanging from your mirror that you do not want to be in the photograph. Remove the key chain as well since they can be distracting.

• Unless you want the background where you are taking the photographs to be included in the final work, it is best to park the vehicle in front of a plain background such as a building or where there are no cars or other distractions in the background. If you do want the background to be included, it should not be distracting or too busy taking away from your vehicle. One example of this would be a telephone pole behind the car that looks like it is sticking out of the roof.

• Take a series of photographs with all doors, hood, trunk are completely closed. This series should include the following shots:
  • Straight on from the front
  • Straight on from the back
  • Left front quarter to side panel shot (take one crouched down, as well as standing)
  • Right front quarter to side panel shot ( one crouched down, as well as standing)
  • Straight on left/right side
  • Rear quarter panel shot (take one crouched down, as well as standing)
  • Repeat the above positions with the parking lights, and/or headlights on

• Most of your vehicles have areas that are special to you, such as an emblem, gas cap, dash board, steering wheel, or even a specific body part. Take multiple photographs of each of these areas with slightly different angles and we can incorporate them into the art work. Remember to be sure that your steering wheel is straight.

• Lastly, we want to emphasize that you must start with a good quality photograph, do not just look at the vehicle, but look around it to be sure that you or something around is not casting a shadow into the picture, and that your reflection is not visible in the car. If you are up close taking a picture of a badge or lettering, your reflection may be visible.