Look, most owners aren't photographers.  More often than not they take a picture of their car at a local car show or in their driveway.  Unfortunately to get a "killer" picture of your car you actually need to have a plan and the appropriate equipment to get that picture.

When I perform an automotive shoot I attempt to place your car in a location that flatters it and then photograph the car from MANY angles and lighting conditions.    I'd like to think that my entire process is fairly painless for the car owner and most owners have fun watching the process play out before them.

The pictures that we'll create for you will be magazine quality.

WHEN

Cars are like giant mirrors that reflect everything around them.  The sun, the clouds, buildings, people, and other cars.

The most flattering light for car photography happens just after sunrise and slightly before sunset.  In both cases I have approximately an hour to work.  I personally prefer shooting just after sunrise for several reasons.

The first of these is that the light is generally soft and doesn't throw hot spots on the car's paint or windows.

The second reason is that sunrise creates a beautiful and colorful background for the photographs.

The last reason is the minimization of "body traffic" around the car.  Most people are still sleeping which means that we typically have the shoot location to ourselves.

Sunsets can work as well but complicate the job by having people and cars around the car being photographed.

For most shoots I encourage owners to shoot at sunrise.

WHERE

As I mentioned previously I try my best to select a location that is appropriate to the car that I'm shooting.

The location needs to compliment the car but not distract from the star in each picture, your car.

I often shoot along the river in Jensen Beach.  If we get a beautiful sunrise and a few clouds in the sky it makes for a beautiful and soft pallet to pose your car against.

If the owner lives in a community with an attractive Clubhouse that can also make for a nice photographic location.

HOW LONG

My sessions typically last about an hour.  Most owners think that I'm going to take one magical picture for them and be done.  Nothing could be further from what I actually do.

During a typical session I shoot anywhere from 100 - 500 images.  As the light changes most cars take on a different personality.  I shoot the car from many angles and many different lighting conditions.

Normally this process take about an hour.

NEXT STEPS

Once I've photographed your car I'll bring the images back to my office and Photoshop every image that I think shows your car well.  Normally 40-50% of the images that I take are worthy of spending the additional time to get them as perfect as possible with additional retouching.

As the old saying goes "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".  Pictures that I may like you may not.  With that in mind rather than giving you a handful of pictures I make all of the images that survive my "cut" for you to review.  YOU then decide which pictures are the ones you like.

PRINTS

I typically do NOT provide prints.  However, I can make suggestions as to where you send your pictures for printing.  I can print images up to 13"X19" for a fee if you have interest in obtaining a print of that size or smaller.

MODELS

Some owners wish to have models pose with their cars.  I have access to professional models should you have interest.

SELLING PICTURES

Unless your car is 1 of 1 don't underestimate the value of a high quality picture of your car.  The first step in the sales process is getting someone to call you about your car.

People will call for three reasons.  1) it's priced below market 2) it's close 3) it looks like it's in beautiful condition and in some way extraordinary.

A high quality picture will help you get that potential buyer to call about your car vs. the dozen other ones just like it that they've seen.

I know how to take pictures that attract buyers and help you get the most money for your car.