StarTech Session
Taking Better Pictures
10 tips for improving car and club event photos
by Gary Anderson
Sharing the experience with friends who couldn’t be there and saving the memories for later enjoyment is almost as much fun as attending a club event or car show. With high-quality, easy-to-use cameras now available for relatively little money, and multiple means to share the pictures online as well as in club publications, who can resist? But characteristics of an attractive, well-composed image are no different than they’ve ever been. To help improve your photographs, consider these 10 tips, presented at StarTech 2013. Keep them in mind when you’re shooting pictures at the next car event you attend, and you’ll be proud of your results as well as deserving of the compliments you’ll get when your pictures appear on the mbca.org website, in your newsletter, and in The Star.
1. Prepare the car for its close-up
• Clean and polish the car inside and out
• Remove everything from the interior
• Pay extra attention to wheels and tires
2. Pick the time to shoot
• Harsh sunlight is the enemy
• Shoot in early morning or late afternoon
• Open shade or overcast sky always works
3. Pick the right background
• A simple background keeps attention on the car
• The background can help tell the story
• The background itself can add to the photo
4. Look around before shooting
• You can miss distracting details around the car
• Be sure to check the ground for trash
• Be patient and wait until people have moved on
5. Consider the light source
• A camera is less sensitive than the human eye
• It can’t see into the shadows
• If you are shooting in sunlight, look for the bright side
6. Try different perspectives
• Editors love variety
• Shoot both vertical and horizontal images
• Try different perspectives; partial views add drama
7. Compose an attractive picture
• Side views are informative but boring
• A “three-quarter” shot is basic but attractive
• Consider relationship between background and car
8. Close-ups and details are fun
• Look for interesting and unique facets of the car
• An instrument panel is full of detail, but focus carefully
• Don't be afraid to get in close
• Use “macro” setting or “manual focus” for sharp images
9. Group shots of cars take some thought
• The "line up" can waste a lot of image room
• Shoot from an angle to fill the whole image
• Show people and the setting, as well as cars
10. Capture action with imagination
• Car tours are great fun but often badly photographed
• A passenger with a camera handy means fewer missed shots
• A rear-view mirror makes a great frame for a tour shot
& Capture action with imagination
• A car in motion is exciting but tough to capture
• Here’s how a typical action shot is taken
• A passenger in a convertible can do the same
• Pick a quiet back road, not a busy highway