Editing Vehicle Images For Online Business

Vehicle photography is a discipline in its own right.

The subject can be challenging to shoot since a large area is required. This means, without a dedicated studio, you probably shoot outside.

You are therefore beholden to external factors like sunlight and unpredictable weather. However, if you take the time to learn a package, editing vehicle images for an online business needn’t be challenging.

Lighting, Not Location

Photography of all kinds is reliant on controlling light. While you can’t control the sun, you can make the most of it. Don’t pay too much attention to the location, as you will clip the image later on. Unless, of course, you are shooting location images, such as Flex Fleet Rental trucks in action on the beach. You might also be tempted to shoot during a bright afternoon. However, vehicles are reflective. Therefore, an overcast day at around 1 pm is the optimal condition for a car shoot. You can also make additional use of clouds for dramatic effect, and HDR toning is needed.

Learn About Levels

Your shots can be edited in a package like Photoshop. The powerful tools of such packages are ideal for vehicle photography. Specifically, the ability to manipulate toning levels. Auto levels are an excellent option for a quick and surprisingly adequate edit. You can further manipulate levels and curves for greater control over your desired effect. For example, whites can become brighter and blacks darker. Stunning HDR images are possible by playing with these controls. HDR photos look fantastic for commercial images, such as a brand new sports car with LED lights and duotone paint.

Compression Is a Must

The file size of your images will be pretty significant when you import them from your camera. For example, a modern DSLR like the Canon EOS stores images at between 20MB and 50MB. These file sizes are far too large for a website. Compression lets you remove colors that aren’t required, therefore making the file size smaller. Compression works well because the human eye can only perceive so many colors and won’t notice if specific colors and shades of gray are missing. Therefore, you can make a 50MB image less than 50Kb with good compression techniques.

The Rule of Thirds

As a seasoned photographer, you will have an understanding of the rule of thirds. As a beginner, you must learn this rich and traditional composition technique. Imagine the frame divided equally into thirds horizontally and vertically into 9 squares. Try to compose your images with gridlines as a guide. This is a standard technique. While it works excellent for landscape compositions for vehicles, it doesn’t highlight features. Cars are a bit different. Low-angle shots are dramatic and highlight specific features. And don’t be afraid of a low FOV.

Consider Multiple Angles

If you have performed any kind of photography at all before, you will know that one shot isn’t enough. For example, when shooting a model, you will typically take multiple photos of the same pose and different shots in various other poses. Still, subjects like vehicles are no different. While it isn’t possible to move the car continuously, you can take multiple shots at different angles. It isn’t uncommon for a photographer to take around 100 shots during a typical session. Take as many pictures as your time allows. You can review the latter in your studio.