Shooting cars is not about pointing a lens at them. It is a totally different lighting approach as the usual photographic subject matter. Lighting any normal subject matter, meaning objects with a low reflective value are pretty straight forward, but cars needs a different approach. To light a car, you have to light up the surrounding elements indirectly, so that the reflective value of the light shaping tools gives the car its shape and highlights. So it is as if you are lighting the car, but hiding the lights. 

Lighting any object you have to look at the amount of light that falls onto it and the object’s reflective index (the amount of light reflecting off the object). This is where car photography separates photographers with a well constructed lighting approach from the norm. Photography changed over the last decade from a pure film medium to a digital process. Everything these days have to be processed from different element of imaging information to make the final composite.

Another important element is what lenses are used. Usually a slightly wider lens (meaning wider than a standard) is used for sports cars to give the grill and nose an aggressive look. For the bigger 4x4’s and especially the multiple angled approaches, a standard lens would give the appropriate perspective to the cars. Camera height is also very important to give the cars a three dimensional look.

The exterior approach is slightly different for the sun path is the main light source and the angle of the car to the sun path is the trick.

Advertising on the internet should receive the same lighting input and approach as print ads. Working with a high resolution camera is essential to capture as much information as possible for post production. The post production process is where most elements are shaped and perfected, but you need a flawless image to work from.  

We hope our lighting input motivates your decision in our favour. Photographers with a good backbone of lighting technicalities will never fail to impress.

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