How to take photos of your car
When you are trying to sell a used car online, the most important thing can be the photos you take of the car. Buyers will be looking at your pictures before anything else. Quality car photos bring in more buyers. Learning how to take good photos of your car can be the first step in selling a used car online.
5 Steps to Sell your Car with Great Photos
Wash your car
Make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape when it comes time to photograph it. Clean the exterior and interior and remove any bumper stickers or personal touches you’ve added to the inside.
Take advantage of lighting
The best time to take a picture of your car is in the early morning or late evening. These are times when the sun is low and this provides a warm glow, free from harsh shadows and bright glare. A cloudy day can also be a good time to pull out your camera.
Background location is important
Be prepared to move your car in order to find a good background for your photos. You don’t want distracting clutter in the photo like your neighbour’s house or other cars in the driveway – the car you’re selling has to be the main focus. Beware of trees and signs in the distance that look like they are growing out of your car. As you take photos of different angles of the car, be prepared to move the car once again to make sure you get the best background and lighting.
Position yourself for great photos
If you’re using a digital camera with a good sized memory card, then you have lots of room to take plenty of pictures. It’s often hard to tell how good a picture really is through the camera’s display screen. Once you’ve downloaded the images to your computer, then you’ll be able to tell if you’ve cut off a certain part of the car or if there’s a blinding glare shooting off the front bumper. By taking lots of pictures, you will increase the likelihood of getting great shots.
Take lots of pictures and keep it accurate
If you’re using a digital camera with a good sized memory card, then you have lots of room to take plenty of pictures. It’s often hard to tell how good a picture really is through the camera’s display screen. Once you’ve downloaded the images to your computer, then you’ll be able to tell if you’ve cut off a certain part of the car or if there’s a blinding glare shooting off the front bumper. By taking lots of pictures, you will increase the likelihood of getting great shots. You might want to edit out any distracting elements (parking lot lines or people walking by in the background) but don’t do anything to touch up the car or cover up flaws. Make sure the photo is an accurate representation of the car. Anything you try to hide will eventually be revealed when the buyer comes to check out the car.
Follow these 5 steps to attract more online buyers for your used car. Pictures are an important part of the online car selling experience. Ready to sell your used car? Get on AutoBids and take advantage of our 1% selling fee and free listing. Put your new and amazing photos to work on AutoBids!
Jennifer D'agostino
January 25th, 2022