Remember “NOEL” To Photograph Your Car

Zenith Blue Metallic 1998 Porsche Boxster in front of Mount Rushmore

 

An example of the author using “NOEL” to capture his ’98 Boxster near Mt. Rushmore with his iPhone 6S.

Searching the internet to find great collectible cars to share on GuysWithRides reveals one truth: many people do not know how to take pictures of their antique, classic, vintage, or muscle cars. The technology of smartphones, iPads, etc., provides consumers with photographs professionals could only dream about just a few years ago. However, technology can only do so much to compensate for improper scenes or lighting choices.  This guide aims to help most antique, classic, vintage, or muscle car owners who want to photograph their collector vehicle with their smartphone.

The four simple rules we follow spell “NOEL”:

Natural – if you’re trying to feature your car in a photo, use a natural background rather than a house or building. Potential buyers want to imagine themselves having fun exploring in their newly-purchased collector car, so sellers need to place their car in a scene that helps buyers dream that. While “Natural” often goes hand-in-hand with “Outdoors,” photographing a track day car in a paddock is a great example of an indoor “Natural” shot.

Outdoors – only the best photographers can capture the inner beauty of a collector car in an indoor scene, so don’t even think about trying to mimic that with your smartphone in your home’s garage. Unless you’re trying to sell a non-running barn find, place your vintage car outside. If your collector car is registered and in running order, find a nature-based backdrop to use. A nearby park or roadside clearing often provides a neutral backdrop to feature your classic car.

Early – the best light for photographing your collector car is early morning as the sun rises. If you wait too long, the sun’s light washes out the details of your collector car in the shot and often will make a great paint job appear dull. While this is easy for early birds like ourselves, if getting up before dawn is daunting, wait until the “golden hour” of the evening when the sun is softer.  In either case, it’s the hour before sunrise is full or one hour before sundown is complete.

Low – never take a picture of your collector car standing up!  Get down on the ground to get a great picture at the same level as the car. Doing this makes the car appear larger and often conveys a sense of motion, especially when taken from the back three-quarter view.

Try following our “NOEL” rule to photograph your classic or collector car, and we think you’ll discover you’re a better photographer than you ever thought you could be!

Please post your comments on how “NOEL” worked for you.