Spring is approaching and the warm, sunny weather is just around the corner. With the onset of beautiful days, many classic car owners will be looking to bust open their garages and take some photographs of their collections.
Before you click on your phone’s camera app and attempt to take some snapshots of your favorite car, we thought we’d offer you a few tips on how to take some stellar shots of your collection, and give you yet another way to enjoy your collection and share it with the car lovers around you.
- Invest in quality equipment: If this is something you’re going to do regularly, it pays to have the right tools for the job. Investing in a DSLR or a mirrorless camera will put a small hole in your pocket, for sure, but the quality of the pictures you will get is unmatched by any other point-and-shoot or cell phone camera.
- Consider your background: Don’t just snap a picture of your car in garage or in an empty parking lot. Pick an alternative background. A car is mobile, so take it somewhere with visual interest, and make the most of your pictures by snapping other places and objects in the shot with your car. Also, make sure the extras are out of the shot. You don’t want trash or other things in the shot that might take the focus away from your car.
- Lighting is key: The early morning hours and the dusky evening hours are the best times of the day to get quality lighting for your photos. Also, don’t discount a good cloudy day; clouds and overcast skies often provide optimal lighting for your photos without too many shadows or bright spots in your pictures.
- Consider motion shots: If you take a little bit of time to learn the settings on your camera (if you are totally new to photography, try searching for your camera model on YouTube to find some instructional videos), you can quickly learn how to lengthen your aperture time to make it look like your car is speeding down the highway, when in reality, it’s only moving a few miles per hour.
- Invest in a tripod: For only a few dollars, you can ensure that your pictures won’t be blurry. It’s really that simple. Increase the quality of your shots exponentially by guaranteeing your camera remains motionless during the picture, especially if you are taking an extended aperture shot.
If you want to see some great car pictures, check out our Pinterest & Instagram pages for some inspiration from professionals. If you have any questions about your classic car insurance policy, or need a quote for a new addition to your collection, give us a call today at 888-910-1338!
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
