How to photograph your 4WD

Whether it’s for a classified ad or the shed wall, here's a few tips to make an image of your pride and joy worthy of going “straight to the pool room”…

(1) Clean your 4WD really well. Scrub the wheels of brake dust and wash under the guards and flares too. Dress the tyres and bumpers with Amor-All protectant (we’re not a sponsor). Clean the inside of your windows of grease and smear.

Presentation is everything. Pretend your vehicle is going for a job interview.

(2) Pro-photographers can take hundreds of shots to get “one” they really like. The idea is that "film" is cheap, but time and opportunity is expensive.

Here’s some reverse-psychology for you and me…When taking photos of your 4WD, imagine every shot will cost you $50. Yep. 50 bucks a pop.

Basically, this helps you think about the shot you are taking, whether it be the lighting, the background, or general composition. Does the bonnet of your vehicle have a telegraph pole growing out of it? Does the back of your car look jacked 4 inches more than the front? Can you see yourself in the reflection of the paintwork?...

(3) The best time to take photos of your 4WD is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. At these times, the light is softer and more diffused. This means that the vehicle will be more evenly lit (little or no shadows) so you can see more detail and the shot looks natural and relaxed.

Taking photos of your car in the middle of a hot day is a tough gig. Everywhere is reflection and glare. High-lights are contrasted by dark spots and shadows. Your camera (any type) does not have the same ability as the human eye to interpret such a wide latitude in lighting conditions.

Often, an overcast day is better than a sunny one to take good vehicle shots.

(4) Backgrounds or settings should help the vehicle to stand out, rather than compete for attention. A clean, clear blue sky is always a winner. If you had a bright red vehicle, a green bush scrub background can work.

If you don’t have a good background to work with and your camera has manually adjustable exposure settings, you may be able to set the aperture wide enough to blur the background and make the 4WD (which remains in focus) stand out.

(5) Get on your knees… Or better still – your belly. Avoid taking pictures from normal eye stance. Getting a bird’s-eye view (or an ant’s) makes for an attention-grabbing, dynamic shot. Regular success comes from shooting at a 30’ to 45-degree angle from vehicles front bumper ends while crouched. This allows you to depict the whole vehicle, and improve it aesthetically.

(6) Fill the frame. It’s all about the car. Make your fourby take up the whole picture space.

Experiment with some different angles, both horizontally and laterally. Some angled shots can really bring some extra dimension to the photo and the sense of movement or readiness to “go”. Other angles may simply make your vehicle look sad or bogged down, or stuck on a hill. Look at the shots in the magazines or on car manufactures websites.

What compositions and angles are they shooting at?

(7) Try your flash…Even in daylight, using your camera’s fill-flash or forced-flash can help increase visual detail and provide a more even exposure.

These tips don’t cover everything about photographing your 4WD, but are a good start to getting some nice results.

Below are some examples I have taken recently. If you have some pics that you would like to share with us, please email them to me a kirk@4wd1.com