Good photos are the difference between a build we can feature and one we can’t. You don’t need a fancy camera. A phone, the right light and six shots will do it.
The six shots we need
Every build feature starts with the same six photos. Get these and you’ve covered everything a reader wants to see.
1. Front three-quarter
This is the hero shot, and it’s usually the one we use at the top of your feature. Stand off one front corner so you see the whole nose and the full side of the vehicle. Turn the front wheels slightly so the face of the wheel points toward the camera, not the tire tread. Crouch down so the phone sits at about headlight height. Shooting from eye level makes trucks look short and squat.
2. Side profile
Stand square to the side, far enough back that the whole vehicle fits with a little room at each end. This is the shot that shows off stance, wheelbase and how low (or high) it sits, so keep the phone level and at the height of the door handles.
3. Rear three-quarter
The same idea as the front shot, from a back corner. It shows the bed or trunk, the taillights and the rear stance.
4. Engine bay
Pop the hood and shoot straight down from the front, then one from an angle. Wipe off dust and move rags and tools out of the way first. If it’s dark under the hood, shoot in open shade instead of turning on the flash, which makes chrome and paint glare.
5. Interior and dash
Open the driver’s door and shoot across the seat toward the dash, then one through the back window or from the passenger side. Clear out water bottles, receipts and phone mounts. Gauges, seats and the steering wheel tell a big part of the story.
6. Wheels and details
Get close on a front wheel, then shoot anything you’re proud of: badges, pinstriping, a custom part, the bed floor, the suspension. Details are where readers spend time.
Light makes the photo
The best light is in the hour after sunrise or before sunset. It’s soft, warm and kind to paint. A bright overcast day is the next best thing, because the clouds act like a giant softbox and you get no harsh shadows.
Try to avoid midday sun. It throws hard shadows under the body, blows out chrome and makes dark paint look flat. If midday is your only option, park in open shade, like the shadow side of a building, with nothing overhead.
Keep the sun behind you or off to one side. Shooting toward the sun washes everything out.
Pick a clean background
The vehicle should be the only thing in the photo. Look for:
- An empty parking lot early in the morning
- A plain wall, warehouse or roll-up door
- An open road, field or hillside
Watch out for other cars, trash cans, power lines and people in the frame. Check what’s growing out of the roof line before you shoot. A pole or tree right behind the cab is easy to miss and hard to unsee.
Phone camera tips
- Wipe the lens. A pocket smudge is the number one reason phone photos look hazy.
- Use the 2x lens and step back. The standard wide lens stretches the front of the vehicle when you’re close. Backing up and using 2x gives truer proportions.
- Shoot horizontal. Turn the phone sideways for the six main shots.
- Tap to focus on the vehicle, then slide the brightness down a touch if the paint looks washed out.
- Skip filters and portrait mode. We want the real color. Portrait mode often blurs wheels and edges.
- Don’t pinch to zoom. Walk closer instead.
Before you shoot
- Wash it, or at least wipe it down and clean the glass.
- Dress the tires if that’s your style, and clean the wheels.
- Take off temporary stuff: sunshades, dealer plate frames, things on the dash.
- Line up the wheels: turn the steering wheel so the front wheel face shows in the three-quarter shots.
Sending your photos
Send the original photo files, not screenshots or photos sent through a messaging app, which shrink them. The form takes up to 12 photos, 15 MB each, in JPG or PNG. Lead with your best front three-quarter shot, because the first photo is the one we look at first.
Only send photos you took, or that you have permission to share. We credit the owner on every feature.
Quick checklist
- Front three-quarter, side, rear three-quarter
- Engine bay, interior, wheels and details
- Soft light: early morning, late afternoon or overcast
- Clean background, nothing growing out of the roof
- Clean lens, 2x lens, horizontal, no filters
- Original files, up to 12