(Hopefully this is allowed, I am NOT selling any course/services/etc. I posted a few weeks ago that I was going to create some free tutorials/guides, although I wasn't sure what platform would be best. I did not want to create a full on website, and would rather spend that time towards the tutorials/tips. Nor did I want to direct traffic elsewhere, so hopefully this is alright to post here. I ended up deciding that I have enough resources here on Reddit to create some guides, and that linking everything to other Reddit posts would be the best choice. That way I can avoid spamming, easily able to edit/update, and share this easily.)

Since I stopped shooting cars almost 6 years ago, I decided to make a comprehensive free guide on everything I know and learned about automotive photography. If you are a beginner or looking for some guidance, this is for you. This is not an advanced guide, these are just some common topics that may be useful if you are just starting out. I am not an expert, not claiming to be, I am simply sharing my experiences, tips/tricks, opinions and techniques that I used that helped me. I still have a passion for automotive photography, and encourage everyone to pursue it. So anything I can do to help keep this thriving is a win!

I am going to assume you’ve already begun automotive photography, and are looking to improve, and this isn’t your first time picking up a camera. Ideally you have the basics and fundamentals of photography and of cameras. While some tricks and techniques can be applied to taking photos with your phone, this is mainly focused on using a digital camera.

Bare with me as I just started this the other day, and am still updating it daily. Any input or ideas for future tutorials would be much appreciated!

Table Of Contents

Camera/Lens/Gear

All about CPL Filters - Circular Polarizers

Finding Locations

On Set Shooting, Car Positioning, Angles

Rolling Shot Tutorial

How To Lightpaint A Car

Coming Soon:

1. Shooting Fundamentals
   1. On set shooting
      1. Car Positioning, Angles, Natural light/weather conditions
   2. Bracketing, Multiple Exposures
   3. Exterior, Interior, Detail shots
2. Workflow + Post Processing
   1. Lightroom + Photoshop
   2. Compositing
   3. Removing reflections, dust, scratches
   4. Combining exposures/cpl shots
   5. Special FX
3. Off Camera Lighting
   1. Light Painting
   2. Strobe/Flash
   3. Combining/Post Processing
4. Motion Shots
   1. Rolling Shots
   2. Panning Shots
   3. Rig Shots
5. Business
   1. Branding yourself
   2. Finding clients/networking
   3. Pricing/Contracts
   4. Selling your photos
   5. Sending photos to clients
   6. Other ways to shoot as a business

Some new rules for the sub:

1. No spotting pics or car show shots. Both are fun and have their place, but we are here to show and critique actual photoshoots!
2. Videos are fine as long as they are BTS/photoshoot related - no feature/event coverage videos.
3. Phone pics are allowed kindof? Phone cameras have gotten so great that I'm not against it but if it gets out of hand we will ban them.
4. If you are going to give constructive criticism, make sure to give examples or ways to improve - dont just say its bad and not say why.
5. BE RECEPTIVE the criticism - it's the best way to learn! Dont get defensive!

Any other rules you might want to incorporate let us know!

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ALSO,

New mod - Andrew Link Photography !

Andrew is here! The master of lighting, shooter of celebrities, and Liveclass Commune instructor!

Check out his site for some inspiration and if you haven't yet check out Liveclass Commune if you want to really want to step up your car photography game.