Car photography 101: how to shoot like a pro

The light is at its softest and warmest just before sunrise and after sunset, but don’t let that stop you shooting at any time. After all, practice makes perfect.

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It’s a tale as old as time – you think you’ve nailed the perfect shot, only to discover later on that some bloke is strolling past in the background, or in the reflection, completely unaware. Always be on the lookout for people and objects that could compromise the shot. Sometimes reflections can work in your favour – like here with the SUV mirrored in the standing water.

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Ask yourself: Does the environment and theme make sense with the car you’re shooting? For instance, it makes sense to show a sports car on a racing track, less so on a mountain top, the natural posing place for a 4x4, as with this terrifying shot of Bolivia’s ‘Death Road’.

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It sounds strange, but to capture the perfect tracking shot where you can see full wheel rotation, it’s vital to stand parallel to the car and rotate your hips in a smooth motion. Camera-wise, TV mode works best for this. select a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second to begin with (use auto ISO too, if this helps), and change to your camera’s maximum frame rate. Put your autofocus into AI Servo setting, as this will lock onto a target and automatically re-focus the lens as the target moves.

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Sometimes it’s even more effective to capture the car as an incidental addition to the environment, going as wide as you can to really convey the majesty of the location and the light.

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It’s best to either get low to the ground or get higher up for the most high-impact views of the car. If something is in your way, treat it as foreground interest or use your feet as well as your zoom to gain a better perspective. It always pays to get an alternative view on something and makes your images that bit more interesting. Combine a clever vantage point with some slow exposure and you could turn traffic into light painting.

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You’ll make the best of a car’s surfaces and angles by shooting into the light, as you can see. 

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Most Canon DSLRs will allow you to map a button on the back of the camera to take over focusing duties, leaving the top shutter button for taking the actual picture. As the car enters frame, follow the car, keeping the AF point on the front of car and your thumb on the back button focus and shoot as many images as the camera’s buffer will allow.

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If you’re shooting interiors outdoors, the ideal conditions are grey and overcast, which gives you a soft, even light throughout the cabin. If you’re looking square on to the dash, make sure that all the vents are square and that the seats are even and steering wheel isn’t obstructing the dashboard too much.

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Keep an eye out for any interesting details, such as screens, buttons and metallic flourishes, as they make great close ups. The edge of a door or a window will also provide a useful natural frame for the subject. With a macro lens you can make some pretty interesting and abstract images from everyday car objects.

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Even if you’re heavily influenced by someone else’s work, it’s important to cultivate your own style – something that’s yours. Your unique approach will grow with time and experience, and even if you don’t notice it, others will. 

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If you’re shooting on the public road or at a closed track, you’ll always find road markings on the tarmac and various other lines and objects that you can use to frame the car. Landscape features, like a straight road framed by trees, can totally transform a shot. 

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Canon is giving you the chance to win your very own Canon EOS 77D DSLR camera with two selected lenses - the ideal kit to take your car photography up a gear. You'll also win an exclusive hands-on photography masterclass with a car photography expert to perfect your skills AND the chance for your work to be featured in a future advertisement feature.
 
To enter, simply share a photo of the quintessential moment from your favorite drive. This could be a dream drive, a commute; it could be the view of an open road, a tree-lined driveway, a horse in a field, or the view into a city - or something smaller like a hubcap or exhaust pipe.

Upload your image on Instagram, using the hashtag #CanonCapturedMoments and tag @canonuk in the caption. Ensure it’s on your grid, not in your stories.

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