I’ve been behind a computer editing images for over 20 years now, and I’ve used many iterations of Photoshop and have adopted Lightroom since its introduction. It’s been interesting to witness the growth of these platforms and how they become more and more capable with each generation. What could be once a lengthy process can now be done by dragging a slider.

In car photography, light painting is a technique that involves using a light source to create illuminated images of your vehicle. Light painting can be utilized both outside and inside the vehicle’s cabin and offers a unique and creative approach to capturing the essence of the car’s design.

I use various techniques in my car photography, both during the shoot and in post-processing. My workflow has always included both Lightroom and Photoshop. While I find that some processes are best performed in Lightroom and others in Photoshop, some techniques are necessary in Photoshop, including the Pen Tool. This tool is one of the most essential tools to learn for car photography.

When light painting a car, multiple exposures that light different portions of the car are needed. The number of exposures will vary depending on the desired look. Still, you usually look at five to six exposures as a minimum, including the side, front (or back), and top. It would be best to capture separate exposures of the wheels, headlights (or tail lights), and the interior. Again, this all comes down to what look you are going for.