I work with several car dealerships locally. During the warmer months, I can take the vehicles off-site for photo shoots around the city utilizing various backgrounds and lighting conditions. Sometimes, this is the only option as some vehicles are limited, some are new arrivals, and many are in high demand. That means keeping the kilometres low. When shooting for a dealership, the warmer months are flexible as there is plenty of daylight with late sunsets. However, in the colder months, when snow is on the ground and the temperatures are low, I usually shoot indoors. In this post, we will look at what you should know about car dealerships to have a successful photo shoot.

NOTE: Lighting is one of the biggest challenges of photographing a vehicle inside a car dealership. If you are skilled in flash photography, you can create professional and pleasing results from various strobes and post-processing blending. My knowledge of flash photography is limited, and I don’t have the experience to go further into flash photography with car dealerships.

Car dealerships can be great places to shoot, especially if the weather is chilly. A warm location that is specifically built to house vehicles sounds perfect. However, depending on how and where you are shooting for a dealership, you can get vastly different photos depending on where you plan to shoot. If you can shoot outdoors, you will have the flexibility of moving the vehicle around and getting shots from different angles, backgrounds, and lighting. If you are shooting inside, this will not be the case. You won’t be able to move the car around that much, if at all, and the backgrounds and lighting will be consistent for the most part. There are generally a few select areas where shooting indoors is possible. This includes the front showroom floor area or in the service bay. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Showroom

One of the most important things to be aware of when shooting at a car dealership is that lighting can be challenging. This is especially true in the showroom. These areas are designed to make the car attractive to potential buyers but can be challenging when photographing. You must consider the light types and sources within the dealership, including spot lighting, accent lighting and more. In addition, spotlighting can be troublesome with cars as their reflections can be very evident, and there are usually many of them to manage. A polarizer can help with some reflections, but it won’t always work.

Another consideration is if and how you can control that light. You may be unable to modify any lighting as it must remain on when completing your shoot. Also, dealerships have large windows on the showroom facade. Blending natural light sources with artificial ones is always challenging.

To have successful photos from the showroom floor, try to work with what you have and minimize background distractions. Some items, such as floor-standing advertisements and chairs, can be removed. If they can’t be moved, look around the scene to see if you can hide those elements using foreground elements. You can conceal distractions while adding visual pull to your image.

Be sure to focus on the details as well. Close-ups of vehicle details can work great as they will eliminate much, if not all, of the background.

Service Bay

Having access to the service bay needs to be planned, as you won’t be able to have anyone back there working on vehicles during your shoot. In my experience, service bays stop operating before the showroom does, providing some time to shoot undisturbed while the dealership itself is still open for business. The advantages of shooting here include more privacy and fewer distractions. You can control the light as minimal windows prevent light from leaking in from outside, and many overhead lights can be turned off. If this location is an option, there is an excellent opportunity for some fantastic shots using light painting.

Some disadvantages need to be considered as well. A service bay is dirty. There are tools, lifts, and stains on the floor. There can be boxes, car parts, and tires. These items look terrible, but by using light painting, you can reduce the focus on the entire scene and narrow it down to just what you are light painting: your subject. Light painting is a great technique that can give you great results in almost any situation as long as it is dark enough, and a service bay can be plenty dark.

If you want to look further into car light painting, I posted a light painting guide. That guide explains the best equipment and techniques for light painting.

What and How to Shoot

Car manufacturers have realized that a vehicle's aesthetics are critical in standing apart from competitors. Each company works to create an identity for its brand and its vehicles, some with more success than others. This is important when choosing what to capture. You want to capture the vehicle from different angles and heights. You will also want to incorporate background and foreground elements when it complements your framing.

Take note of the details that make your subject unique, too. That may include rear spoilers, headlight design, side gills, wheels, emblems, etc. In addition, capture partial photos of the vehicle. Shooting details can give you an advantage as well. When shooting close, your background will be minimized from your frame or eliminated. A macro lens is excellent for this, as well as a lens that will allow a lower aperture, such as f/2.8 or f/2.

Conclusion

There are various locations at a car dealership where you can create a successful vehicle photo shoot, and you may be limited to which ones are available. Are you shooting outside, and can you move the car around? Are you indoors with a vehicle that can not be moved? Or are you able to have access to a service bay? You must be aware of what you have access to and plan accordingly. Photographing vehicles at a car dealership can be challenging, but the results can be great with planning and preparation.