Car Photography Tips That Get More Enquiries

Buyers decide in a few seconds whether to open an ad, and the first photo does most of the work. You do not need a camera or a studio. A phone, a clean car and twenty minutes of planning are enough to show the car as it really is.

Before you shoot

1. Wash the car and dry it fully, including the door shuts and the wheels. Water spots show up clearly in photos.
2. Clear the cabin: remove phone holders, air fresheners, parking cards, tissues and anything in the door pockets.
3. Vacuum the carpets and wipe the dashboard and screen. Fingerprints on a touchscreen are easy to miss and easy to see in a photo.
4. Check the tyre pressure so the car sits level, and turn the front wheels straight.
5. Clean your phone's camera lens. A smudged lens is the most common reason for hazy photos.

Pick the place and the time

Shoot outdoors in soft light. Early morning or late afternoon works best in Malaysia. At midday the sun is overhead, it creates hard shadows and reflections on the paint, and the cabin looks dark in contrast.

Choose a plain, open background: an empty level of an open-air car park, a quiet road with no traffic, or a wall with no posters. Avoid other cars, people, and anything that shows your house number. Leave enough space to walk around the whole car.

The shot list

Take the same set of photos every time, in this order. Buyers scroll through them the way they would walk around the car.

1. Front three-quarter view from the driver's side. This is usually the cover photo.
2. Rear three-quarter view from the passenger side.
3. Full side profile, taken from the middle of the car.
4. Front and rear, straight on.
5. Dashboard and steering wheel, taken from the back seat between the front seats.
6. Instrument cluster with the engine running, so the mileage and any warning lights are visible.
7. Front seats, rear seats and the boot, with the boot floor lifted if there is a spare tyre.
8. Engine bay, after a wipe-down. Do not use tyre shine or spray on the engine, as it looks like you are hiding something.
9. Each tyre's tread and the rims, close up.
10. Any scratch, dent, kerbed rim or worn seat, close up.

Angles that help

• Hold the phone at about waist height for exterior shots. Shooting from eye level makes the car look smaller and shows more roof than body.
• Stand back and zoom in a little rather than standing close with the wide lens. The wide lens stretches the front of the car.
• Keep the horizon level. Most phone cameras have a grid option in the settings.
• Shoot in landscape. Ads are shown in a wide frame, and portrait photos lose the ends of the car.

Show the flaws

It feels wrong, but photos of scratches and dents help you sell. A buyer who has seen the damage before the viewing does not use it to push the price down on the day, and you avoid wasted trips from buyers who expected a perfect car. One close-up per flaw, with a short note in the description, is enough.

Photos that cause problems

• Photos from another car of the same model, or from the manufacturer's brochure. Buyers notice, and the ad may not be approved.
• Heavy filters or edits that change the colour of the paint.
• Screenshots with your phone's status bar, or photos with your face reflected in the paint.
• Documents in the photos. Do not post the geran (registration card), your IC, or the loan statement. Show them in person at the viewing instead.

Upload and describe

Put the best exterior photo first, then follow the shot list. In the description, state the year, variant, mileage, service history, number of owners if you know it, and whether the car is still under a loan. Mention every flaw that appears in the photos.

When you post on Roda, the ad is reviewed before it goes live. Photos that are clearly of the actual car help it through review. After posting, check the ad on your phone, because most buyers will see it there first.

When the photos are up

Good photos bring enquiries, so be ready for the next step. Have the documents for the JPJ ownership transfer ready, and read 5 tips to sell your car faster for pricing and handling viewings. If the car still has a loan, see how to sell a car with an outstanding loan.

Sources

• JPJ — Guide to voluntary transfer of ownership