A photo standard your whole team can follow
A good result starts with a good source photo. These are the simple rules that get the best out of any phone or camera, and the ones worth writing on a card for whoever shoots your cars.
For whoever takes the photos
Pick the right light
Overcast days are the easiest light there is: soft, even and kind to paint. On a sunny day, shoot early or late, when the sun is low, and keep it behind you or to one side. Midday sun throws harsh glare across the bonnet and roof and makes the shadows hard to deal with.
Get the whole car in, with room to spare
Leave a clear margin around the car. If a bumper, mirror or wheel is cut off by the edge of the frame, nothing can put it back. Step back and zoom in a little, rather than standing close with a wide lens, which stretches the shape of the car.
Mind the camera height
Hold the camera at about headlight height. Shooting from standing eye level looks down on the car and shrinks the wheels. Crouching a little makes the car look the way it does in person.
Prepare the car
Wash it, and dry the glass and the wheels
Point the front wheels straight, or turn them slightly towards the camera
Close the doors, boot and bonnet, and fold the mirrors out
Clear loose items from the dashboard and seats before interior shots
Send original files
Use the full-size photo straight from the camera. Screenshots, photos forwarded through a chat app and heavily compressed copies lose detail, and that detail is what the booth is built from.
What Carzbooth changes, and what it never touches
We hold ourselves to a simple line so your listings stay honest.
Changed: the background, the ground and the reflections of the surroundings
Changed: the studio floor and the light the car stands in
Never changed: scratches, dents, chips and wear on the car
Never changed: the colour, trim, wheels or any part of the car itself
The ten-second shoot check
Is the light soft, or the sun low and behind me?
Is the whole car in the frame with a margin all round?
Is the camera at about headlight height?
Are the wheels straight, the doors shut and the car clean?
Is this the original file, not a screenshot?