Photographing your special Mercedes-Benz
Undoubtedly, the most important part of an online presentation of your Mercedes will descriptive and enticing images. Poorly done images can let down great cars. Most cars today are sold exclusively via online images and descriptions. The trick is to clearly capture your car’s positive points as well as any blemishes that a buyer should know about.
To assist you with photographing your car, we have suggestions below and a photo essay at the bottom of the page that illustrates important shots. You can never have too many shots. Our software accommodates 150 images so you have a great opportunity to display your car. We have found over the years that buyer confidence rises with the number of images displayed.
The following list should help your stage and photograph your car:
- Whether shooting images with your iPhone or a camera, it is critical to shoot the images in a ‘landscape’ format rather than a ‘portrait’ format. Ifyou’re shooting with your phone, turn it sideways when shooting. This is essential.
- Set the camera/iphone to capture medium to large images, at least 1500 pixels wide. Better to shoot larger files because you can resize for different applications.
- Start with a clean car! Whether you do it yourself or have it professionally detailed, make sure the interior and exterior are looking as best they can.
- Photographing cars outside and away from any garage clutter is important.
- Try to shoot your car in neutral open shade and avoid the glare and shadows of shooting in sunlight. Most photographers prefer the late PM ‘sweet light’ that occurs an hour or two before sunset.
- Choose a location that reduces any clutter in the background that will distract from the car. Trees, poles, signs etc. will spoils the shots. Find a building that provides a solid uniform background or a wide enough natural space that provides a nice clean, consistent background
- When shooting the exterior, try to shoot all the images in the same light. Be prepared to move the car to preserve the clean background as you shoot each side and the front and rear profiles.
- Presenting the interior is certainly as important as the exterior. Be prepared to shoot with flash to offset the low natural light that typically exists inside the car. Don’t be stingy with interior images – shoot everything including the headliner, door jambs, carpets, console dash pad (very important on MBs), wood, switchgear, door panels etc.
- Peripheral items such as the tool kit, safety kit, handbook packet, spare parts, service records, workshop manual etc. are important to capture as well.
- Be sure to shoot the trunk area both with trunk mat in place and removed to show the raw metal floor panel. Pull the spare tire out of its well and shoot the bare well.
- If it is remotely possible, undercarriage images are important, particularly on MBs from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s where rust issues would be particularly relevant. Be sure to use flash for undercarriage images or they will not be beneficial. We photograph undercarriages of virtually ALL of our cars even those well into the late ’90s and early ’00s models.
- Shooting most/all identification stamps/plates is always important, particularly if your car has an overseas audience.
The photo tutorial below provides some inspiration for your photo shoot. It happens to cover an SL but you can apply most of the shots to any car.
And if you have any questions drop us a note and we’ll assist. You can view our photography techniques by viewing our listings via this OUR CARS link. Keep in mind some of our consignment cars were shot by the owners.
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Photography Tutorial
