No Car Studio? No Problem!
Did you know that an average online car buyer visits merely 4.2 websites in their entire car-buying journey?
Just imagine -- an online buyer clicks on your website amidst millions of online car sellers jostling for their fair share on the internet. Unless you can convince them to buy from you, all your efforts are for naught. Visuals are the best way to do that, which is why you need professional images shot in a car photography studio.
When people browse through your VDPs, they immediately switch over to your competitor if they come across blurry car pictures that don't give them a good look at the vehicles. You'll end up losing a sale! You can avoid this situation by using high-impact images shot by a professional in a car dealership photo studio. Research shows that high-quality visuals can boost sales by 65% more than any textual or verbal info on the page.
You are shooting car visuals with different angles, backgrounds, effects, rotating views, etc. Now, what is next? It's the post-production phase -- editing. Unfortunately, this is car showroom photography's most tedious and tricky part. You either need professional editors who can process them manually, or you need to install Photoshop or other image editing software to do it yourself.
Either way, it's a time-consuming, expensive, laborious, and non-skippable part of virtual showroom photography. You need to ensure that these image carousels, videos, and other visual formats comply with the marketplace requirements and are not too heavy to load.
How to Shoot Cars in a Studio?
Shooting cars in a studio is a long and tedious task. So much so that most people hire professionals to get through it. You don't just need to plan but also secure equipment and get the car ready. Just thinking about it is making me tired. But don't worry we've got you.
You can skip the struggle by making a neat plan and following it through. Here is the complete step-by-step breakdown for that:
1. Choose the right location
Start by picking the best car photography studio near you. To do so, you need to first understand your requirements. Like what kind of images do you want? And what is the purpose and budget for the project?
Next, understand the automobile. Figure out its length and other dimensions. This will help you choose an adequate working space. Remember, you don't want a place too small. Another feature to look into is the studio equipment. If you want to shoot 360 videos, choose a studio with a car turntable.
Then you can look into its portfolio. This will help understand the quality, versatility, & consistency of shots. Here are some other factors that matter:
- Position: The studio should not be too close or too far. Next, a safe and convenient route is a must. Especially if you plan to photograph many cars in one day.
- Entry and Exit: There should be no obstacles in the drive-in and drive-out. If needed, use software to set up the car's entry and exit positions.
- Daylight: While natural light looks great, it cannot be controlled. Thus, pick a studio with full lighting control.
- Practicality: Customization and personalization is key. So, be sure to pick a studio with a changeable background and floor.
2. Set it Up
How you set up your studio decides the quality of your images. This means the immediate surroundings of the automobile should be neat. To achieve this, start with a neutral and consistent backdrop. Also look into the routing, automation, and speed process.
Other than this, a studio should fulfill four basic criteria:
- Quality photography equipment at the right place.
- Clean backdrop or wall
- Proper & flexible lighting without any external disruptions
- Stable & solid turntable (if needed)
3. Start Shooting
When everything is set up, the shooting process becomes easy and quick. But that's not all. There are still some things to keep in check when shooting:
- Lighting Setup: Try experimenting with various lighting techniques. For instance, light painting creates dramatic effects on the surface. While available studio lighting should do, you can consider renting additional equipment.
- Framing and Composition: Focus on specific sections of the car rather than trying to capture it entirely. This way you can capture detailed shots and emphasize features.
- Creating Effects: If required, simulate dirt on the car for before-and-after shots. But be sure to use safe materials. Like a cinnamon and sugar mixture looks like dirt and is easy to clean off after.
4. Post Processing
Post-processing helps refine and elevate. To do so, start by importing and selecting images. Then you can adjust basics like white balance, contrast, exposure, or cropping.
In case of reflections on paintwork, retouch it for enhancement. Also improve details on wheels, tires, headlights, taillights, and badges. Additionally, if the background doesn't match your vibe, customize it.
The whole process can be lengthy. So we've derived a simpler solution for you. All you need to do is click an image. Sypne AI does the rest for you to render picture-perfect shots.
Here's how to get studio-quality car photos without an actual studio with this car photo editor app:
- Upload: Visit the Spyne virtual car photography studio AI and upload the image you wish to edit.
- AI Enhancement: Choose from various enhancements, including background removal and replacement, shadow correction, reflection adjustments, number plate blurring, and proceed; the AI will automatically enhance the images in one click.
- Preview & Download: Once you're satisfied with the final output, click the proceed button to download your edited image.
With Spyne AI virtual image studio, you can easily create professional-grade car images without the need for expensive studio setups.
Traditional Car Photography Studio vs. AI-Powered Car Photography Studio
Traditional Photography Studio
- There are location restrictions on studios. If your studio is far from your lot, then driving cars to and fro between the two would be an additional task.
- Images shot in car studios undergo manual editing, which can be slow and tedious.
- A traditional car photography studio costs a lot as you need to hire staff to take care of all your photography and editing needs.
- It is time-consuming. You need to spend hours on manual editing.
AI-Powered Car Photography Studio
- The most obvious one is that AI photography is quicker and more affordable.
- This AI tool can detect distinct features of a vehicle -- like dents, scratches, stains, etc. This will allow the customers to see every detail of your car and help you establish a trusted bond with them.
- You can create 360 car pictures in a matter of minutes without going through the rigorous editing process. The system automatically compiles the images taken from different angles to create a perfect spin-car visual.
- With the help of the 360 car photo booth tool, your photos will be more striking in terms of quality.
Creative Applications of AI in Car Photography
According to Artsmart, 60% of photographers use AI tools to enhance their creative process. And this is not simply because AI is more creative than human brains. Rather because it can help automate tasks and suggest creative compositions. In turn, boosting your capabilities while streamlining workflow.
Being a car dealer, you too can use AI in photography to boost and innovate. Here are some top applications:
- Background Removal and Customisation: Manual background replacement is often difficult and time-consuming. With AI you can quickly replace or enhance backdrops. Adding a picturesque, urban, or vintage vibe according to your desires.
- Dynamic Motion Effects: You can add spinning wheels or blurred backgrounds to static car images. Eliminating the need for complex setup, as it's all done on the tool.
- Personalization: AI allows in-depth customization. You can edit color variations, accessories, or decals in the photos. Giving buyers a true glimpse of their vehicle before purchasing.
- Automated Editing and Retouching: Most AI tools have algorithms for intricate retouching. They can remove reflections, correct lighting, refine shadows, or enhance paint shine. All you need to do is command.
- Interior Showcases: Doing 360 car interior photography is a tedious process as you need the right amount of light. AI makes it easy by enhancing pictures. You can also generate 360 views to improve the experience of potential buyers.
- Weather and Time Manipulation: Manually changing weather or time is impossible. But Ai can do so in seconds. It can simulate various weather conditions or times of the day to adjust the mood of the images.
- Composite Storytelling: Telling a story through an image is a great way to attract viewers. But doing so can be lengthy, as you need to decide the story and then edit accordingly. By using AI you can do this in seconds. It can merge elements to create artistic edits. For instance, a car breaking through a glass wall.
- AI Drone Photography: Drone photography always gives great results but is a sensitive process. A professional is a must for it. You can use AI here to automate tracking shots of moving cars. This ensures perfect speed, stability, and framing.
- Mixing in Historics: Going vintage is a popular theme for car photographers. But it can be expensive to set up. Again here AI can blend modern car images with historic elements. For instance, juxtapose a contemporary muscle car with a 1960s theme.
- Shot Composition Analysis: AI can analyze car image trends and suggest engaging ideas. Including angles, compositions, and lighting to enhance photography.
Top Tips & Tricks for Shooting the Best Car Dealership Photos
High-quality car dealership photos are essential for attracting potential buyers and effectively showcasing your inventory online. With the best tips, you can capture stunning images highlighting each vehicle's unique features and appealing to your target audience.
Here are the best ten tips for shooting compelling car photos:
- Establish Focal Length: Different focal lengths make the pictures vary. Mainly because it dictates the angle of view and shooting distance. Thus, the first thing to do is adjust it according to your needs. Whether you go high, low, or mid, ensure the picture is according to your needs and wants.
- Adjust According to the Angle of View: Angle of View is another important element to keep in mind when shooting. For instance, a wide lens will show more of the background. Thus you need to adjust your pictures accordingly. Deciding your angle of view completely depends on the aesthetic you want.
- Lighting can change Aesthetics: Proper lighting often makes the automobile look luxurious. To do so you simply need to create gradients of light with homogenous patches. However, to create harder pockets, you can pick tightly controlled beams.
- Mix Multiple Lights: Automobile photography tends to require a lot of lighting for best results. The easiest way to achieve this is by mixing continuous light with studio flash. Or you can illuminate certain panels of the car by painting the car with continuous light and adding in flash.
- Shoot headlights and tail lights separately: Head and tail lights of automobiles are crucial parts to be shot. But you must only do so simultaneously as each light has its own effect. Later on, you can decide whether to keep the pictures or not.
- Polarisers are a must: No matter how hard you try, you might still end up with unwanted reflection on certain parts. A polarizer can help remove that. In turn, showcasing clear windshields, side windows, and paintwork.
- Experiment with Reflectors: Walls, ceilings, and large panels are commonly used as reflectors in car photography studios. But you can always try out the floor, large mirrors, or sheets of glossy metal.
- Cover Everything: Capturing every single element of the automobile helps the audience grasp an idea. Thus you must get it all, even seats, tailgates, and everything in between. An easy way to do this is to make a list of all the items to cover.
- Night-Time Shoot Tricks: Shooting at night time gives amazing results but can be quite difficult. In the case of modern cars, make sure to take an exposure with LED accent lights. You can also light up dashboard lights and do a timed exposure. Or go all out and click a picture from the backseat facing the front window. In this, increase the ambient lighting.
- Vary your Shots: You might think you don't have much to work with in interior shots. And while that is true, you still need to vary the angles. This helps capture various POVs. For instance, shoot the steering wheel from the back seat.
Photographing Interior and Exterior Shots in Car Studios
Photographing interiors and exteriors of automobiles are worlds apart. Yet, both techniques need meticulous planning of equipment and lighting. Let's understand each in detail:
Interior photography in virtual car showrooms
- Equipment Needed: Wide-angle lenses capture a full cabin. While the macro lens gets closeups of texture and controls. Use softboxes, portable lights, or LED panels for lighting. And remote triggers to minimize shake.
- Studio Setting: Shining lighting from outside the car looks like natural light through the windows. This elevates the vibe and aesthetics of imagery. However, keep it subtle so that the background isn't distracting.
- Lighting: Soft and diffused lights are a common choice. Use softboxes to avoid shadows on seats, upholstery, and dashboards. Spotlighting works best for highlighting specific features like steering wheels or gear shifters. Window tints or polarizers can adjust lights.
- Shooting: The first step is ensuring cleanliness. Interiors must be spotless as dust or smudges can amplify images. Then use wide-angle shots to capture the full cabin and close-ups for details. To make things interesting, you can switch up perspectives, like, capturing the driver's POV. Natural elements like coffee cups or phones can evoke realism. Finally, balancing lights is crucial to avoid overexposure.
Exterior photography in virtual car showrooms
- Equipment Needed: A full-frame DSLR or mirrorless camera is the best option. Use wide-angle or prime lenses along with it for capturing details. Other than that, softboxes, strobes, and continuous LED lights help with lighting. Meanwhile, tripods, reflectors, and diffusers improve precision.
- Studio Setting: The car photography studio should have a neutral backdrop. Seamless whites or black paper work nicely. Additionally, glossy or matte floorings help with reflection levels. Finally, the studio should be dark other than controlled lights.
- Lighting: Three types of lights are employed during studio sessions - key, fill, and directional lights. Key lights like large softboxes or overhead lamps look soft and even on the surface. Fill lights with lower intensity can remove shadows and maintain detail. Lastly, directional lighting highlights features like logos, contours, and wheels. Alongside, polarizers or diffusers reduce reflections on shiny surfaces.
- Shooting: Don't be scared to experiment, try out front ¾, low, and side profile angle shots. Plus, focus on detail by zooming in on badges, rime, or headlights. You can also capture multiple exposures to retain highlights and shadows.
AI-Led (Automated) Virtual Car Photography Studio
Automated car photography studio uses AI-powered software to help you click images of your vehicles. Usually, such car showroom apps offer plenty of different photography solutions – guided static photoshoots, automatic image editing (like car background removal and replacement),360 car photographyand videography guided shoots, etc.
Auto dealerships are always looking for ways to save time and money, and AI-led vehicle photo studios are one of the most cost-effective options. With this tool, dealerships can eliminate the need for manual photo processing and retouching. This means less time spent on photo taking and more time selling cars. Additionally, AI applications can capture high-quality images that are perfect for online listings, online advertising campaigns, and even in dealership showrooms.
AI Car Photo Studio: Your Ultimate Solution
Looking to sell your cars online but don't have a professional auto studio AI? Well, guess what? You can make this phase a breeze and chaos-free with our AI-led Virtual Car Photography Studio. Vehicle photo studio AI solutions like this tool offer the best automotive photography studio and numerous features to shoot and edit car images in the most hassle-free way.
With the help of AI, it creates a realistic studio environment through background editing, shadow generation, and its 360 spin view offerings. Spyne aims to create the best automotive photography system. To achieve show-stopping inventory images, all you have to do is:
- Background Removal and Customisation: Manual background replacement is often difficult and time-consuming. With AI you can quickly replace or enhance backdrops. Adding a picturesque, urban, or vintage vibe according to your desires.
1. Download the Spyne app or search for an automotive photo studio in your browser and open the app camera
2. Follow the guided photoshoot and ensure that the car fits the overlay sketch. It will help maintain accurate angles
3. Choose backgrounds from 100+ marketplace-ready templates and apply the relevant ones. You can also upload a custom background to match your automotive photo studio photography ideas
4. Shoot 360 spin car videos to your VDPs to increase the visual appeal and showcase your cars in an even better manner
5. Once done, click on upload and publish images on your virtual car dealerships
Spyne offers tailored solutions to fit your dealership needs. Spyne's best car studio enables you to enhance your car photos with subtle touches and create showroom-like quality images that will leave a lasting impression.
By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, Spyne Car Photoshoot Studio automatically applies necessary adjustments to your uploaded car photos.
Conclusion
Car studios are crucial for your car digital retailing business, as you need great images to strengthen your online presence. However, the traditional means are expensive and quite slow. In comparison, AI-powered photography and editing are much quicker as well as affordable. This powerful tool can be customized to match your car photo studio ideas. You can capture as many as 1000 images in one go with minimal retakes and errors and process them seamlessly. The cherry on top: by making images marketplace-ready, you start cracking deals in no time!