Automotive Photography: Working with lighting
When it comes to automotive photography, lighting can make or break your shot. For beginners, understanding and using light effectively is key to capturing the beauty, craftsmanship, and details each vehicle. Below is a straightforward guide to mastering lighting for your automotive shoots, whether you're working with natural light, using basic lighting tools, or experimenting with different artificial lighting setups.
Understanding Natural Light
Natural light is often the go-to for automotive photography because it brings out authentic colors and details without the need for extra gear. Here’s how to use it to your advantage:
Golden Hour Magic
The golden hour—about an hour after sunrise or before sunset—is ideal for automotive shots. The soft, warm light during this time creates flattering highlights and shadows that add depth to your photos. The low angle of the sun also helps avoid harsh reflections on the vehicle’s surface.Midday Challenges
Shooting in the middle of the day can be tough, as the sunlight is intense and creates harsh shadows and glare. To manage this, look for a shaded area or use the sun as backlighting to prevent bright reflections on the car’s paint and windows.Overcast Days: A Hidden Gem
Cloudy days are not always a bad thing! The clouds act as a natural diffuser, softening the light and reducing glare. This setup is really good for capturing a car’s full range of details without worrying about overly bright or dark areas.
Note: If you don’t have a CPL filter, I highly recommend you consider investing in one—it’s a great tool for automotive photography and helps prevent unwanted reflections that might otherwise distract from the shot.
Using Reflectors and Diffusers
Reflectors and diffusers are simple, inexpensive tools that can elevate your photos by controlling natural light.
Reflectors
A reflector bounces light back onto the vehicle, filling in shadows and creating a more even look. For example, if one side of the car is too dark, you can place a reflector to bounce sunlight onto that area. You can find collapsible reflectors in silver or white, or even use a large piece of white poster board.Diffusers
If you’re shooting in direct sunlight and want to soften the light, a diffuser is your friend. By placing a diffuser between the sun and your vehicle, you can eliminate harsh shadows and get a more balanced light across the entire surface.
Experimenting with Artificial Light
Artificial light is great for adding control, especially for nighttime or indoor shoots. While advanced setups like strobes are used by professionals, beginners can start with simpler options.
LED Panels or Light Bars
Portable LED panels are a beginner-friendly way to add lighting. These lights can be adjusted for brightness and color temperature, allowing you to experiment with warm or cool lighting effects. Place an LED panel at an angle that brings out the contours and details in the car’s bodywork.Flash Photography
If you’re using a camera with an external flash, try bouncing the flash off a nearby wall or using a small diffuser on the flash itself. This way, you avoid harsh, direct light that can create unattractive reflections on the car’s glossy surfaces.
Creative Lighting Techniques
Once you’ve got the basics, try experimenting with these techniques to add drama and creativity to your shots:
Backlighting for Silhouettes
Position the car in front of the light source (such as the sun at sunset) to create a striking silhouette. This technique works particularly well with cars that have distinctive shapes.Light Painting at Night
Light painting involves using a long exposure and moving a light source, such as a flashlight or LED wand, around the vehicle to “paint” light onto it. This technique is an exciting way to illuminate specific details, or the entire car.
Common Lighting Mistakes
Beware of Reflections
Most car paints are highly reflective, so watch for any unwanted reflections, like yourself or random objects in the background. Adjusting your angle slightly or using a polarizing filter can help minimize reflections for a cleaner image.Too Much Contrast
If the contrast between shadows and highlights is too high, it can wash out the vehicle's color and details. A diffuser or shaded area can help reduce this issue and create a more balanced shot.
Final Thoughts
Lighting takes practice, but with time, you’ll begin to see how different lighting conditions affect your shots. For each type of lighting setup, take multiple shots, try out different angles, and adjust your settings to see what works best. The more you experiment, the more you’ll develop a feel for what lighting setups bring out the best in each car you photograph.
Remember: mastering light is an ongoing journey, and each photoshoot brings new opportunities to play with light in unique ways. So grab your camera, head out at different times of the day, and practice!