As a responsible husband and father, I carry photos of my loved ones in my wallet. They were all shot in a photo studio with great lighting and rich vibrant colors. Why? Because it's nice to show off the family when they look their best. Trucks are part of the family, too, and often work harder than blood kin, so let's see if these tips can help you take a nice photograph of your favorite workhorse.
Location, Location, Location
Listen, a driveway shot says one thing to the viewer -- LAZINESS. Unless you reside at Hearst Castle or have a driveway paved in bottle caps that spell out Truck Trend, you need to be more creative and interesting.
Trucks are built for accomplishing tasks. Choose the proper environment for your model or type. Let's start easy -- work/utility trucks at a construction site or lumberyard. SUVs at the soccer field. Performance trucks at the racetrack. This is common-sense stuff. Even wildlife photographers realize that capturing a varmint in its natural evirons adds to the credibility of the image. A Suzuki X-90 at a Monster Truck Rally? Yeah, that can work too if you're clever. Be clever.
Lights, Camera....
To best show off your entire truck, you need good, consistent ambient light, often referred to as "open shade." Harsh sunlight makes for too much contrast--the darks are too dark; the highlights are blinding. Find a spot where the entire vehicle is in the shade. Normally, trees don't provide consistent shade; they'll make your truck's paint look splotchy and uneven. Large walls painted in light colors offer good ambient light. Alternately, choose the best time of day to avoid harsh shadows. Photos in open areas can be done at just before sunrise or just after sunset with excellent results and colorful, dramatic reflections that enhance your truck's outline.
Things NOT To Do
Do Not crop any part of your truck out of the photo. A missing front/rear bumper, or tires cut off before they touch the ground means distraction, not satisfaction.
Do Not shoot your truck in a complex and confusing environment. Make sure There's plenty of visual separation between your background and your vehicle. A simple background works best. If there's too much going on in the background, details will be lost or obscured. The single most common background mistake is a tree. If the tree looks like its growing out of the truck, don't snap the picture. This applies to reflections in the front of the truck as well. Recently, a TT freelancer shot a truck in front of a famous fountain. The fountain was hidden by the truck but the plume of water it produced made the truck appear like a whale spouting. D'oh!
Be wary of your surroundings. A great background can be totally negated by busy, erratic, mottled, or surreal reflections in your truck. Trees, again, are the main culprit. People, other vehicles, trash cans, and road signs should be avoided as well. If you say, "Look, you can see me taking the picture in the bumper," try again.
Do Not put "things" in front of your truck to make it more "appealing." Things include, but are not limited to, a hot wife/girlfriend, your trusty hound, a cactus, a covered bridge, a tumbleweed, a branch full of leaves, the soccer team, the sign from your favorite bar, a trash can, a ladder, a telephone pole, etc. Yes, we've received examples of each of these. Nothing should block a complete view of your truck. If your truck NEEDS a visual "enhancement," well, get a new truck -- you know you want one.
I hope this all seems clear and "common-sensical." There's plenty of creative leeway within the constraints of these guidelines. Show me you're up to the challenge. With quick-view digital cameras, there's no reason to have a less than perfect shot. Don't settle. Fill out the form for our Reader's Rides HERE and let your peers see how it should be done.
Thanks.
Thomas Voehringer