Tips on Photography

Fortunately, you don’t need high-level photography equipment or experience to get the photos right. You just need to know exactly what to photograph, and use a few basic imaging techniques along the way.

What to photograph

Tip #1: Capture the corners.

Tip #2: Capture the license plate and VIN.

Tip #3: Capture all collision-related damage.

Tip #4: Capture all unrelated damage.

Tip #5: Photograph the dash.

Tip #6: Photograph damaged parts.

Consider light and shade

Proper lighting is extremely important in order to capture photos with the best possible clarity. You need enough light to see details in the image, but not too much light that it causes glare.

City Auto had several instances when photos needed to be retaken multiple times because it’s difficult to know whether a camera flash is needed the first time around.

To avoid rework, take two shots of each photo you capture – one with the flash and one without. Compare both images on your computer screen to assess which technique illustrates the most detail.