Since many of you seem to take incredible pictures, I'm struggling to take anything that looks decent with a black exterior and interior. Any hints'? I typically use my I-Phone 6 but do have actual cameras also.

 

How are you struggling exactly?
The type of light usually is the trick...and black cars of course seem to show EVERYTHING.

 

I think struggling with pictures that show off the curves and lines of the car - lighter colors so much easier to shoot - any picture I take seems more like a black blob - not enough shadowing - that sort of thing.

 

Some of the silvers suffer from similar issues as they can wash out in the sunlight. Find times of day and/or scenes that yield reflections you can place to show off the curves. Cloudy days help as well. I try to take photos of my Tungsten Silver Vantage during the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. The sky takes on an amber hue which can add tones to the paintwork.

 

I know what you mean.
Black cars hardly pop in pictures.






I'm trying to give back what the photographer said when he took the pic of my car: I left the shutter open longer to capture the lightning.

 

I am throwing up some of my cars and pic I have taken right after a I paint corrected them, you will see how in varying lighting outside; how that affects the outcome. I believe that for a black car, inside warehouse fluorescent lighting would be best, but in photoshoot quality with proper lighting effects. But I am just amateur at all that.

 

Yes but your picture is perfect, nothing is hidden and for its front view perspective is really great.

 

I like the sun reflecting in the last picture - will try to emulate.

 

For people who have had or did a Paint Correction or want to show how clean their paint is------the SUN is the best way to show how perfect the paint is. Any swirl or scratch will show then. So that is specifically why the previous pics were taken in the sun (sun spot shows the errors, nothing else will besides a specific light shown on a panel). People who buff their car, then take pics without the sun in them are not showing how good the work was. Hard to explain, but I am trying. Bad paint and perfect paint shown below:




The below pictures are taken of a DB9 on a dealers lot. You can see the swirls and the holograms. I discussed having a detailer or a high end dealer's detailer doing your car in another thread. This is what happens when you let a dealer detailer high speed buff with a wool pad (HOLOGRAMS) and then when dealers wash your car. Horrible and they don't know any better. Most dealers, to included Aston, Ferrari, Lambo etc, do not know what a Paint Correction is. PS---that dealer said that car was the shiniest of them all, and it looks amazing when its washed. I showed otherwise and all I got were excuses and that no one can prevent swirls and prevention wasn't worth the effort. They had an Aventador in Grey that was just as bad. I was shocked.

 

Wow - what a difference - I had the paint corrected before I picked it it with a ceramic coating added.

 

IF CarPro CQuartz was used, please use the CarPro wash specifically for that coating. Also, CarPro Reload is specifically made for that coating to top it off every now and then (much like a spray wax).

If you are bare paint with the coating, drying the car with anything other than a Metro Sidekick blower ($85) you are inputting swirls into the paint.


Glad to help anytime with car care for the paint.

 

I use an iPhone 5, and set it to HDR...that makes a huge difference in the quality of the end result.

 

The lower the light source, the better. Notice how the car looks when the garage door is open just a few inches and you squat down to put your eye at about the height of the side mirror. THAT'S what I'm talking 'bout.

 

As an old advertising photographer, I can tell you some pointers.
Shoot at sun rise or sun set, you can also extend your shooting time by shooting in a canyon. Always use a tripod and a a good SLR digital camera. Chose a background that complaments the car, but does not over power it. I have attached some examples. Actually a dark or black car is easier to shoot.
Never shoot with the car back light (the sun behind the car). There is a term from photo 101 that states, "The angel of incidents equals the angel of reflectance" So you want the sun setting or rising at an angel to the side of the car you are shooting so you get the nice long highlight in the side of the car. So you will see in my photos of my Red Jag and 2007 Vantage, I shot looking at the side of a mountain with the sun setting some what behind me. So the side of my care reflected the sky and the sunset. The car is a mirror, so don't have and thing ugly rejecting in the car. Hope this helps. Also, for shooting interiors, one easy way is to shoot late or early in the day. In the shade of a building, like my attached shots. The shot of my 2016 GT, is behind the same building as the interior shot. It was very late in the day this summer. The trick is to keep the direct light off the car.
Ron

 

Having owned three black cars, but not a professional photog or anything

If you want to really have your car "shine", you need to do it when the sun is high and not a cloud in the sky. Cloudiness will completely dull your picture

Shooting at dawn or dusk is only for background effect; the actual brightness or lines of the car will be lost, UNLESS you have a secondary light source to shine onto the car at certain angles