IntroductionIn today’s competitive online marketplace, high-quality images are essential for selling used cars. A well-composed, professional photo can make a lasting impression on potential buyers and set your dealership apart. But what makes a great used car photo, and how can you improve your photography to attract more customers? In this post, we’ll explore common mistakes in used car photography and share best practices that can make your listings shine. 1. Inconsistent Lighting Problem: Poor or inconsistent lighting can make photos look unprofessional, detracting from the car’s appeal. Direct sunlight, reflections, or shadows can obscure key details. Solution: Opt for natural lighting during golden hours (early morning or late afternoon) or use soft indoor lighting. Be aware of multiple light sources as this can change the colour of the photos, it is nearly impossible to accurately set white balance with different colour temperatures present in a photo. especially be aware of this for interior shots as interiors have their own lighting. Consistent lighting across all photos enhances the car's appearance and professionalism. Tip: If possible, use a circular polariser filter on the camera, this can dramatically reduce distracting reflections. Try to make the black parts of the vehicle visible and not too dark, try to do this without overexposing brighter areas of the photos. 2. Overlooked Angles Problem: Focusing on just a few common angles misses important details that buyers want to see, like close-ups of the interior, boot, engine bay, or wheels. Solution: Take a comprehensive approach to angles. Capture exterior shots (front, back, and sides) and interior details (dashboard, seats, and cargo space). A 360-degree view or video walk-around can be especially effective. 3. Cluttered Backgrounds Problem: Busy or distracting backgrounds take attention away from the car, making the photo appear cluttered or unprofessional. Solution: Choose a neutral, clean background. Empty lots, simple walls, or controlled indoor environments work well to keep the car as the main focus. 4. Skipping Detail Shots Problem: Failing to highlight unique features or selling points, like new tires or upgraded interiors, can make a listing less attractive. Solution: Emphasize details buyers care about. Capture features like the infotainment system, upholstery condition, tire quality, and any unique add-ons. 5. Low-Resolution Images Problem: Blurry or low-resolution images can give the impression of poor quality and diminish buyer confidence. Solution: Use a camera with high resolution, ideally 12MP or higher. Quality images convey professionalism and help instill trust in potential…
Category: Photography
Shoot Experience This has been one of our favourite shoots so far. Our client contacted us to shoot 2 sets of photos for 2 cars that they would be using to start a car rental company. Our client wanted both cars shot in studio because they needed photos of high quality. These photos would be used on their new website to start with, because of this we also provided web optimised versions of all the photos as well as deep etched PNG photos. Shooting in studio is always a challenging but enjoyable experience for us. It really allows us to control the lighting environment and acheive the exact lighting that we require for high end photos. One of the biggest challenges that we were faced with during this shoot was time, since we had to shoot so many extra features on these vehicles that most other vehicles don't have, we underestimated how much extra time was required for the uniqueness of this shoot. Normally 1 full day for 2 cars is doable, so these two were a bit of a squeeze. At the end of the day, we were all happy with how the shoot went. The photos were delivered to our happy client a week later. Below are some examples of the photos after our post production had been completed.
What we do: Produce advertising and marketing media, mainly photos and video.Who we do it for: Marketers, advertisers, small business owners or just about anyone who wants professional looking visuals.Why are we different? We are perfectionists, meticulous, we leave no stone unturned in our briefs, we make sure that we understand our clients and their visions so that we can help them achieve their goals.We also try to make the whole process as seamless as possible.Think I'm just typing all this to sound good? Google us and see our reviews for yourself.Some of our satisfied and happy clients include Mitsubishi SA, Vodacom SA & The University of Johannesburg.Oh, and we also try to be completely honest and transparent with our clients too! That's all for now...If you think we can help you achieve your visions and goals, give us a try
Did you know that we are also able to produce media for logistics companies and their fleet? We offer specialised production services for companies managing fleets of trucks or vehicles, right here in South Africa. Why should you consider new media for your fleet? Here are the top reasons: Boost Brand Visibility: High-quality photos and videos can skyrocket your brand's visibility. Whether it's for marketing campaigns or website content, captivating media grabs attention and leaves a lasting impression. Enhance Professionalism: Professionally produced media showcases your fleet with credibility and professionalism, reinforcing your brand's image as a leader in your industry. Attract Top Talent: Stand out to potential employees by showcasing your fleet in dynamic media. Engaging visuals demonstrate innovation and make you an employer of choice. Improve Safety Initiatives: Use media for training and safety demonstrations. Visual aids are invaluable for educating drivers and promoting safety protocols. Differentiate Your Brand: Differentiate yourself from competitors with custom media productions. Showcase your fleet's unique qualities and connect with your target audience. We're passionate about creating memorable media content. From breathtaking drone footage to dynamic on-the-road videos, we're ready to bring your vision to life. Ready to elevate your fleet's presence? Contact us today to learn more about our tailored services. Let's embark on this creative journey together! Professional commercial car, fashion, product and advertising photography by South African photographer Roland Woon of Rollin Photography.
The Power of High-Quality Vehicle Photos: Why They Matter in Sales Discover why high-quality vehicle photos are essential for online sales success. In today's digital landscape, 90% of automotive consumers rely on images when browsing for vehicles online. Here’s why:First Impressions Matter: Learn how quality photos convey a vehicle's condition, features, and appeal from the get-go.Boost Engagement: Explore how professional images enhance visibility, engagement, and click-through rates for listings, driving more interest and inquiries.Elevate Perceived Value: Understand how detailed and well-lit photos signal a well-maintained vehicle and reputable seller, boosting perceived value.Enhance Efficiency: See how quality images streamline the sales process by providing comprehensive information upfront, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication.Expedite Decision Making: Discover how high-quality images facilitate quicker decision-making by providing clear and accurate representations of key features.In summary, investing in a reliable professional photo studio for quality photography is crucial for online vehicle listings. Don't underestimate the power of visual presentation in today's digital age. Adapt and thrive in the competitive automotive market with compelling visuals that attract and convince potential buyers. Professional commercial car, fashion, product and advertising photography by South African photographer Roland Woon of Rollin Photography.
Do we creatively reimagine our client's visions? No, kind of, but not exactly, let us explain...In our years of experience, we've learned something important: even if clients can't always explain what they want, they always have a goal in mind. Our job is to understand that goal and capture it in stunning photos.Every client is different and each project is often completly unique (this is actually why we don't offer set packages), so communication is key. We ask questions, listen carefully, and show examples to make sure we're all on the same page.But it doesn't stop there. Building trust is crucial. We learn from our clients, so we can deliver results that go above and beyond.Remember, being creative means being open to ideas.Together, we can turn your vision into reality.Let's work together to create something amazing!Photo created for Zero2Turbo
Shoot Experience Some of our clients didn't know that we offer simpler, less sophisticated shoots. Sometimes something simple and quick is all that's needed but because most are used to seeing our high-end art-like looking car shots, they simply aren't aware that we can do something less expensive in a shorter time frame. Their response is usually something like "oh, we didn't know" A new client approached us via instagram, they didn't need anything fancy, they only needed good, simple photos that they could use to sell their car. Of course we were happy to help! We often like the simple shoots too. For this shoot, we used a simple client-convenient location that had good lighting. The main aim of this shoot wasn't to make the car look super arty and glamorous but rather to show off its details in crisp photos and to present the car in it's best form using good composition and complimentary angles. We mainly focused on getting detail shots while including a few main exterior shots. It's always important to understand how the photos will be used by a client, this allows us to produce better photos for their use; in this case we understood that detail shots would be perfect for displaying the kind of condition and cleanliness the car was in... If a potential buyer can clearly see this in the photos, they will also have a clearer understanding of how good the car is, this then obviously helps sell the car quicker. For all of the exterior shots, we used whatever light that was available, for the interior a Nissin off-camera flash is used, this is only because the interior doesn't receive enough light, this gives better light anyway The final photos were delivered early to a happy client, this is always the best part.
Shoot Experience We were commissioned by RotorTrade, an international client of ours based in Singapore. They sell helicopters all over the world, they are a global helicopter distributor. They contacted us when they needed to list an EMS helicopter which was based here in South Africa. They already had photos of the helicopter from their client but they needed something of a higher quality; they also required a video to be produced in order to show the details and extra features of the Helicopter. We handled all the photography and video production for this shoot. Whilst our client didn't need anything extra special from us, we always try to produce something that look better than average. Given the conditions to shoot in, we were a little limited in terms of what we could achieve creatively. Post production played a large part in making the photos look a bit above average, a lot of background cleanup was performed, we didn't want anything distracting from the main subject, I find that often my eyes wonder in photos because of this, I like to clean up my backgrounds a lot. All of the photography and video had to be shot in natural light, this was mainly due to the available spaces where the helicopter could be shot. The client also requested that we shot the helicopter outside of the hanger instead of inside. The shoot turned out to be a complete success, the photos were delivered on time to a happy client. We always pride ourselves on client satisfaction, we truly believe this is of the utmost importance.
Shoot Experience This was a unique shoot for us. Our client originally searched for an Automotive photographer because they had no idea who would be suitable for shooting golf carts. They easily found us via Google and had seen that we also shoot other types of commercial photography. The client wanted a new set of image assets that would be used in multiple forms of advertising and media. The purpose of the shoot was to advertise a new set of carts they were now selling, they also wanted a new look and feel to their photos. Naturally, we delivered a set of higher quality photos to them. Due to transport costs and complications, we had to shoot all the carts from the basement of the clients premises. Luckily this didn't create any major challenges with the shoot, we are quite experienced shooting in these types of environments. This did however mean that the backgrounds would have to be added in post production. this did unfortunately delay us delivering the photos as each cart would have to be deep etched. We always do this with a high level of accuracy as this can easily effect the final product. Innitially, we didn't consider that this would be any more challenging than a typical car, however, golf carts have a lot of tiny intricate areas that need to be cut out; there were photos where we even had to cut out the hole in the keys where the key-ring goes through. We care about attention to detail so we absolutely couldn't skip this. But the challenges didn't end there, we also had to mimic realistic reflections in the windshields. This was because we ended up with some photos having messy reflections due to the shoot location; after all, we weren't in a perfectly lit studio. Our client wanted the final photos to have both dark and white backgrounds, each had their own set of techniques and challenges as the shadows and lighting for each is unique; the only thing each different shot had in common was the cart which was deep etched in the previous post production process. Each background's shadow and lighting had to be created from scratch, we only had a basic outline of the shadows from the photos that were shot. Despite all the challenges with this shoot, we're extremely satisfied with the final shots, they're exactly what we strive…
Shoot Experience Mitsubishi South Africa reached out to us because they wanted to shoot a new set of image assets for their Triton Extreme model. They already had some photos shot of the Triton however they were looking for something that would take their marketing to the next level, most of their existing media for their vehicles looked somewhat generic which meant that their photos looked very similar to other brands. They wanted to stand out more. They also had some image assets from Mitsubishi in Japan but these images don't always show some of the extra features that the South African Variants have. Our client commissioned us to shoot 3 different scenes and for the Triton Xtreme, this was to show the different environments where the Triton would be suitable. Whenever we are commissioned for a shoot, we try our best to be quick and efficient with our shoots as well as our communications with our clients, this helps us get through a lot of details in a short space of time, this also helps to construct an accurate brief in order to reach our clients specific goals. We also believe that this makes the whole process easier for our clients. We started off with shooting natural light shots in an urban environment, followed by a forest scene also shot in natural light. This already shows how adaptable the Triton is in both Urban and more "natural" environments. The next set of photos that we set out to create was the rolling shots, after so many years of shooting cars, rolling shots are still some of my favourite photos to create, naturally because of this, we have the method practiced very well! The above photo was chosen as a Hero shot. Unfortunately the rolling shots weren't without their challenges, we had decided to shoot on a road which we had used with a lot of success in the past as this road was generally very quiet with good scenery, however upon our return, we had found that a lot of new developments in the area had been constructed which made this road a lot busier than our last time. Nonetheless we managed to get some really good shots from this location. Finally we set out to shoot the most challenging type of shoot of the 3 scenarios, the final shoot would be shot in a warehouse. This shoot was…