New & Used Car Photos Check list

[jmoses]

Hello DR,

We have just started to take New Car photos at a couple of our stores, and I just wanted to reach out to the community to see if there were best practices or some sort of new and used car photo checklist available. I do think we do a decent job on taking good quality used photos, but it doesn't hurt to check to see what the best dealers are doing in regards to both new and used.

If i remember correctly, A while back I had seen either a forum post or an article with some sort of check list involving car photos, and I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction? Given that we are just starting with New Car photos, I was specifically wondering if there was a recommended order of pictures to take, specific must-take photos (i.e. window sticker), angles, etc. For example, Joe Webb had a great presentation at DD, and I remember him saying to always start off with the 3/4 angle shot. I have also noticed some dealers around us will include a picture that gives an overview the manufacturer Certified warranty.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,

 

[Foos56]

@jmoses - At my lot, we try to think from the consumer perspective. What do people want to see in and around the car before they walk-in? We start with a pic of the front and kind of walk around, intermittently snapping photos. We then open up the interior and show that off. Finally we photograph the warranty and do the penny test for the tires. This is for used vehicles, though. Not sure if there is a difference between those and new cars.

A tip for SEO - the more pictures you take and post, the better it is for SEO (assuming the pictures are cataloged with keywords and all share the same folder in the website make-up.) Plus, you can then post those photos outside of your website on Google Places and other such sites, which is even better for SEO!

 

[joe.pistell]

JM,

See posts by View Profile: terrencegordon - DealerRefresh Automotive Technology ForumsThe pres of his company (eCarList.com) is famous for his photo work and has a PDF on it. He's posted it here in the forums

Heres my handy forum search tool FYI: http://updialer.com/dr_site_search.htm


HTH

 

[ddavis]

Here is the link Joe was talking about:

THE BASICS OF VEHICLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Here

 

[jmoses]

Thanks guys for the information. I'll be sure to check out the PDF...

 

[ed.brooks]

JM,

See posts by View Profile: terrencegordon - DealerRefresh Automotive Technology ForumsThe pres of his company (eCarList.com) is famous for his photo work and has a PDF on it. He's posted it here in the forums

Heres my handy forum search tool FYI: http://updialer.com/dr_site_search.htm


HTH

I love the eCarList guide. It goes into much more depth on lighting, etc, than this one from LiquidMotors. The Liquid guide does however cover all the angles, all the shots. Between the two, you should be in great shape.