Just in case anyone is interested I thought I would offer some quick tips on how to take good shots of your truck. I have years of professional photography experience. I have covered everything from the Olympic Games to NASCAR auto racing. I think it’s safe for me to say I know how to shoot vehicles and things that go fast. I have quite a few pictures in the picture thread of this forum. Almost every single one of them is shot with my phone, not my expensive pro gear. When I am out 4wheeling I am out to drive and enjoy my truck, not to work. So I snap with my phone just like everyone else, but I know how to do it. Here are some basic photography tips that may improve your shots of anything. I don’t have a YouTube page or anything to promote. I do commercial work. I wrote this because I am a Trail Boss guy. Wheeling it is my passion.
- Game changing rule number one. Don’t tilt the phone. Keep it on a straight vertical plane with the earth. I am not talking about vertical or horizontal format here. I am talking about the face of the lens in relationship to the earth, keep it dead vertical. All phones have wide angle lenses very prone to distortion. Tilting the phone exacerbates the distortion and ruins the beautiful lines of your truck. Almost every amateur truck shot is the same. Someone standing tall shooting from eye level and tilting the top of the phone forward for composition. This distorts everything. If you want your shots to improve don’t do that. The answer is to change your position and to not tilt the phone. I will show examples.
- Before I fire a frame of anything I quickly consider these four options: Go Long, Go Short, Go High, Go low.
- Go Long: This used to refer to lens selection. But it still applies to your phone. It means shoot very tight, as though you have a telephoto lens. With your phone this is achieved by getting close to the truck for a tight shot.
- Go Short: This refers to wide angle shots (short lens) your phones native lens position. This can include the environment your truck is in. It can also make great close ups.
- Go High: Shoot from above the truck for a great perspective. Most of the world shoots from whatever their eye level perspective is at the time. So professionals don’t do that. Our job is to make our photos look different from ordinary. Angle and perspective is everything to us.
- Go Low: I often shoot my Trail Boss from ground level. This is how you get the “ominous bigger than life shot”. Getting down to tire level and shooting tight can make it look like the truck is about to roll over you. Resist tilting the phone.
You can combine one or more of these tips in the same shot.
Here are examples of these basic tips:
Go long. This means shooting tight as though you have a telephoto lens. Get up close, dont use the zoom fuction on your phone if you can help it.
View attachment 4864
View attachment 4873
Go Short. Your phones wide angle lens is perfect for this. You can shoot the truck and include the environment your in.
View attachment 4865
View attachment 4866
View attachment 4867
Go High. Get above the truck for a different perspective.
View attachment 4868
View attachment 4869
Go low. Ground level can work great for off road shots.
View attachment 4870
View attachment 4871
This is a clasic vehicle shot. I shot from the corner of the truck to take advantage of its lines and reflections. I squatted down to make the truck bold in the picture. I did not tilt the camera so the lines are not distorted. I included enough of the background to show the sunset and rough environment.
View attachment 4872
I hope someone finds this helpful. The TB is beautiful and easy to shoot.
Steve
www. corporateshow.com
