Are you utterly mad about cars and motorbikes, and do you want to learn how to take the best photos with your smartphone? Then whatever you do, don't read on ;)
Photograph your car or motorbike like a pro
Short answer
How do you take the best photos of your car or motorbike with your smartphone?
Photographing your car or motorbike like a pro comes down to six simple smartphone tips: choose your own focus, switch the flash off, hold the camera still, don't zoom in, take several photos and use HDR. In the dark, a higher ISO value and a longer exposure time help, ideally with a tripod.
- Tap the screen where you want to focus, so you keep the focus in your own hands.
- Hold your camera still for two more seconds after tapping for a sharper photo.
- Smartphones only zoom digitally, which gives blurry, grainy photos.
- HDR combines an overexposed, an underexposed and a normal photo into one better photo.
Tip 1: Choose your own focus
Your smartphone camera focuses fully automatically in almost every case. Not hugely handy, because it often focuses on the wrong spot. Your camera also struggles in tricky light, so it takes a while before it finds the right focus by itself.
You can give your camera a helping hand by briefly tapping the screen where you want to focus. That tells the camera to focus right there, so you keep the focus in your own hands, and that makes for the best photos.
Tip 2: Flash off, spotlight on
A smartphone flash is harsh, and nobody looks better for it. Best to switch it off by default. The newest iPhones, the 6s and 6s Plus, have a new trick where the screen lights up when you take a selfie. It is a softer kind of flash, but still not ideal. Sometimes you can't avoid it, but if you don't really have to: switch that flash off.
Tip 3: Hold your smartphone camera still!
Whichever camera button you use, you will notice a small delay between pressing it and the moment your phone actually takes the photo. It is a tiny delay, but I regularly see people taking photos who don't allow for it. They tap and pull their camera away again.
The photo is only really taken during that movement. The result: a blurry photo. So hold your camera in place for two seconds and only then take it away. You will get sharper photos.
Tip 4: Zooming in? Not done.
Smartphone cameras can only zoom digitally. In other words: the more you zoom in, the fewer pixels your photo has left. The result is blurry, grainy photos. What a waste, right?! So try to avoid zooming in.
And if you really can't get any closer to your subject, zoom in as little as possible. Or do it afterwards, so you can decide as precisely as possible how far you want to crop your photo.
Tip 5: Take several photos
The more photos you take, the greater the chance that one of them is a good one. Taking photos with a smartphone costs nothing, apart from a bit of battery. The ones that don't look great you simply delete later.
Tip 6: Use the HDR function
If your smartphone has an HDR (High Dynamic Range) function, use it. It makes a great photo far more likely. Your phone usually takes 3 images: 1 overexposed, 1 underexposed and a normal one. These are then layered on top of each other to give you a better photo.
Pro tip: photographing your car or motorbike in the dark
Use a higher ISO value and a longer exposure time in the dark. On some smartphones you can change settings until the cows come home. You can adjust the shutter speed and the ISO value so that your smartphone performs better in the dark too. That way you can, for example, photograph your car or motorbike with its lights on after dark.
ISO The higher your ISO value, the more light your camera soaks up. The only downside to a high ISO value is more noise or grain, so it may be better to work with a longer exposure time. That lets your camera take in more light. In that case, keep your camera dead still or, better still, use a tripod. Otherwise you will end up with seriously grainy photos.
Also take a look at our LED lighting for your car and LED lighting for your motorbike.
Frequently asked questions about photographing your car or motorbike
How do you focus your smartphone on the right spot?
Briefly tap the screen where you want to focus. That tells the camera to focus right there, so you keep the focus in your own hands.
Should you use your smartphone flash?
Preferably not. A smartphone flash is harsh, so keep it switched off by default unless you really need it.
Why is it better not to zoom in with your smartphone?
Smartphones only zoom digitally. The more you zoom in, the fewer pixels your photo has left, which gives blurry, grainy photos.
How do you photograph your car or motorbike in the dark?
Raise the ISO value and use a longer exposure time. A high ISO adds noise, so you are better off with a longer exposure time, and either keep your camera dead still or use a tripod.
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