7 Unique Car Photoshoot Ideas

We all love taking pictures of our cars, but there’s an enormous difference between snapping a few pictures with your cell phone and arranging a professional photoshoot. Of course, you also want to give your car some character instead of just parking it in a garage or in a parking lot with good lighting and capturing a few images. With that in mind, check out these unique car photoshoot ideas the next time you get the impulse to take some pictures of your favorite car.

1. On the Beach

No, we’re not suggesting a photoshoot in a parking lot next to the beach with the waves as some distant background feature. We’re suggesting finding a beach — such as Daytona Beach in Florida — that allows you to drive onto the sand itself, getting as close to the water as you safely can for the best shots possible.

Make sure to assess the conditions before you head out onto the beach. You can drive nearly anything out there, but you need packed, wet sand if you hope to get back again. Make sure you’re not setting yourself up for failure and can get some awesome shots without having to call a tow truck to rescue you at the end of your photoshoot.

2. Stormy Nights

Is there anything cooler than the way a bolt of lightning streaks across the night sky? Why not set yourself up to use that as the backdrop for your car photoshoot?

This will take some skill and some specialized equipment — not to mention a stormy night to work with — but if you can capture lightning in a metaphorical bottle, you could potentially create some of the most unique car photos out there.

3. Golden Hour

Okay, this might not be the most unique photoshoot idea out there, but can you really go wrong with the golden hour? If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the golden hour refers to the hour before and during sunrise and sunset, when the light is warm and soft, making it the perfect backdrop for your favorite photography project.

Natural lighting is almost always the better option when it comes to any sort of photography, but there’s natural light and then there’s the golden hour. And between the two, we know which one we’d choose.

4. In the Mountains

The mountains often provide some of the best photographic backdrops in the world. You can find a spot where you have a towering peak behind you, or take your car up the mountain a bit, find an overlook where you can pull off, and make it look like you’re on top of the world.

Be careful if you’re driving in the mountains looking for the perfect spot, though — no one wants to hear a news story about how a hobbyist photographer tragically drove off a cliff while trying to find somewhere to take a picture.

5. Snowy Afternoons

We love a good white backdrop for photos, but just using a sheet hanging behind your car is going to get boring fast. Instead, why not wait for a snow day and use the freshly fallen powder as the perfect backdrop for your pictures?

As a bonus, the snow is reflective, making it easier to make the most of the available natural light on even a cloudy day. If you’re driving around on salted roads to reach your destination, make sure your car gets a good wash to get rid of any remaining salt residue that could damage the undercarriage.

6. Try Somewhere New

Sticking to your favorite photography spots can ensure you get the best shots because you know exactly what to expect from each setting. If you’re looking to change things up a little, consider what might happen if you thought about trying somewhere new.

Poke around on Google Maps, explore your local region, and see what you can find. You might be surprised by what is hiding in plain sight in your hometown if you just open your eyes and look around.

7. Visit the Redwoods

Is there anything more awe-inspiring than taking a trip out west and driving through the redwood forests? There are places where you can even drive straight through the trunk of a living tree because some engineers decided that carving a hole in a tree was easier than paving a road around it.

If you head out to the forest on an off-season day, you may even be able to snap a picture or two right in that redwood tunnel before oncoming traffic nudges you out of the way. It might be done in a hurry, but it’s bound to make an incredible shot.

Don’t Stop Exploring

Whether you’re a hobby photographer or someone who is trying to turn pro, sometimes the best thing you can do is change up your setting. Try out some of these unique car photoshoot ideas and tell us which one you like best.