How to make good before and after photo’s
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
Before and after photo’s are fairly popular when showing the work done on a vehicle. But these photo’s don’t always properly show the work that has been done because the images are to difficult to compare.
Contents
Why make before and after photo’s
When showing of the work done on a vehicle, it is not only important to show the result of the labour, but also the difference it makes with how it used to look. The difference from before to after can convince customers that detailing makes a large difference and is worth the money the customer will have to pay for it. It can also help to clearify the difference between carwashers and detailers. The effect from before and after photo’s loses their meaning when they don’t properly show the difference. Several customers will look at these pictures with a sense of caution, they might not believe the incredible difference. If the photo’s show a difference in lighting, different angle or different positioning of vehicle, the customer might use these differences to say that it has been edited. Or the customer might think that the difference in angle is the reason why paint looks so much better.
How to make good before and after photo’s
There are several points to keep in mind when making photo’s the process on a vehicle. The most common recommendations are:
- Do not change the angle, mounting a camera on a tripod might help
- Set the values of the camera on manual, which prevents it changing the ISO or contrast values
- Do not move the vehicle
- Working indoors with electrical lighting will prevent the changing sunlight from playing a role
- Use pre-defined spots and angles that are always used
- Putting tape on the floor, where you stand when making a picture can help finding the proper angle again
What are good before and after photo’s?
Good before and after photo’s offer the viewer the following information:
- Clearly shows the state of the paintwork, including dirt and paint defects
- Clearly show the absense or presence of gloss and reflection
- Shows the state of plastic and/or rubber trim
- Clearly shows the state of the interior
- Offers full shots of the entire vehicle
- Highlight extraordinairy paint defects
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best leather protector". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....-
This is a more long term solution for dealing with Swirl marks and involves removing a thin layer of the clearcoat where the Swirl exists down to a flat layer where there are no swirls. This requires a cutting polish and a lot of heat to be generated to achieve this and is therefore best suited to a machine polisher, although results can be achieved to a more limited extent by hand with plenty of patience and strength and stamina....
-
Underbody cleaning is the act of cleaning the underside of the car to remove any dirt and restore the looks as when the car was new. This is a tedious and labor intensive job, but good cleaning products and tools can help to make it easier....
-
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best shampoo". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....
-
C.A.R. Products is a manufacturer of cleaning chemicals for carwashes located in Holyoke, United States. The company has a strong focus on B2B customers....
-
The 3-bucket method is just like the 2-bucket method, a generally accepted safe way to wash a vehicle. The difference is that you use 3 buckets instead of 2. The third bucket can be used for more then 1 different reason....
