Log-on for the 24/7 Car Show
By: Andrew Regan | Posted: 25th May 2007
No longer do car fans have to wait for a national or local car show to check out the latest hot metal on the car scene. As the Internet becomes ever more important, websites provide a platform for car fans to attend a 24-hour seven day-a-week car show from the comfort of their own homes.
There are many social network sites dedicated to people who love cars, which offer registered users the ability to place pictures of their cars on the web. The most popular sites, like Flickr, Facebook and Motoraddicts all have photo uploading options and doing so couldn’t be simpler. And, you needn’t worry about having too many pictures on your profile page, as web users are hungry for images and videos - especially when they see something they like!
Entering your pride and joy into the realm of online car shows requires a great shot. This can be easily obtained with some simple preparation and a decent digital camera. Unlike a real car show, in the online world the pictures are everything. People viewing your car cannot simply walk around it – they are relying on you to provide the best views, so get the pictures right. People produce some great photos because they know their cars better than anyone else and know what is going to look best and which areas of the car should be highlighted.
When taking your photographs, the best shot to try to achieve is a low front angle, rather than a flat front or side picture. The three quarter angle allows a look at the front and side profile of the car, allowing the viewer to see more in one shot. Also take into consideration the backdrop to the picture, there is no point trying to capture a black car on a dark coloured background – and its amazing how many people do! Keep it simple for better results.
You can make your car photo look a lot more professional by deciding on a good location for your shoot. A graffiti covered wall or plain brickwork can achieve a desired effect without the use of lighting and high tech camera equipment.
Making sure the car is looking its best goes without saying, so always snap your shot after your car has been treated to a wash and buffed up using your favourite brand of wax.
Once you have the snap you want, you just need to upload the image to your preferred website. Some websites need images to be a certain size to be uploaded – this helps with the speed and you should always double-check the requirements before attempting to upload your car’s photo.
Once the pictures have been uploaded make sure you take the time to include the spec and details of the car. It is a nice touch to try to include some background information: viewers are interested in learning where the car came from, or which part caused you the most trouble to fit.
This gives the person viewing your car a little more insight into the work and effort which has gone into your car, rather than just a bare image. Plus, it could be the difference in getting extra votes and making your ride stand out from the crowd.
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests.
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Tags: web users, real car, lighting, backdrop, digital camera, camera equipment, desired effect, pride and joy, graffiti, facebook, brickwork