Trademe Car Listing Photography

[qube 3568]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1375930208

 

Nice photos for a (subjectively) average car

 

[Michael. 2312]

I don't agree with this, as it hides the reality of how a car looks in person.

Might fool some people, bud I'd rather see large raw pictures of the car to make a judgement if it's worth looking at or not. 

[kiwi535 538]

for me this is a good thing.The fact that they have put some effort into the pictures makes me think they are proud of that car.I would like to think the car itself reflects that pride in its service history and overall presentation.If all the seller has i a quick snap from a phone it gives me pause to even consider it further

[NZ BMW 368]

Well, according to this forum every car on trademe is over priced and over photoshopped.

[Olaf 3235]

6 minutes ago, NZ BMW said:

Well, according to this forum every car on trademe is over priced and over photoshopped.

well, at least until my 855-T5 goes up on ™.  then everyone'll be "wow, great to see un-retouched photographs!" and "yeah well I guess that's becomming a classic, if one wants a classic turbocharged Volvo wagon, there is an admission price".

Yep, that's how it's going to go...  

[Michael. 2312]

1 hour ago, kiwi535 said:

for me this is a good thing.The fact that they have put some effort into the pictures makes me think they are proud of that car.I would like to think the car itself reflects that pride in its service history and overall presentation.If all the seller has i a quick snap from a phone it gives me pause to even consider it further

Well that's at the other end of photoshop pictures, polar opposite.

Cellphone camera pics are usually just lazy and usually of 1 angle of the car with no interior pics. Useless! 

Im talking about digital camera 20 high res pics, front, side, rear, interior, boot, engine, issues photographed etc - free from filters, enhancements or whatever else. That is how a car for sale should be shown. 

Not with arty, calendar style pics. 

 

[kiwi535 538]

32 minutes ago, Michael. said:

Well that's at the other end of photoshop pictures, polar opposite.

Cellphone camera pics are usually just lazy and usually of 1 angle of the car with no interior pics. Useless! 

Im talking about digital camera 20 high res pics, front, side, rear, interior, boot, engine, issues photographed etc - free from filters, enhancements or whatever else. That is how a car for sale should be shown. 

Not with arty, calendar style pics. 

 

agree that is the ideal.But even these arty shots are much better than the average pics on TM afaiac

[Olaf 3235]

7 hours ago, Michael. said:

Well that's at the other end of photoshop pictures, polar opposite.

Cellphone camera pics are usually just lazy and usually of 1 angle of the car with no interior pics. Useless! 

Im talking about digital camera 20 high res pics, front, side, rear, interior, boot, engine, issues photographed etc - free from filters, enhancements or whatever else. That is how a car for sale should be shown. 

Not with arty, calendar style pics. 

 

Agree.  They're intended to document the car and it's state. Subtle editing to make the image look good, but nothing that disguises that state of the car like that 325i e90.  Documentary.

Here's a worked example:

 

Volvo 855-T5 for sale aka "Does my ass look big in this".  Please view large - and if you're viewing on mobile device, please say so when commenting.

Now, I've pushed the envelope a bit here;

• there's negative space to draw the eye,
• I've played a little with our old friend the rule of thirds,
• I've used a wide angle lens to accentuate the curves of what most think is a box.  
• The exaggerated perspective should make the viewer wonder "wow, that really will swallow a wardrobe whole", whilst conveying an honest view of a 20 year old wagon for sale.  
• Brown towball, scuff on bumper corner, but clean and loved.  
• It has been edited - a seemless vignette, some adjustment to the blacks, whites, lowered highlights, minor increase saturation, and clarity, and brought up the shadows to light the boot area
• I've *not* retouched anything to disguise the state of the car.
• And very obviously, I've whipped out the plate for the purposes of this demo.

Your thoughts appreciated.  Is this a good looking, honest, sale image?  It's one of a series of twenty that includes under-bonnet, boot, 7 seat, and interior shots.

 

PS:  buy my volvo.

PPS:  D7000, AF Nikkor 12-24 f4, 12mm 1/60 f11 ISO125.  I'd not used this camera body before.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Olaf
text formatting, post scripts.

[Matth5 471]

IMO that BMW ad comes across as someone who cares for the car, 

13 hours ago, kiwi535 said:

for me this is a good thing.The fact that they have put some effort into the pictures makes me think they are proud of that car.I would like to think the car itself reflects that pride in its service history and overall presentation.If all the seller has i a quick snap from a phone it gives me pause to even consider it further

Pretty much my thoughts too. 

The write-up too, mentions known issues and recent work done on the car, that's what I like to see when browsing for a car. 

[SRacin 44]

Speaking of lazy.  I saw this car for sale, and thought, what does this say about the current owner....  At least its a decent resolution and honest.

 

[TermiPeteNZ 1302]

I think the photos for the E90 are very well done and are good enough to go into a brochure. As for this ....

23 hours ago, SRacin said:

Speaking of lazy.  I saw this car for sale, and thought, what does this say about the current owner....  At least its a decent resolution and honest.

 

+50 slob points!!

[NakiTouring 54]

On 7/22/2017 at 5:13 AM, Olaf said:

Agree.  They're intended to document the car and it's state. Subtle editing to make the image look good, but nothing that disguises that state of the car like that 325i e90.  Documentary.

Here's a worked example:

 

Volvo 855-T5 for sale aka "Does my ass look big in this".  Please view large - and if you're viewing on mobile device, please say so when commenting.

Now, I've pushed the envelope a bit here;

• there's negative space to draw the eye,
• I've played a little with our old friend the rule of thirds,
• I've used a wide angle lens to accentuate the curves of what most think is a box.  
• The exaggerated perspective should make the viewer wonder "wow, that really will swallow a wardrobe whole", whilst conveying an honest view of a 20 year old wagon for sale.  
• Brown towball, scuff on bumper corner, but clean and loved.  
• It has been edited - a seemless vignette, some adjustment to the blacks, whites, lowered highlights, minor increase saturation, and clarity, and brought up the shadows to light the boot area
• I've *not* retouched anything to disguise the state of the car.
• And very obviously, I've whipped out the plate for the purposes of this demo.

Your thoughts appreciated.  Is this a good looking, honest, sale image?  It's one of a series of twenty that includes under-bonnet, boot, 7 seat, and interior shots.

 

PS:  buy my volvo.

PPS:  D7000, AF Nikkor 12-24 f4, 12mm 1/60 f11 ISO125.  I'd not used this camera body before.

Big effort and great work, I don't think a prospective buyer could ask for more.  However, you'd never make a successful dealer!  The last car I bought (an 06 Legacy GT) came from an Auckland dealer via TM.  The listing had things like "not been mistreated at all" and "no dents."  With the really crappy low res photos, I could just make out some issues with it from the pictures and had to really probe the guy about those areas to get any semblance of truth out of him.  But what I couldn't see was mint of course, according to him...  

But when he meets me at the airport, it starts to become apparent what a POS this car is.  Over spray everywhere, the odd dent, the dash was rooted, bits of exterior trim barely holding on - and that's just what I could see in what was left of the early evening light.  Any other day I would have walked away from it, but I had no other options, as had just sold my old car that weekend, just missed out on the car I had lined up, got screwed over by another seller in Auckland, and needed wheels for work and school run etc - I've only got myself to blame for getting into such a predicament, but the moral is, if the pictures a rubbish, there's a good chance the car is too.  The saving grace was that it was a cheap and mechanically sound car (touch wood). 

[Olaf 3235]

5 minutes ago, NakiTouring said:

Big effort and great work, I don't think a prospective buyer could ask for more.  However, you'd never make a successful dealer!  

many thanks.  quick editing in Lightroom, takes about 2 mins tops.  You're correct, I'd never make a successful dealer, as I keep my cars too long... hence I sell comparatively rarely.  Selling's a big job for me as I like to do it well, ensure the buyer gets the info they need to make a decision to buy.  Images, description, vehicle well presented.    And I get the money into the bank; that's my measure of success.