How to Shoot a Car Show with Your Phone

On Saturday we started our Astons on the Avenue series, and every photo in it was taken on a phone. Phones are good enough now that the camera is rarely the problem. What makes a car show photo work or fail is where you stand, which lens you pick and what the light is doing. We learned a few of these the hard way on Ocean Avenue, so here's what we'd tell ourselves before the next show.

1. Skip the 0.5x lens

The ultra-wide lens is tempting at a crowded show because it fits the whole car in from up close. But it stretches whatever's near the edges of the frame, so headlights bulge, wheels turn into ovals and the car looks like a cartoon of itself. Use the 1x lens and take a few steps back. If there's room, the 2x (or 3x) lens is even more flattering, because a longer lens is how car magazines get those tight, true-to-life proportions.

2. Get low and turn the corner

Most people shoot cars standing up, from eye height, looking down on the roof. Crouch until your phone is level with the headlights and the car instantly looks lower and more purposeful. The most flattering angle is the front three-quarter view: stand off one front corner so you see the nose and the whole side at once. If the owner is around and the front wheels are turned, shoot from the side they point toward, so you see the face of the wheel rather than the tire tread.

3. Watch your shadow and your feet

Check the bottom of the frame before you tap the shutter. With the sun behind you, your own shadow lands right on the car or the pavement in front of it, and with the 0.5x lens your shoes sneak into the corner. Step sideways until your shadow falls off the car, or move so the sun is to one side. A lot of the cropping in our series was cutting out our own shadows and shoes.

4. Work with the light, not against it

Bright midday sun gives hard reflections and deep shadows, and that's when most shows are busiest. If you can, arrive early or stay late, when the light is lower and softer and the crowds are thinner. In the middle of the day, look for cars parked in open shade, and keep the sun behind you or off to one side rather than shooting into it.

5. Tame the reflections

Glossy paint is a mirror, and dark paint is the worst. You'll find the sky, the buildings across the street and yourself in every panel. Small steps change a lot: move a few feet and watch the reflections slide off the car. A clip-on polarizing filter for your phone costs about as much as a good lunch and cuts glare on paint and glass dramatically. Rotate it while you look at the screen until the reflection drops away.

6. Shoot interiors with your lens against the glass

When the windows are up, press your phone's lens right against the glass (gently, and with permission). That kills almost all the reflection and lets you see the cabin as if the window weren't there. If the window is down, shoot from just outside the door at seat height so you see the dash and the seats together.

7. Wait for the gap

A show crowd moves constantly. Frame your shot, then wait a few seconds for the person in the pink shirt to walk on. Burst mode helps too: hold the shutter, then keep the frame where nobody's walking through. Also watch what's behind the car. A trash can or a parking sign growing out of the roof spoils a good shot, and a half step sideways usually fixes it.

8. Expose for the paint

Tap on the car to focus, then slide the brightness down a little. Phones tend to brighten scenes, and bright paint, chrome and white cars lose their detail first. A slightly darker photo can be brightened later; a blown-out highlight can't be brought back.

9. Don't forget the details

Some of the best shots are close-ups: badges, wheel centers, stitching, gauges, an engine bay with the hood up. They're also easier, because there's no background to worry about. Use 1x or 2x, get close, and let the detail fill the frame.

10. Photograph the placard

Before you leave a car, take one quick photo of its show card or window placard. It'll save you later when you can't remember whether it was a Vantage or a Vantage S, or which year the DB9 was. (Ask us how we know.)

A little etiquette

Don't touch the cars, don't lean on them for a steadier shot, and ask before opening a door or leaning into a cabin. Most owners love talking about their cars and will happily pop the hood if you ask. If you're posting your photos online, think about blurring license plates and owners' names unless they're happy to be featured. We do that on every post in this journal.

Pack list

• Your phone, charged, plus a small battery pack

• A microfiber cloth for the lens (fingerprints are the #1 cause of hazy photos)

• A clip-on polarizing filter

• Comfortable shoes, since you'll be crouching a lot

Got a car show photo trick that works for you? Share it in the comments, and tell us your favorite shot from a show this year.