A decent phone will take great photos. I am currently using an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Still, my last several phones and many other models also take great pictures. This blog covers universal basic but you should also learn how to operate your specific device.
There are several reasons you may want great photos of your vintage trailer. Some that come to mind are selling the trailer, creating a memory book, submitting photographs for publication in the VCT magazine (or on this website), or documenting for insurance purposes. In all cases, clear, well-lit, and well-composed pictures can make all the difference.
Here are some best practices that will help you take better photos.
We took these photos above to sell this trailer. Note the lighting and clean decor. The image of the booth utilizes the .5 zoom-out setting on my iPhone.
- Clean your lens.
- Take exterior photos at dawn or dusk. Fewer shadows and softer lighting lend to better photos. If it is sunny, be aware of shadows and keep light sources behind you.
- Stage photos in a camp setting or with a neutral background. Driveways and storage yards usually don’t give warm fuzzies.
- Don’t over-decorate. Some accent pieces are OK, but focus on a clean, cozy look unless the “collection” goes with the trailer.
- When photographing interiors, turn on ALL of the lights. You may need to turn some off if they create glare, but a well-lit interior will be much more inviting.
- My phone camera has a .5 zoom that acts like a wide-angle lens and helps to “open up” the interior.
- Try NOT to use the zoom feature; move closer, zoom will reduce photo quality.
- Use a tripod or monopod or steady the camera on a solid surface to reduce camera shake blur.
A vertical orientation shows a floor-to-ceiling view. The “portrait” setting features the custom cutting board by blurring the background.
- Take a lot of photos (vertical and horizontal), so you can select from the best. If you are taking a magazine cover shot, you must orient the image vertically.
- Vary your perspective. Naturally, we take photos from the same position we see the world. This doesn’t make for the most compelling images. Try taking pictures with higher or lower perspectives. Shoot your subject from different angles.
- Use your camera grid to follow the rule of thirds. Placing your subject on the grid lines helps you to compose a better photo.
- Leave a little space around the main subject (trailer). This can be cropped out later if needed but may help frame the picture so it looks the best.
An image taken from a ladder shows how clean the roof is. The before picture gives a baseline for this incredible restoration.
- Focus and exposure are probably best adjusted automatically by the camera unless you are versed in making these manual adjustments. Every phone is different. Google your make and model to discover the settings you have available to you.
- If you are shooting images to be printed in the VCT magazine. Take your photos in the highest resolution and largest size available. Full-color printing requires 300 dpi high-resolution images. Pictures used online do not need to be as high of a resolution. They can be as low as 72 dpi and still look good. Images cut and pasted from the internet will not print well.
Are you sending us large files? (high-resolution photos) use https://wetransfer.com/
If you don’t want to take your own photos, check out https://www.snappr.com/
