How to Take Advertisement Pictures of Your Truck

HOW TO TAKE ADVERTISEMENT PICTURES OF YOUR TRUCK by a non-photographer!

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When it comes to an online classified advertisement, pictures are the first thing that sells your vehicle.  If the pictures are poor, you won’t attract buyers & ultimately the sale will not happen or the final price will suffer because of it. It’s surprising the number of ads that are submitted with very poor quality pictures.

I’m not a photographer, but I’ve seen enough of what works & what doesn’t work to write a novel about it.  To help sellers out I’ve put together these 10 simple steps that will make your ad POP.  If you follow these basic tips I can guarantee you will have far greater success selling your truck.

#1 – Wash Your Truck – It’s simple, nice clean rig catches the eye & a dirty one does not. Furthermore, a dirty truck suggests the seller doesn’t care about it or maintain it properly. Even if it’s an old beat up truck, you still need to wash it for the pics.

#2 – Declutter & Clean the Interior – Nobody wants to see old food wrappers, clothing & stupid face masks thrown throughout the interior of a truck they are looking to buy.  Clean it up & give it a good vacuum. There should be nothing laying around in there.

#3 – Get The Lighting Right – Take pics when the sun is almost overhead but still slightly at your back. This creates a great visual. This also means you turn the truck around to catch the other side (don’t walk around it). Don’t take pics at night, when the sun it behind the truck or when shadows are long or cast over the truck.

#4 – Keep The Background Simple – The background should make your truck pop, not detract the viewers attention. Something such as a brick wall or nature scene is great. Don’t take pics with other cars, people or distracting things in the background.

#5 – Show Us The Whole Truck – Make sure the whole truck is visible in a number of pictures.  Nothing is more frustrating than a bunch of closeups that never capture the entire rig.  A close up or two is fine if you’re trying to highlight something but keep it to a minimum.

#6 – Stop It With The Artistic Angles – Your Camera should be positioned vertically or horizontally.  If you’re taking pictures diagonally just stop it right now. It’s annoying & hard for someone to fully process when they are looking at the pic.

#7 – Let Us See Under The Hood – The engine bay is an important pic to include as it can speak volumes of the mechanical condition of the vehicle. If it’s an older rig or in a rust prone area, show the underbody too.  Don’t overdo these pics as the exterior & interior are going to be the main “sellers,” but don’t forget to include a mechanical pic or two.

#8 – Polish That Paint Until It Shines – Paint that shines catches the eye, dull paint does not.  In many instances it takes nothing more than some elbow grease & the right polishing compound to bring a sparkle back to even the dullest of paint.  While it may take some time, or a few hundred bucks if you pay a professional, the dividends in sales price can often offset the cost.

#9 – Use a Camera That Isn’t 20 Years Old – The pictures should be crisp.  You don’t need a fancy camera to achieve this either, most cell phone cameras are up to the task these days. There is no excuse for poor quality pics; if your camera is decades old and the quality is poor just have a friend snap the pics on a newer device.

#10 – Provide Pics Showing the Ext, Int & Mechanicals – IG allows up to 10 pics per post & our website classicfordtrucktrader.com allows even more.  Take advantage of it.  Don’t provide only 3 pics & expect it to sell. Capture the exterior in 6+ pics, capture a few of the interior & capture a few of the engine & underbody.