Want to sell your car faster? Automotive photographer Easton Chang shares his tips for making your ad stand out

Easton Chang is one of Australia's most respected car photographers, but you don't have to be a professional to sell your car faster.

We've all seen this before. Are you looking for ads like Gumtree, Cars Guide or Auto Trader for the vehicle you are interested in, but every few listings have a barely recognizable picture as their main photo!

Even if the seller managed to capture the whole car in the frame, it somehow doesn't stand out, and you can't figure out why.

It's worth remembering that sometimes taking a picture is enough to get someone to click through to your ad, so in an age where we all have decent cameras in our pockets, it's worth learning how you can make the most of them to help sell your car faster.

For the best tips and tricks in the business, we spoke with Australian auto photographer Easton Chang to find out how you can easily make your next listing stand out from the rest.

TW: You have to be an enthusiast like the rest of us - when you browse classifieds sites, what problems do you see most often?

EC: Does not show clear images. When I see such things, I automatically assume that the seller has something to hide. When you have crisp, clean photos, it's much easier to sell them.

When you see dirty, dirty images, it forms a certain psychological portrait of the seller in you. Does he care about the car the way he cares about these photos? What I tried to do with Gumtree is to try and make it a little more enjoyable market for everyone.

TW: In hardware, you can still get an amazing picture from your phone, right?

Don't go overboard with photoshop.

EC: Surely phones have reached that point of maturity, right? Since the iPhone 7 or so, cameras have improved a lot. People are always worried about megapixels and think they'll need a big DSLR or something to get a good shot, but your phone is the best tool you have available.

TW: If you were talking to someone who is about to take some photos for an ad, what are three important pieces of advice you would give them?

EC: 1. Be aware of the light. Find some shade so you don't get crazy contrast or something like that. 2. Be mindful of reflections. You need reflections to show the shape of the car, but they can also detract from the look of the car. Taking a picture of a car is like taking a picture of a mirror. 3. Move the car, don't move yourself. Once you have set the car in the right place, don't move around the car to change the background.

TW: Any tips on choosing a location or background?

EC: Keep it as open and clear as possible. Boat ramps, car park rooftops, empty parking lots.

TW: Headlights on or off?

EC: I would say to. If you follow the rules, they shouldn't explode anything.

TW: How about interiors? They can be especially bad.

EC: The interiors are heavy, even for me. I would say just try to make it darker [you can do this by touching the phone screen in a darker area of ​​what you see] but it's best to shoot in soft light conditions, try to avoid harsh shadows as they will take away from the image. Also, stretch as wide as you can to try and show the whole line at once. Interiors are the only time I get my wide angle lenses out.

Interiors are difficult to photograph.

TW: Let's talk about photo editing. Are there any ways to easily enhance phone photos before adding them to your list?

EC: When it comes to "cool cars", you know, the [Honda Civic] Type R and stuff, people often try to "photoshop" them. But all these low camera angles and post-processing ruin the ad. Do not overdo it. Just make it crisp and clear. Boosting highlights, adding a bit of contrast, and sharpening (which you can do from the Edit tab on most phones) can make it stand out in the ad feeds people will scroll through.

Mr. Chang also noted the similarities between ad feeds and Instagram, stating that Instagram's thumbnail style has greatly influenced the way professional photographers compose and arrange their work.

Note: Gamtri Wheelbarrows owned by the same parent company (eBay Classifieds Group) as Cars Guide/Auto Trader