Seventeen photos, in order
Start at the driver-side front corner and walk around with the car on your right. Same height and distance at every stop.
Around the car
- 1. Front corner, driver sideThe listing photo. Headlight height, the whole car in the frame.
- 2. FrontStraight on, from the same distance.
- 3. Other front cornerThe same height as the first photo.
- 4. SideSquare to the car, wheels straight.
- 5. Rear cornerKeep the whole car in the frame.
- 6. RearStraight on, from the same distance.
- 7. Other rear cornerThe same height again.
- 8. Other sideSquare to the car. That closes the circle.
The details
- 1. VIN labelOn the door jamb or at the windshield, sharp enough to read.
- 2. OdometerWith the car on, so the mileage shows.
- 3. DashboardFrom the driver's seat.
- 4. Front seatsThrough the open driver's door.
- 5. Rear seatsThrough an open rear door.
- 6. Trunk or cargo areaEmpty, lid or hatch open.
- 7. EngineHood up, the whole bay in the frame.
- 8. WheelsEach wheel and tire, close up.
- 9. Any damage, up closeOne photo per spot, close enough to see it clearly.
The walk, step by step
The same guide the AutoDealer.io app shows before a shoot.
- Park in an open spot with even light (shade or an overcast day), with nothing else in the shot and the wheels straight.
- Hold the phone sideways (landscape). Use the normal 1x lens: no zoom, no wide angle, no filters.
- Start at the driver-side front corner. Keep the camera at headlight height, with the whole car in the frame and a little space around it.
- Walk around the car with the car on your right, stopping 8 times: front corner, front, other front corner, side, rear corner, rear, other rear corner, other side.
- Keep the same distance and height at every stop (about 15 feet for most cars). For a smoother 360, add a stop between each one (16 photos).
- Then the details: VIN label, odometer with the car on, dashboard, front seats, rear seats, trunk, engine, wheels, and any damage up close.
- Upload them all at once. The app reads each photo's angle and sorts them, and builds the 360 by itself once all eight outside angles are public. Build 360 on the car's 360 view card works any time.
Do and don't
Do: Whole car, sideways, 1x lens
Don't: Zoomed in
Don't: Wide lens, up close
Don't: Phone upright
Don't: Bumper cut off
Don't: People or other cars
Drop the photos and the car adds itself
In AutoDealer.io, these photos do the work: the VIN is read off the label, the photos are sorted into listing order, and the eight outside shots build a 360 view on your website. Shoot a car on your phone walks you through this list one photo at a time.
Car photo questions
How many photos, from how far, and in what light.
How many photos does a used-car listing need?
Eight outside photos, one from each stop around the car, plus the details: VIN label, odometer, dashboard, seats, cargo area, engine, wheels and any damage. For a smoother 360 view, add a stop between each one for sixteen outside photos.
Which camera and lens should I use?
Your phone is enough. Hold it sideways (landscape) and use the normal 1x lens: no zoom, no wide angle, no filters.
How far from the car should I stand?
About 15 feet for most cars, and the same at every stop, with the camera at headlight height. The whole car should fill the frame with a little space around it.
What is the best light for car photos?
Even light: shade or an overcast day, in an open spot with nothing else in the shot and the wheels pointing straight.
Does the order of the photos matter?
Keep them in the order you took them when you upload. Walking the same way round every car also keeps the listing order the same from car to car.
Shoot the list, and let the listing build itself
Start a free trial, drop your next car's photos, and check what was read before you add it.