I have an old shot list from Modified Magazine here to show you what I mean. When all of the requirements are met, be sure to get some creative work done as well… You never know what they will use. (But ALWAYS cover what the client requires first!)

Here’s the entire shot list, as I received it:

Feature Car Shot List

1. Engine
   - wide, horizontal and dead on, try to get elevated
   - close ups on interesting elements i.e. turbo, intake, blow off etc.
2. Interior
   - wide horizontal
   - vertical of middle console
   - close ups on gauges, dials, display, DVD, steering wheel etc.
   - seats and belts
   - trunk with nitrous or amps
3. Wheels
   - full wheels with different angles and crop
   - close up of partial wheel
   - brakes
4. Exterior
   - shoot around the whole car
   - head on front and back
   - side profiles
   - shoot at different perspectives (ground, eye level, high)
   - funky angles and crops
   - wing, headlights, sponsors, side mirrors, scoop, molding, tail pipe…
   do close ups on anything interesting
   - underneath the car for the suspension
5. Rolling
   - have the car moving and pan
   - wide moving shots for spread
   - front, side and back
   - drive with the car beside, behind and in front you

We need spread shots with the car using only half of the frame on either the left or right side, wide frame but we still may use frame that is filled with the car.  Shoot some potential spread shots in RAW everything else can be shot in your highest JPEG setting.  We will need some vertical shots (about 20%) do some variations of the same shot.

Find some interesting backgrounds, at least 2 aim for 3.  Use either dawn/sunrise or sunset/dusk lighting.  Shoot the engine, interior and the majority of the shots with the sun behind you.

Don’t shoot in shadow unless you know you can make it work or for another look but don’t take too many in the shade with a bright background unless you are able to balance it properly.

Fire away, you are not using film so don’t be cheap with the frames I need a minimum of 100+ different shots in total, its always a good idea to bracket if you have space on your card.  Don’t shoot with any kind of filter other than a polarizer, if you really want to shoot with one only do a few, we very rarely use any kind of colour or soft filters.

Watch out for reflections in the car, avoid them as much as possible especially your own reflection and anyone else with you, if you can see it with your eye the camera will defiantly pick it up.

Keep the windows up when shooting the outside of the car and always keep your eye on the angle of the front wheels when shooting from the front and 3/4 front shot, always have the wheel turned so you can see the rim.

Be as creative as possible, after you have completed all of the shots on the list do some others with crazy and interesting perspectives, you never know what may come out of it.

Please don’t adjust any shots in Photoshop, I will retouch and color correct, leave the file names as they are and don’t be afraid to send me every shot that you have taken, there are many tricks in Photoshop to rescue almost any image.

Have a good one!

Happy Shooting!