Taking or updating your car's profile photos

 

Tips for taking a great photo

Primary photo

We’ve analysed thousands of car photos, and found that cars with a great profile pic earn up to 20% more than those with poor-quality photos.

Your car doesn’t need to be fancy to look good - and you don’t need to set up a special beachside photo shoot!

Here’s what we found makes a great profile pic:

Good setup

• Make sure your car is looking its best - try to take the photo just after it's had a wash
• If your car is normally parked in a garage or tight parking space, move it out to the street or a more open area to take the photo

The whole car is easy to see, with no distractions

• Centre the car in the photo with a little space above and below the car so it displays well on all screen sizes
• Make sure your car is in focus and the photo isn't blurry
• Avoid having any people, other cars, rubbish bins, or other objects in the photo - if you can, look for a great backdrop like a colourful wall, the beach or a green park
• Use a single photo (not a collage) - you can use additional photos if you want to show more than one angle or feature
• Don't add any text overlay - use the car's description instead

Like this:

 

Not like this:

 

Good camera angle

• Take the photo in landscape (with your phone held sideways) rather than portrait orientation
• Photograph from the front or side angle - not from the rear
• Use a realistic lens (not fish-eye or distorted)
• Use a natural point of view (not too low or high)

Like this:

Not like this:

Clear lighting

• Check your lighting - avoid too much glare or a dark photo (the best lighting for photos is generally early-mid morning and late afternoon)

Additional photos

• Take photos showing your car from each side
• Borrowers want to see the interior too: show the front and back seats (or if you have a car with 6+ seats, show all of the seating)
• Include photos of the boot, as Borrowers often want to know how much they can carry. Place a common item like a suitcase or shopping bag in the boot to give Borrowers an idea of how much will fit

You could also add photos to:

• Show the dimensions of your van's cargo space - use a photo editing tool to add the measurements over the photo, or place a common item like a moving box in the back to give Borrowers an idea of how much will fit
• Show any child seats you keep in your car
• Show any extras you offer, like blankets, a trolley or shopping bags

Good profile photos - examples

Good angle, clear background and good lighting

   

Use additional photos to show the car's boot, interior, special features and extras like child seats or ropes. Don't use these as the primary photo though.

   

  

Not so good profile photos

Too dark - bring your car out of the garage and take the photo with the sun behind you

    

Too much glare - avoid taking the photo in the middle of the day when the light is harshest, or choose a shady area with even light

Bad angle - drive your car out of a tight parking space into an open area

Related articles

Updating your car's profile
Updating your parking instructions
Uploading your profile photo