| Placing your car or truck for sale in an auto classifieds | | | | probably need a 3 MP camera or better. If all you |
| website is a great way to reach tons of potential | | | | need is camera to take pictures to be uploaded to the |
| buyers. But constructing a great ad is not child's play. | | | | internet, a 2 MP camera should do the trick. |
| To generate a lot of interest in your vehicle, you must | | | | Remember this! If the picture you are taking will only |
| know how to create the perfect online listing. The | | | | be used on the internet, use the lowest quality setting |
| necessary steps are outlined in five articles titled "Sell | | | | that your camera has. Some cameras even have a |
| Your Car Online." | | | | setting for internet quality photos. |
| The first step in placing a great ad is taking pictures of | | | | How many pictures should I take? There is no correct |
| the car or truck that is for sale. You don't just want to | | | | answer for this question. Just take as many as you |
| take any picture and post it on the internet. You want | | | | need. A good photographer will take pictures from |
| to post the best picture you possibly can. After all, the | | | | multiple angles as well as take duplicate pictures from |
| potential buyers that view your online listing want to | | | | each angle. If you have 20 pictures to choose from, |
| see a picture that tells them something more than just | | | | you can easily find at least 5 high quality photos to |
| the color of the vehicle. A good picture can convey | | | | post with your listing that show lots of detail about your |
| the overall condition of the body, paint, interior, and | | | | vehicle. Then you can delete the unused photos so |
| more. A good, or near professional-quality, picture can | | | | you're not wasting space on your hard drive. |
| seal the deal in the buyer's mind. | | | | What exactly should I take pictures of? You need |
| Hypothetical situation: A potential car buyer is looking | | | | pictures from opposite angles that show the exterior |
| for a particular car. The buyer has found two nearly | | | | of the vehicle. Pictures should be taken of the engine |
| identical cars, one belongs to you and one belongs to | | | | compartment with the hood raised. More pictures |
| someone in a nearby state. These two cars have the | | | | should be taken of the interior. If your vehicle has |
| same body style, the same engine and transmission, | | | | expensive aftermarket accessories, take pictures of |
| the same color, the same options, and very close to | | | | them. For example, take close ups of expensive mag |
| the same price. The only deciding factor is the pictures. | | | | wheels, custom artwork or painting, or a high-tech |
| The competing car has one low quality picture. It is half | | | | audio system. In essence, you want to convey the |
| blocked by a neighboring vehicle. The sun is in the | | | | overall condition of the vehicle and any special |
| background causing a glare that obscures the color | | | | features the vehicle may have with the pictures you |
| and overall appearance of the car. Your car, on the | | | | take. |
| other hand, has multiple pictures from different angles. | | | | Where should I take the pictures? You need to take |
| There is no sun to cause a glare and no rain to make | | | | pictures of the vehicle in a place that has as little |
| the picture look dreary. The true color of the car | | | | background detail as possible. For example, you don't |
| shows and there is nothing blocking the view. Which | | | | want another car, a highly trafficked street, or a |
| car do you think the buyer would choose? Pictures of | | | | person in the picture at all. The best place to take the |
| competing cars can, without a doubt, influence the | | | | pictures would be near a plain brick wall, or in front of |
| potential buyer to purchase one car over another. | | | | an empty field. You don't want any object, whether in |
| There are things you must consider before you take | | | | the foreground or background, to distract the buyer |
| the first picture. What type of camera should I use? | | | | from seeing the details of your vehicle. |
| How many pictures should I take? What exactly | | | | Should I take the pictures in direct sunlight? In order to |
| should I take pictures of? Should I take the pictures in | | | | take a great picture with a mid- to low-quality digital |
| direct sunlight? Unless you are a professional | | | | camera, you need plenty of light. But too much direct |
| photographer, or at least an experienced one, you | | | | sunlight can cause bright glares and dark shadows, |
| may not know the correct answer to these questions. | | | | neither of which is good. The absolute best time to |
| What type of camera should I use? Since the pictures | | | | take pictures of your vehicle is on a partly cloudy day |
| you upload to the internet must be in digital format, a | | | | when the sun is behind the clouds. This eliminates the |
| digital camera is the best type of camera to use. If you | | | | harsh, dark shadows even though there is still plenty of |
| use a non-digital camera, you first have to pay to get | | | | light to draw out the true color(s) of the vehicle. If you |
| the film developed. Then use a scanner to digitize it. | | | | must take the pictures in direct sunlight, always make |
| You must spend valuable time and money to do this. | | | | sure that the sun is behind you (so it will be shining on |
| Using a digital camera is the most cost efficient and | | | | the side of the vehicle that is facing you). Try not to |
| time conserving way to take and upload photos of | | | | take a picture of a vehicle when the side facing you is |
| your vehicle. In most cases, all you have to do is | | | | in the shadow. |
| connect your camera to your computer to download | | | | If you normally take terrible pictures, remember this! It is |
| the photos to the hard drive. Then you're ready to | | | | much better to take a picture with a wider view that |
| post your ad. | | | | has all the details in it than to try to get a close up and |
| What size mega pixel (MP) camera do I need? This | | | | cut part of the important details out. So zoom out to |
| depends on what you will be doing with the pictures. If | | | | make sure you get a great picture. |
| you need large, high quality pictures, like 8X10 prints or | | | | Follow these steps and you will have high quality |
| a large display photo in the newspaper, you may need | | | | photos of your automobile for display in the car |
| to purchase a 5 MP camera or better. If you will be | | | | classifieds site of your choice. Look for the next |
| printing the pictures for personal use or posting small | | | | installment titled "Sell Your Car Online: Step 2, Using |
| photos in print ads in the local newspaper, you | | | | Pictures of Your Automobile Correctly." Happy selling. |