How to photograph your car interior

Our interior trim kits grace cars the world over, and we’re always thankful to our customers who take the time to send us photographs of their finished restorations.

From spectacular European mountain regions to sunny sunshine states of the USA, our interiors have been photographed in countless locations and these photographs have helped us build our website with a wealth of inspirational and informative imagery.

We are always on the lookout for images of our car interiors. If your car features a John Skinner kit, please send us a photo! The below guide will help you take the best photographs of your interior – after all the hard work and dedication of the restoration, it deserves to be photographed in its best possible light!

Image Size & Quality

Ideally photos are to be a resolution of around 3264 x 2448 pixels – these are generally the automatic resolution settings on an iPhone. When you come to send us the photos, use a file transfer service such as WeTransfer. It’s free to use (with no sign up required), and it means we receive your photographs in their original quality. It’s simple to do using your phone –

Navigate to wetransfer.com
Click the menu icon (3 lines) and select Send a file? (or “I just want to send files” if you are using a desktop browser).
Select the blue + button
Navigate to where your photos are saved
Continue through the simple steps to send us your photos!

Alternatively, you can email us your photos, but please make sure to keep the photos at their original file size. In order to do this, you may need to send multiple mails as the files will be too large to send on one email.

Please note that WhatsApp and other instant messenger services automatically compress photo files which compromises image quality and makes most photos received very pixelated. See below for an example:

We received this photo at a size of 320×240 pixels, image quality very compromised and details not easy to see. At such a small file size, there is little we can do with this image.

This photo measures 2048×1356 pixels and was taken with a SLR camera. The quality is clear and precise.

Good Lighting

The best photographs begin with good lighting. Avoid bright overhead sunlight that casts harsh shadows and dark garage environments that makes details difficult to see. Early mornings and late afternoons – around the hour of sunrise and sunset – have long been named ‘the golden hour’ by photographers for their favourable light levels. An overcast day is ideal, particularly for interior shots.

Bright beating sunlight and dark indoor locations – such as a garage – make photographing your car interior difficult as harsh shadows hide details.

The best photos are taken when there is an even amount of diffused lighting. On sunny days seek out shade, or wait until the sun is past its brightest point. Overcast days are ideal.

Consider the Background

Think about where your car is parked and what’s going on around it before taking a photo. Busy backgrounds can really detract from the image and make objects like dustbins the main focus! It can be hard to focus the eye when there’s too much going on in the background. Get the car out of the garage and onto the driveway, or take it for a spin into the open countryside. Don’t forget to ask people to stand out of the way too – arms, legs and hands caught in the shot are equally distracting.

Busy backgrounds can make it hard to focus on what the image is really trying to show. Human figures are particularly distracting.

The best photos have a clear background which helps keep the car and its interior the main focus of the image. Open countryside and driveways are good locations.

Clear the Clutter!

Water bottles, cloths, leaflets, newspapers, blankets, bags…. clear it all out of the way! Much like busy backgrounds, clutter in the car distracts the eye from what the focus should really be on.

Clean and clear – these interiors really sing when there’s no unnecessary items to draw the eye away.

Focus

It sounds so simple, but we do receive quite a number of photographs that are out of focus and simply unusable. Good lighting helps focus the camera correctly on the subject matter but it’s also worth trying to minimise camera shake by supporting the camera on a solid surface before taking the photo.

Best Angles: The classic all-in-one shot

Time and again, this classic angle – taken from standing position – captures the majority of the element of your interior; front seats, dash, carpets, door panels & console.

Seats, carpets & door panels can all be seen within this image taken of a XK120 FHC; a good angle that captures most interior elements.

This photograph of a XK150 OTS clearly shows seats, carpets and panel work, including a good view of the dash area.

Best Angles: Take it from above

Elevate your camera position by standing on a ladder or step to raise the angle of the photo and shoot from above. This is a good technique to capture all of your interior within one shot. Shoot from the front of the car if you have rear seats to include within the photo.

The elevated camera position in this photo captures a good shot of both the Austin Healey BN4 interior trim and exterior body colour. We can clearly see how well the white piping on the red seats complements the two-tone red and white paintwork.

A great shot taken from above of an Austin Healey BJ8 interior, showing specifically the Rear Seats and Hood Frame Cover.

Best Angles: Consider the foreground

Whatever the main focus of your image, consider including another part of your interior within the foreground of the shot. This adds real depth and interest to your photograph. Think about capturing the top of a front seat as you focus on the rear seats, or the run of cappings as you focus in on the dash area.

The cappings and seat top captured in the foreground of this MGA Roadster photo add depth to the image of the dash area.

By tipping the front seat forward and capturing a part of it in the foreground, a more dynamic photo is taken of this XK140 rear seat.

Best Angles: Bring your car to life!

Opening all the doors of your car brings it to life makes for a real show-stopping photograph.

A stunning shot of a Triumph TR6; the open doors give life and interest to this photograph.

The open door of this XK140 OTS makes for an inviting view. The lower angle suggests the photo was taken by the photographer dropping to one knee.

Don't forget to take progress photos!

Whilst photos of a finished interior are always a pleasure to see, as interior trim specialists we are always really keen to see the photos that document an interior restoration. What these photos lack in award winning quality they make up for in invaluable guidance!

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