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What to photograph on a car detailing job: paint, wheels, interior and damage
Detailing is the most photographed trade there is, and most of those photos are badly matched. A different angle, a different light or a wet panel can make a dramatic correction look ordinary, and a missing photo of the scratch on arrival can turn into your problem.
A fixed set of photos, taken the same way every time, records the condition on arrival, shows the work panel by panel, and builds a report your customer will want to share.
Before you start
- Photograph in the same place every time, ideally with fixed lighting. A bay with the same lights makes matching easy.
- Walk around the car with the customer and photograph any damage they point out.
- Photograph the car clean of product residue, so the finish is true.
- Decide your panel order and keep it: front, driver side, rear, passenger side, roof.
The shot list
13 photos, in the order to take them. For each one: what to shoot, how to frame it, and why it is worth the few seconds.
Condition on arrival
- Each side, front and rear, from the same distance
How: Four corners and the roof, with the whole car in the frame.
Why: It records the car as it was dropped off.
- Existing damage
How: Scratches, chips, dents, curb rash, cracked trim, interior tears and stains. One close photo and one from a step back.
Why: It protects you from claims, and is the most important set in the job.
- Odometer, VIN plate or license plate, if the shop records them
How: A clear photo of each.
Why: It ties the photos to the right car.
Paint and exterior
- Each panel with a detail light at a low angle
How: Hold a light or use a sun gun at the same angle every time.
Why: Swirls, scratches and holograms only show in raking light.
- The worst defects close up
How: Swirls, scratches, water spots, bird etching, overspray.
Why: It shows what the correction fixed.
- Wheels, tires and wheel wells
How: Straight on and close up, brake dust and road film visible.
Why: Wheels are a large part of the visible change.
- Glass, headlights and trim
How: Close up, at an angle to the light.
Why: Headlight haze and trim fade are highly visible upgrades.
Interior
- Seats, carpets, headliner, dash and door cards
How: A wide shot from each door, then close-ups of stains.
Why: The interior is often what the customer is happiest about.
- Vents, cupholders, seams and crevices
How: Close up, with a flashlight.
Why: The small details prove it was done properly.
- Trunk and cargo area
How: Open, from above.
Why: It covers a space customers often forget.
After the detail
- Every view above, from the same spots and angles
How: Same distance, same light, panels dry and free of residue.
Why: The pair is only as good as the match.
- The finish in sunlight or under a detail light
How: One photo of reflections and depth.
Why: It shows the finish at its best, which customers love.
- The finished car, outdoors, clean of tools
How: A wide shot of the whole car.
Why: It is the photo the customer will post.
Get the angle and the light right
- Raking light shows paint defects. Overhead light hides them.
- Keep your reflection and your phone out of the paint by shooting at an angle.
- Photograph panels dry and wiped, so product residue does not hide the finish.
- Use the same distance and height for each panel, every time.
Mistakes that make the result look smaller
- Photographing the after in different light.
- Skipping existing damage, then being told it was not there before.
- Showing a wet or hazy panel as the after.
- Forgetting wheels and the interior, which are big parts of the transformation.
When it is not a standard job
Paint correction and ceramic coating
Photograph the same panel at the same angle before, after correction and after coating. A beading shot, with water on the coated surface, shows the coating works.
A mobile detail
Park in the same shade or light for both sets. Overhead sun and shadows change the paint, so move the car if you can.
Fleet or dealer work
Use a consistent set for every vehicle and label each one. It makes the report quick to build and easy to check.
Printable checklist: car detailing
Tick each one before and after.
- Each side, front and rear, from the same distance
- Existing damage
- Odometer, VIN plate or license plate, if the shop records them
- Each panel with a detail light at a low angle
- The worst defects close up
- Wheels, tires and wheel wells
- Glass, headlights and trim
- Seats, carpets, headliner, dash and door cards
- Vents, cupholders, seams and crevices
- Trunk and cargo area
- Every view above, from the same spots and angles
- The finish in sunlight or under a detail light
- The finished car, outdoors, clean of tools
photoluego.com/guides/car-detailing-photo-checklist
From photos to proof
A folder of photos is not a report. Photo Luego for car detailers lines up each before and after shot with a ghost of the first photo, pairs them for you, and turns the best pairs into a report with your logo, your review links and a pay button. It works in your phone's browser, and it has an always-free plan. New to it? Start with Getting started, then see how to send a report.
Questions
What lighting is best for detailing photos?
A detail light or a low, even sun held at the same angle for the before and the after. Overhead lights and overcast shade both hide swirls.
Should I photograph existing damage?
Always. Scratches, chips, curb rash and interior tears are the usual disputes, and a dated photo on arrival ends most of them.
How many photos per car?
Roughly twenty to forty for a full detail: four sides, key panels, wheels, interior areas and any damage. You send the best pairs, not all of them.
General advice, not legal advice. Rules about photographing people and property vary by place, so check yours.