The gallery provides examples of great shots, as well as several examples of what not to do. Can you see why some pictures really work, while others are don't?

For more a complete discussion of how to take great photographs of your car, see chapter 6, "Marketing the Car" in Bill's Guide.

Ask Bill questions by clicking on Contact Us to send an email.

Your ad's first picture will be a "Hero" shot of the front side at a 3/4 angle. This immediately grabs your buyer's attention.

Include a full side photo of both sides. Note that this photo has been cropped on top and bottom. This focuses the eyes on the truck, not its surroundings.

Include rear 3/4 angle shots.

Include interior photos of driver and passenger seating area from angle of open door.

If the car, such as this BMW 323 ci, is a convertible, be sure to include shots with the top down.

Note the rear plate is blurred. Lots of photo editing software includes this feature. Avoid the thumb or towel covering technique.

Do you see anything negative in the picture above?
Hint: note the shadow in the rear.

How about the one below?
Driveways are often not the best location for taking your pictures. See the bush in front, the SUV behind, and the interior of the garage?

All of these serve as distractions from the car itself.

Don't be afraid to consider different angles that will highlight your car, as with this classic Trans Am. Notice how T-tops pop, as well as this third- gen TA's lines stand out.

Nice hero shot of this Mazda 3. Note the cropping on all sides focuses attention on the car, not surroundings.

Speaking of cropping, this picture is from a real online ad I saw. How many things need to be fixed?

For an interested buyer, the highly detailed, but original interior of this classic Trans Am speaks for itself.

Another real ad: What is for sale, the vintage Lotus or the cat? Unclutter and crop your photos.

It's best to detail the engine compartment and then highlight it by including a picture within your ad.

Shots of special badging like the one below can be helpful.

Always remove all personal items and clutter. And be sure to fully detail the car before taking any pictures for an ad. And what about the angle of this shot? Work for you?

Again, always remove all personal items and clutter. Additionally, in what other ways does this shot distract from the interior of the car for sale?

Whenever possible, include a photo of all the relevant documents that accompany the sale. Receipts, owners manuals, shop manuals, original window stickers, as well as key fobs.

Your photos must include the entire car, unless you're focusing on a particular aspect, like badging or the wheels, etc. Stand back and get the whole car. You can then crop the picture as necessary.

Below, other than the rear of the car being cut off, what other problem do you see?

Here's a view of driver's side dash of Hyundai Elantra taken from the back seat. Note that the interior is fully detailed and uncluttered.

Below, include a picture of the nicely detailed rear seats.

Even a photo this older former police car can be made to grab a buyer's attention. I picked this Crown Vic up at a local car auction for a great price, cleaned it up, and it sold fast.

Plan for the location of your pictures. The background should highlight but not compete with the vehicle.

In what way does placing this classic Bronco in a beach parking lot send a implied message to a buyer? What is that message?

Just for fun I include this final photo from a real online ad for this vintage Plymouth Valiant. I definitely want to have a beer with this seller, but how might you improve on his picture?