Ever since the current site design went up a year ago there has been a space reserved for photos at the top of each Model Information page. Getting these photos has long been on my to-do list, but other things always seemed more critical. Well, in late May I finally got down to the task of finding the most appropriate photos on the manufacturers’ media sites and modifying them to suit. And now, over two weeks later, the job is finally done.

And, now that it’s done, I’d like to replace all of these photos–with those of your cars. The stock photos vary greatly in quality, and even if they did not this site is all about content contributed by members for members. 

If you have a suitable photo or can take one, please email it to me. You do not have to provide both an exterior or an interior photo. One or the other will still be very helpful. But in either case I have very specific criteria–so be sure to read through them below.

Also be sure to note how you want to be credited for the photo. My suggestion: first name last initial, though it’s up to you. The credit will be included in the alt text that appears when you hover your cursor over the photo on the Model Information page. If you see no credit (all but one case right now), then the photo you see is a stock photo from the manufacturer. (The credits on the photos you see here are fake, for demonstration purposes.)

What makes a photo suitable? Essentially, I’m trying to provide the most complete and accurate representation of the car possible within the 205 by 150 pixel space allotted. Please just send the originals, I’ll handle any cropping and re-sizing.

Some general guidelines follow–see the photos for good examples.

For exterior shots:

• Front left quarter view that includes the grille at the front the tail lamp at the rear; show as much of the front end as you can without losing a clear sense of what the car looks like from the side
• Level camera, no crazy angles; camera height around the height of the mirror or a bit above
• Scenic background a plus, but should contrast with car so the car doesn’t blend into it
• Medium metallic colors and especially silver show off a car’s lines the best; black, white, and vivid colors tend to obscure these lines
• Entire car should be evenly lit; avoid shadows or glare; details should be clear
• Don’t stand too close to the car, or the end you’re closest to will be disproportionately large

For interior shots:

• From the right or left side at an angle that includes at least the forward half of one door panel and the left two-thirds of the instrument panel
• Both the instrument cluster and the center stack should be unobscured and clearly visible (the center control stack is slightly obscured in this photo–shooting from the left is very tricky)

• Seat cushions positioned so visible a plus, but might want to heavily recline the driver’s seat to get a good angle on the rest of the interior
• Light-colored interiors are easiest to photograph without shadows, but dark interiors can work
• Clean — lint and such are much more obvious in photos than in person
• Straight steering wheel

Very few of the stock photos I’m currently using satisfy all of these criteria, so better interior photos would be especially useful.

Please let me know if you have questions or suggestions, preferably in the comments to this post (an email will also work).