18 Location Ideas For Great Car Photos
In automotive photography, finding a car to shoot is typically the easy part. Finding a location can be another. Over the years of taking pictures of cars, I created a list that I would reference to help me think of certain areas in a city to take stunning car photos. Hopefully this list will help you too!
If you live in Toronto, check out my other blog post here to see a list of actual locations I’ve pointed out.
Here are 18 location ideas to take great car photos in your city:
Beaches
Underground/Aboveground parking lots
Historical buildings
Graffiti alleys
Fast food restaurant parking lot or drive thru
Car meets/shows
Car wash
7/11 stores
Gas stations
Race track
Industrial/commercial buildings
Downtown (financial district usually)
Train tracks
Marinas/shipyard (or near water)
Luxury homes
Side of a road
Abandoned buildings
Underpasses
Now it’s important to keep in mind that these spots may or may not be receptive to you and others taking photos if it’s private property. I’ve had my own fair share of experiences being asked to leave, and other experiences where the owners thought it was really cool and couldn’t wait to see the photos. It’s basically a mixed bag of experiences that you’re set up for, so having a backup location in mind certainly helps.
While this list will give you an idea of the places that look good for car photography, finding them is another piece to solve for.
In another one of my blog posts, I share how to actually find these locations in your city.
Beaches
Marinas/shipyards
Underpasses
Something I noticed as I scroll through the feeds of other talented automotive photographers, is that most of them will reuse the same spots they have shot at before. In fact, some photographers have used the same spots as others in the car photography community. I say this always that it is community over competition, and all of these spaces are typically not owned by the photographer. So in my opinion, photographers should feel free to use the same spots others have shot at.
The only bummer to some locations is that over time they may become less accessible due to poor behaviours by others. Burn outs, loud revving, causing traffic are common behaviours that can quickly ruin a spot for everyone. So if you find a location to take photos, enjoy it while it lasts!