Vehicle photography isn’t just about snapping a few shots and uploading them to your website. At Dealer Specialties, we’ve worked with thousands of dealerships across the country, providing professional vehicle photography, videography, and 360-degree tours.
With decades of experience, we’ve heard countless myths about dealership photography that often lead to missed opportunities or wasted resources. That's why we set out to uncover what really matters by surveying over 300 car buyers — asking them a series of questions regarding the myths and misconceptions surrounding vehicle photography.
Let’s tackle six of the most common myths head-on and show how you can optimize your vehicle merchandising strategy to stand out online.
The Misconception: Some believe that the location doesn't matter as long as the vehicle is clean and the photo quality is decent.
The Reality: The setting of your vehicle photos can significantly impact how buyers perceive your inventory. In our survey, participants overwhelmingly preferred photos of vehicles taken at the dealership itself. Customer responses included:
Not only do photos taken at the dealership convey professionalism, but they’re also cost-efficient. If your dealership has limited branding resources, shooting on location can save you money while still effectively showcasing your inventory. However, if your lot space is constrained, an off-site shoot can be a valid alternative.
The Solution: Prioritize locations that offer consistent lighting and a clean, professional backdrop. A well-composed on-location photo helps customers trust your dealership and picture themselves purchasing from you.
The Misconception: Investing in an on-site photo booth will streamline the photography process and reduce costs in the long run.
The Reality: Dealers are often told that photo booths will make their operations more efficient, but the reality is more complicated. Photo booths require significant upfront investment, ongoing maintenance, and dedicated staff to manage them. They can’t adapt to larger vehicles or unique angles that showcase inventory creatively, and they can create bottlenecks, especially for larger dealerships or during peak vehicle deliveries.
For example, maintaining a photo booth for a dealership with 400 vehicles in inventory requires approximately 1.5 photographers at $18 per hour, costing $56,150 annually, in addition to hardware and maintenance fees.
The Solution: What truly improves efficiency is refining your internal processes in recon and service departments. Partnering with professional photography services or third-party vendors eliminates the hassle of managing a photo booth and ensures consistent, high-quality results while saving money and time.
The Misconception: More photos equal better engagement, so you need to upload as many images as possible to your Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs).
The Reality: While it’s important to provide a comprehensive view of the vehicle, too many photos can overwhelm buyers and slow down page load times. According to our survey, 50% of car shoppers feel that 10-20 high-quality photos are sufficient to make a buying decision. This means you can save resources by forgoing the traditional 40-photo approach while still meeting customer expectations.
The Solution: Focus on quality over quantity. Highlight the key features and angles that buyers care about most, such as the exterior, interior, dashboard, and special features. A streamlined photo set keeps buyers engaged and ready to take the next step.
The Misconception: The exterior sells the car, so interior photos aren’t as critical.
The Reality: Today’s car shoppers expect to thoroughly research their options online before making a purchase. That includes seeing the car inside and out. Modern vehicles have more features than ever, and buyers want to know what they’re paying for. In fact, respondents to our survey ranked interior photos as the most critical for making a buying decision.
The Solution: Include a balanced mix of exterior and interior shots. Highlight key interior details such as the dashboard, seating, infotainment system, and cargo space. This not only helps buyers envision themselves in the car but also increases the informational and emotional value of your VDPs.
Learn More: The Top 5 Vehicle Pictures Every VDP Should Have
The Misconception: Buyers will scroll through all the photos, so the order in which they appear isn’t important.
The Reality: First impressions matter, and the order of your photos can significantly impact engagement. Our survey revealed that 90% of participants use mobile devices to research vehicles. On smaller screens, a poorly ordered photo set can frustrate buyers and make them lose interest.
Today's shoppers are often too busy to sift through dozens of photos. By the time they reach your VDP, they already know what they’re looking for. Don’t waste their time with repetitive exterior shots at the beginning.
The Solution: Start with a hero shot that highlights the car’s best angle. Follow it with a logical progression of exterior, interior, and feature-focused shots. Prioritize cockpit and dashboard photos toward the beginning to help buyers picture themselves in the car, making them more likely to move forward.
The Misconception: With today’s smartphones and cameras, anyone on staff can handle vehicle photography.
The Truth: Taking a photo may be easier than ever, but professional photography still requires a trained eye. Poorly framed, blurry, or inconsistent photos can hurt your dealership’s credibility and turn buyers away. The ideal vehicle photographer understands lighting, composition, and merchandising best practices.
The Solution: Partner with professional photographers, like the team at Dealer Specialties. Our photographers live and breathe vehicle photography, ensuring every photo is high-quality, consistent, and optimized to drive engagement.
High-quality vehicle photography is one of the most effective ways to attract buyers and showcase your inventory. By avoiding these common myths, you can elevate your dealership’s online presence and provide potential customers with the confidence they need to choose your lot over the competition.
Ready to take your inventory to the next level? Dealer Specialties offers professional vehicle photography, videography, and 360-degree tours that make your inventory stand out. Contact us today to learn how we can help drive more sales with stunning, professional images!