The 11-shot walkaround: a capture checklist for lot photos

AI can improve light and replace backgrounds, but it can't invent an angle you never shot — and it shouldn't. A fixed list means every car arrives with the same coverage, so every listing is complete and every set looks alike.

1. Front on — stand in front of the car and fill the frame with the grille and both headlights.
2. Front 3/4 — walk to the front corner: grille, one headlight and the near flank.
3. Side on — square to the doors, full profile in frame, wheels on the ground line.
4. Rear 3/4 — walk to the back corner: the tail lamps and the near haunch.
5. Back — centred on the badge with both tail lamps in frame.

1. Interior front on — from the rear seat or door, centred on the dashboard and screen.
2. Interior side on — through the open driver's door, showing seats, wheel and door card.

Wipe the screen and switch it on before you shoot. Fingerprints and a black screen are the two most common reasons interior photos look tired.

1. Trunk — lid open, load space empty.
2. Wheel close up — the nearest front wheel, turned slightly outward.
3. Screen close up — infotainment on a clean home screen.
4. Engine bay — bonnet up, straight on, cover clean.

• Leave space around the car. Cropping is easy; a missing bumper is not.
• Turn the wheels slightly on front angles so the face of the rim shows.
• Move the car away from walls and other vehicles when you can — reflections are easier to fix than overlaps.
• Keep plates on. Listwyse holds plates as photographed; if you'd rather show a dealer plate, turn on display-plate branding.
• Shoot the same order every time. It becomes muscle memory within a week.