I swear I saw this exact post months ago

I did photography for 8 dealerships back in 2014-2016. I’m not sure how much has changed in terms of pricing, but the workflow I imagine should be more efficient.

I worked for two companies that contracted photographers out to shoot for these dealerships. We were given a point and shoot camera, a device that syncs the timestamp with vehicle stock numbers, and a printer to create buyers guides that are mandatory for any used vehicle on the lot for sale here in the US.

Dealers do not want to “receive” these photos for them to upload individually for their vehicles. A system to upload them yourself is a must to make their lives easier. The used car manager at any dealership should be well versed in how this could work. I always wanted to be able to work 100% off of my iPhone back then, and now that phone cameras are very capable, I believe it can be done now. Shoot, print and upload all from one device.

$23 per car was about average (I would see less than that as a contractor but it’s what the dealers liked to pay). I would typically photograph 4-10 used vehicles per day and our dealers needed photos of new cars as well. We charged $8 for new vehicles, I could easily shoot 50 on a 9-3pm day with a one hour lunch.

It is a lucrative business. Summers suck, them vehicles get real hot. Research some of these companies that have been doing this for years. Or go work for them as a contractor. There is a lot to consider when doing this independently, but in turn can be a lot more rewarding. Best of luck.

edit: do not do hourly.

I interviewed for a photography job at a dealership in CA about 15 years ago. They didn’t care about quality. It was quantity. About 30 cars a day and just shoot em and post em. You have no artistic control and you’re an hourly wage grunt. I didn’t pursue it any further 😄

Edit: Oh and they make you use their crappy point and shoot.

Following to find out people’s preferences on lenses for this. Sorry OP not trying to steal thunder, I by no means have anything good camera wise (D3300) but it’s been with me for a long time and I’m just starting to get into photography again. I got the 18-55 kit lens and 55-200, they’ve done good for some vacations.

My family used to hire somebody to photograph when we had a bigger car lot, but I never thought of actually doing that. I’ve got connections to many dealerships around myself so what would anybody recommend for the camera I got?

I was a dealership photographer for 3 years (small town dealership) its not glorious. lol I was making 40k a year BUT I was doing 3 positions. photog , service desk rider, and parts rider.

the photo aspect i was paid 13 an hour but only 3 days a week. most the money came from service advising.

most dealerships have a 3rd party website that you have to use to upload and set photos which is used on an app via mobile phone. I tried it with my xt30 at the time and it was much faster to just use my phone.

I was able to take out the nice cars and to a proper photoshoot with my pro cameras BUT was only able to do them when I wasnt working. and then they would want those photos to be used for the first photo on the listing of the nice cars. without paying me other than the hourly/salary amount. no pay for the nice photos in other words.

also not only do you have to take 20 ish pics of the cars you also have to set the details of what the car has ie-bluetooth, heated seats, etc.

climbing into 100+ degree cars in the summer and you HAVE to clean the car off in winter or you would get screamed at by management if the car had snow on it, during winter…

My son is a photographer. He also has a degree in business. He’s the marketing director for a car dealership. He does photoshoots for all the vehicles, including driving them to great local spots for pics. He videos some of the higher end ones… Does all the social media posts etc. Never has to clean a car or anything. He’s also the photographer for a hockey team so keeps pretty busy! I’m a photographer too, so am glad he could combine his passion for hockey, cars, and photography! Maybe marketing director/photographer might work for you!

Have you actually talked to the dealers about your idea?

I am just guessing, but I imagine most dealerships have a department that does this already, or they just send out the newest salesman out with his iPhone to get the pics. BUT, I’m not discouraging you from asking. You never know until you ask. As for lenses, a fast aperature lens isn’t needed at all. A sharp and wide lens like a 24-70 and an even wider lens like a 14-24 for interiors would probably cover everything inside and out. Youll probably shoot at f7.1 to f11 or higher to get everything in focus too. A 360⁰ camera may add some value as well. Good luck and let us know if you get any bites.

Your hourly rate is 14.50 USD?!

And the per car that seems really low. My local dealers will have like 15 pics of a given vehicle. I’m assuming to set everything up, figure out your compositions, take enough photos to get 15 good ones, editing and delivery would be like an hour of my time.

That said if that’s what you charge and you can live with it I have to think you are going to be in high demand and never lacking work.

I currently do photography for 3 mid-sized dealerships. Most either have their own department or contract out to companies like mine. They almost all just use smart phones.

It’s all about quick turn around times and not so much about quality. The more cars you can shoot, the better. Only one dealership I’ve worked for used a Canon M6 MkII. The rest used phones with apps that upload automatically for ease of use and streamlining the workflow. No editing or anything. I shoot about 25-30 cars a day on ideal days, but I’m hourly at $20/hr. Really not a bad rate for this position.

Also keep in mind with winter, if it snows, the cars might be frozen shut, dead batteries, or stuck so no go on photos that day/days. that can kill your cash flow really quick if it lasts long enough.

But… What I wouldn’t give to use an actual camera. Lol

Stacking and background my dude.

99% of the dealers I come across just take photos with their smartphones. Nobody is really hiring ‘professional’ photographers anymore. Cars will sell anyway. Only the bigger, higher-end dealers tend to have more professional photos taken.

Good luck at $30/hr most dealers here (BC) have ads for $17/hr for lot photographer and video monkeys these are full time jobs. Highest paid I saw was $24/hr at an RV dealer in Lake Country.