Your cell phone car photos suck but Larry Chen is here to help

If the Craigslist used car listings are anything to go by, then taking pictures of cars — even your own car — can be pretty tricky. Cars are very complicated, with lots of reflective surfaces and tiny details. While having a big fancy camera seems like it would be a necessity to get pro-level results, that’s not really the case anymore.

Of course, getting some helpful hints and tips from a legend like Larry Chen (whose work you’ve seen in everything from Speedhunters to Hot Rod) on how to get awesome photos with just your phone camera definitely helps, which is why this video from Hoonigan AutoFocus is worth your time.

While having killer backdrops like Los Angeles during the magic hour or a pristine studio space helps, Larry’s suggestions will help make your car photography game much stronger no matter where you’re shooting — and frankly, the less crappy photos with thumbs over license places I have to suffer through on Craigslist, the better.

Give it a watch, try his suggestions out, and post the results in the comments section.