etiquette for shooting cars in public

Hello,

So I'm really new to car photography and I need some help. I run a car blog and I take pics for this other automotive site(internship).

The first time I officially did some legit car photography was at the LA auto show last year. It was a lot of fun for me.

But I can't always go to car shows. True car culture exists on the streets and car meets, and that's what I am going to get into.

Before I continue please excuse me if I sound like a noob, I'm learning.

I want to learn the proper etiquette for shooting cars publicly. I want to post these pics on my blog and build up my portfolio.

My Big question has to do with the license plate. Because I plan on posting these pics on my blog, do I need to blur out or cover the license plate? And in case anyone is wondering, I don't make any money at all from this, it's my hobby. I also don't want anyone chasing me down because their info is on the web.

Of course I can always shoot in a way where the plates don't come up, but I just wanted to know.

Secondly, am I always going to need the permission of the owner to take pics if I'm out in public? From what I've seen, cars are free game to car photographers. But again, I just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

That's all I can think of for now. If there is anything else you think I should need to know, please share, I would much appreciate it. Thank you.

No, you don't need permission but I would cover the plates just to be safe

For sure cover the license plate. After that, it's pretty much fair game. Unless it's some rich guy cheating on his wife inside.. then don't do post it.

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Yes to covering the Plate.

As a former car guy that used to show cars... most car guys love to have their cars photographed and the really nice cars get photographed a lot. The cardinal rule though is to NEVER touch the car. I you want a photo of the interior but ask. Most of the guys I knew would be more than happy to open the door and some will even tell you to get in and shoot. Be nice, at least act like this is the best car you have ever seen. It will get you far.

I would cover the plate also, but it is not "required". As long as the car and you are in public domain there is no violation of privacy. A license plate is not protected information. Covering the plate is a nice courtesy and you won't have to worry about those that think showing it is illegal.

Definitely agree with the above. I do a lot of shooting at car meets which I consider fair game. However as a courtesy I get rid of or cover the plate as most of my pics get put online and some people are picky about it.

When I post photos of my own car, I used to blur the plate. Mainly because it's not just a random license plate... it can be tied to me, or at least my username. With random cars, there's really no privacy reason. With some practice you can get pretty good at it so it's not very noticeable. I'd just use the blur tool until it's no longer legible; it's less obtrusive than a solid color paint-over.

If you watch most car commercials these days, the cars have plates that are painted the body color. It's enough so that there's something there so it doesn't look odd, but not enough that it distracts from the car.

You could always replace the plate number with 231gt

If it's outside of a car show I always ask the owner if they are present first. It's polite, and a great way to start a conversation.

@weebee, I agree if you can ask the owner it might create a side job for you. So if you have the chance, ask, but I can't see it being a privacy issue anywhere. I have taken pictures of my truck and always blacked out the license plate to protect myself but more because the license plate takes away from the picture. Even the add companies do this on car commercials.

I agree Kevin. I don't believe it's a privacy thing either.

mikew said:

You could always replace the plate number with 231gt

Click to expand...

I support this approach

I really appreciate all the help and advice, everything's a little more clear now. I only have one more small questions. Are parking lots considered open range unless posted otherwise? There are several parking lots around my community college that students are allowed to park and I see a lot of sweet rides parked in different places. Again, I don't want to get in trouble. I'm not sure which lots are public and which ones are private, but some of them do require a permit to park, and there are a couple of lots with payed meters.

I take a LOT of pictures of cars (having been in a couple car and RV clubs), and I never bother blurring the plates any more. I used to, and one woman thanked me once, but I stopped doing it perhaps 10 years ago, and no one has ever said anything about it.

As for the parking lot question: Yes, as long as it's public space, you should be legally fine. I'd feel a little funny about taking pictures of someone's car without their involvement without a good reason, though. And let's face it, cars in a parking lot with an old Honda Civic in the background probably aren't going to be great pictures anyway.

Just my $.02 as far as the license plate goes. While it's perfectly fine to photographh it in public I feel it takes away from the car in most circumstances. There is a time when it just HAS to be included... like the local Camaro with a big ass blower on the motor with the license plate "UD LOOZ". The plate could possibly make a nice picture much better. Common courtesy would be to black out the plate though.

Personally, if the car is at a car show< I think it's pretty much fair game to take the picture without worrying about the plates.....unless the owner objects.