Tim Wallace Shows How to Light a Car in Five Simple Steps

Lighting a car is not easy. Cars are big, they are reflective and they have almost no flat surfaces. Luckily for us, Tim Wallace, who some call the world’s greatest car photographer, is happy to share some invaluable tips and tricks with us.

“When lighting a car it is always best to start very simple, don’t over-engineer it, and build your light up gradually,” explains Tim, who used four Pro-B3 battery generators, two Zoom Reflectors, two Softbox 1×6′ RF and an Air Remote to create the image below.

Take five minutes off and learn from one of the best in the industry how to do it yourself. You will not regret it.

You should also check out our designated Tim Wallace page at the Profoto website. Here you will find another two videos with striking images and insightful tips and tricks.

1. Ambient light | ©Tim Wallace

2. Light 1 | ©Tim Wallace

3. Light 2 | ©Tim Wallace

4. Lights 1 & 2 | ©Tim Wallace

5. Light 3 | ©Tim Wallace

6. Lights 1, 2 & 3 | ©Tim Wallace

7. Background Light | ©Tim Wallace

8. Final shot in camera with NO photoshop | ©Tim Wallace

9. Finas shot with minor Photoshop tweaks | @Tim Wallace