The power in the after shots is created in the before shots

Calendyr said:
Got a question for you guys...

On the cars where it is worth doing before and after pictures, I always end the work late in the evening when the light is really bad to take pictures. How do you guys do it?

Yesterday I did a Volkswagen Eos Convertible and the result was dramatic but finished working on it at 8 pm and the light was terrible so I did not take after pictures, making the before pictures worthless ;(

Any tips?
Click to expand...

So true! I face this alot too..imo I think we need better lighting..
 
Calendyr said:
Got a question for you guys...

On the cars where it is worth doing before and after pictures, I always end the work late in the evening when the light is really bad to take pictures.

How do you guys do it?
Click to expand...


Sometimes you don't.


I've dealt with this problem all my detailing life. It's the worst when you're mobile and working at a clients house and all you have is their garage and their driveway. Thus when you finish at the end of the day, (and you always finish at the end of the day), if the sun is going down you either don't get the after shots or you do the best you can with what you have.

In a perfect world, you get the shots the next day. That's not always possible if the client lives a long ways a way.

When I buffed out a this old Ford I started early in the morning and finished as the sun was going down. The truck was in Escondido, California about 130 miles. So needless to day, I didn't drive back the next day just to get great "Sun Shots".

Here's what I was able to get with the sun I had left...

1956Ford150b.jpg


1956Ford150a.jpg




If possible to get the picture the next day then try to park your vehicle in the same place at the same time of day and then frame-up your after shots the same way you took the before shots.

Here's my article on this....

How to photograph and capture swirls in the sun


Check out the before and after shots of my truck. I moved the truck into the same location for the after shots as I had her parked for the before shots. Also took them the same time of day.


:)
 
detailedsd said:
I like to use free apps such as pic stitch for before and after pictures. Here is a powerful picture that I get a lot of attention with.
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Just02896 said:
I use these shots often when explaining paint correction.
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Great examples guys....

The key thing is to capture the ugly while you can. After you've finished the detail project you can never go back in time to get the before pictures and it is the before pictures that have all the power as they tell the whole story.


:xyxthumbs:
 
***Update***


So far today, I have received 3 Private Messages on

How to restore single stage paint. I love it.


Most important...


The power in the after shots is created in the before shots

:Picture: :Picture: :Picture: :Picture: :Picture: :Picture: :Picture:


Why?


Because you cannot go back in time and get the before shots. Then it's just your WORD when you tell people how bad the paint was.


So take a few moments to stop whatever it is you're doing, read the above article for tips and then take some pictures.



Trust me on this.... been there... done that....


:)
 
I’ll throw my old Cadillac in the conversation.

Credit goes to Mike Stoops @Meguiars.

7a03c5cddae5c3feedfb18a39b93b720.jpg


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00901c8af9d5e40b5fc2c1d68635d531.jpg


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:)
 
Eldorado2k said:
I throw my old Cadillac in the conversation.

Credit goes to Mike Stoops @Meguiars.
Click to expand...


WOW! That thing made a huge transformation!!! Nice work!

I should change my name to Mike. Mike Stoops, Mike Phillips, Mike Pennington....


Seems like having Mike as your first name automatically makes you better at polishing paint ha ha ha!




:)
 
Eldorado2k said:
I’ll throw my old Cadillac in the conversation.

Credit goes to Mike Stoops @Meguiars.
Click to expand...


Mike's a great guy. I can remember when he first started coming to the TNOGs before working for Meguair's. He used to wear all types of wacky tennis shoes. It was always interesting to see what he would wear next.



Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN said:
I should change my name to Mike. Mike Stoops, Mike Phillips, Mike Pennington....

:)
Click to expand...


When I was at Meguair's in Irvine, there were 5 Mikes at Meguiar's. It was a joke that in order to get a job at Meguiar's you had to have the name "Mike".


Here's a blast from the past... this was taken after we finished wetsanding a 1949 or 1950 Ford Woody that belong to some Surf Guitar Band.


From left to right,

Jason Rose, Kevin Brown, Mike Phillips, Mike Pennington

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Yep - Meguiar's required us to wear dress slacks to wetsand, cut and buff a streetrod. :dunno:


:)
 
Pro Tip: Remember to take GREAT BEFORE SHOTS before working on the car!


If you want to showcase your talent, skills, knowledge and abilities when it comes to the art of polishing paint and the craft of detailing cars, then BEFORE you start working on the car take a few moments to take REALLY GREAT BEFORE PICTURES!


I cannot stress this enough.


Why?

Because once you start working on the car it's too late to document the ugly. That's about as plain as I can make it. And if you don't document how bad the condition of the car or the paint was before you started then all you have left to capture is the after shots. While after shots are good... no one will ever know how bad the condition was before you worked your magic because you don't have the pictures to back it up. All you can do is "talk". You can say how bad the paint or the car was before you started but to be honest... those are just words.


A picture is worth a thousand words


So if you want to show the world what you can do - set the buffer down, get out your camera and take great before shots.


Before

1959_Chevy_004.JPG





Here's how I was able to get the high overhead hood shot - I used a ladder.

1959_Chevy_006.JPG




If you don't care about showcasing your talent, skills, knowledge and abilities then grab your buffer and get buffing...



:)
 
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