The best camera setting for car photography.

Use this handy guide to learn which camera settings will help you shoot professional quality car shots.

Car photography is a dream hobby — or even a job — for any gearhead. But to get the best photos of sleek sports cars and rugged trucks, you must know what camera settings work best.

These settings depend on the kind of picture you want. This guide covers the best camera settings for the most common types of car photos.

Taking a static car photo.

For a general photo of a parked car, concentrate on controlling the depth of field. Do you want to focus on the car itself, or show it in an interesting environment?

Use a wide aperture size (f/5 or lower) to blur out the background, or a narrow one (f/8 and up) to keep both the car and the background in focus. In general, you should also use a low ISO setting and a quick shutter speed.

Focusing on car parts and details.

Use a wide aperture setting (f/2.8) to photograph details, like decals or rims. This setting blurs the rest of the car and focuses on the subject detail. Start with a low ISO setting, but don’t be afraid to bump the ISO up if your pictures come out dark or blurry — especially if you’re photographing the inside of a car.

Shooting a driving car.

A driving shot shows the car in its natural element — moving at speed. Choose a quick shutter speed (1/125 or faster) and use panning. In other words, follow the moving car with your lens and snap your photos. This technique needs practice but will get you amazing action shots.

Bring your car photos to life.

Post-processing your car shots in a photo editor makes them even more exciting. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a great tool for taking your photos to a new level. You can edit all aspects of your pics, from color balance and saturation to shifting focus.

Use these settings for great car photographs. Explore what more you can do with Lightroom to perfect all your pics today.