How to Edit Car Photos Like a Pro

Remove dust, sensor spots, and minor blemishes before grading. Use heal/clone on paint surfaces and de-noise shadows.

Dial in overall exposure, then recover highlights on paint and chrome. Protect speculars to keep reflections realistic.

Establish contrast with white/black points. Cars benefit from crisp contrast, especially for body lines and wheels.

Correct white balance from grey tires or license plates, then fine-tune tint to avoid green/magenta shifts on metallic paint.

Adjust hue/sat/luminance for the paint channel only. Keep skies and foliage natural to avoid cartoonish results.

Brush or radial mask to add gentle clarity and texture to body lines, avoiding over-sharpening flat areas.

Lower highlights on windshield and glossy panels. Use linear gradients to tame hotspots without dulling the car.

Lift shadows on rims, add micro-contrast, and reduce brown tint in tires by adjusting the orange channel.

Lower blacks slightly and add subtle dehaze for premium, crisp look on grilles, intakes, and window trim.

If people are visible, protect skin channels from heavy teal/orange shifts meant for the car and environment.

Use geometry tools to straighten horizons and align verticals. Slight front-three-quarter skew is fine; avoid distortion.

Use a clean base LUT or apply split-toning: cool shadows, warm highlights. Keep saturation disciplined for luxury feel.

AI remove small distractions and signage. If needed, add slight blur behind the car to guide attention.

Instagram portrait 4:5, Reels 9:16, landscape 16:9 for web. Sharpen for output and keep JPEG quality high.

Save your best grades as presets per paint color and location. Consistency builds a recognisable style.