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Photo requirements for a good source image

What makes a car photo work well in Motuva Studio — lighting, angle, framing and common things to avoid.

Written by Andre, Team Motuva
Updated

The AI in Motuva Studio produces a better result when the source photo gives it more to work with. Here's what to aim for.

Angles that work well

  • Front three-quarter (standing at roughly 45° to the front corner of the car). This is the classic listing angle and Studio is optimised for it.
  • Rear three-quarter. Works well for the same reasons.
  • Straight-on front or rear. Acceptable, though the generated image tends to be less dynamic.

Lighting

Shoot in good light. Daylight on an overcast day is ideal — bright but without harsh shadows cast across the bodywork. Strong direct sunlight can cause blown-out highlights that make it harder for the AI to read the car's panels and colour.

Avoid shooting at night or in low artificial light. Low-light photos are noisier and the AI has significantly less information to work from.

Framing

  • The whole car should be in frame. Cropped bonnets, boots or wheels reduce the quality of the result.
  • Leave a small margin around the car. Avoid the car touching the very edge of the frame.
  • Keep the car the main subject. You don't need an empty background — the AI handles the forecourt — but the car should fill most of the frame.

Common things to avoid

  • Heavy shadows cast diagonally across the car.
  • Other cars, vans or large objects immediately in front of or behind the car.
  • Raindrops or dirt on the lens.
  • Motion blur from moving the phone during the shot.
  • Extreme lens distortion from shooting very close up with a wide lens.

Does Motuva need a professional camera?

No. A modern smartphone camera is fine. The AI doesn't require RAW files or high megapixel counts. A sharp, well-lit JPEG from a phone is a good source image.

What can't be fixed in the source photo

If the car has visible damage — dents, scratches, missing trim — the AI may or may not reproduce it accurately. Studio is an imaging product, not a retouching tool. Do not use Motuva images to misrepresent the condition of a vehicle. See What Studio does NOT do.

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