Before you go
- Shoot in the twenty minutes after sunset or before sunrise: soft sky, streetlights on, no harsh reflections.
- Cover the eight angles buyers compare across listings, in the same order every time.
- Photograph wear honestly. A hidden scratch found at the viewing costs more than a visible one in the listing.
Buyers in Lagos shortlist from photographs before they read a word. A clean, complete, honest photo set makes a listing look cared for and saves everyone a wasted trip. You do not need a camera or an editor; a phone, a washed car, the right half hour of light, and a repeatable sequence are enough.
This guide covers when to shoot, where to stand, which angles to capture, how to show condition truthfully, and the mistakes that make a listing look like a scam even when it is not. It does not cover editing tricks: the goal is a photograph a buyer can trust at the viewing.
Shoot in the dusk window
Midday sun in Lagos throws hard reflections off paint and glass and hides dents in glare. The most flattering, most honest light is the window just after sunset or just before sunrise: the sky is a large soft light, streetlights have come on, and the car's shape reads cleanly without hot spots.
Wash the car the same day, dry it fully, and move it away from walls and other cars so the background is quiet. Wet ground after rain works in your favour at dusk, reflecting the lights. Switch the headlights on for the front three-quarter shots only; leave interior lights on for cabin shots.
- Time
- Roughly twenty minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Set a phone alarm.
- Place
- A quiet street, compound, or lot with space to walk all the way around the car.
- Weather
- Overcast dusk is fine. Avoid shooting in rain or with the car dripping.
Set the phone up once
Clean the lens with a cloth before every session; a smudged lens is the most common reason photos look hazy. Turn off the flash, turn the grid on, and hold the phone at headlight height, not chest height. Shooting from too high makes every car look small and cheap.
Use the main camera, not the wide or zoom lens, and step back rather than zooming. Tap to focus on the car, then slide the exposure slightly down so the sky keeps its colour. Take three of every shot and keep the sharpest.
- Height
- Headlight height for exteriors, seat height for the cabin.
- Lens
- Main lens only. The wide lens bends the car; the zoom lens softens it.
- Orientation
- Landscape for the exterior and dashboard, portrait only for the door jamb and boot.
The eight angles buyers compare
Buyers open several listings side by side. When your set follows the same order as everyone else's, comparison is easy and the listing reads as complete. Shoot the sequence below in order, then add close-ups of anything the buyer will ask about.
Front three-quarter is the lead photo: it shows the face of the car and one full side in one frame. Stand at the front corner, slightly toward the driver's side, with the whole car in the frame and clear space around it.
- 1. Front three-quarter
- The lead photo. Headlights on, wheels turned slightly toward you.
- 2. Rear three-quarter
- Same distance from the opposite corner.
- 3. Side profile
- Square on, from the middle of the car, both wheels visible.
- 4. Front and 5. Rear
- Square on, close enough to read badges and lights.
- 6. Dashboard
- From the driver's door with the ignition on: mileage, warning lights, and screen visible.
- 7. Front seats and 8. Rear seats
- Door open, from outside, showing wear on the driver's bolster.
Show the wear before the buyer finds it
Photograph every scratch, dent, kerbed wheel, cracked light, and worn seat you know about, and put those photos after the main set. A buyer who finds a hidden fault at the viewing stops trusting everything else in the listing, including the parts that are true.
Photograph the engine bay cold, the tyres with the tread visible, the boot floor with the spare and tools, and the odometer reading you entered in the listing. Match the mileage in the photo to the mileage in the facts. If the car has a fault you are pricing in, say so in the description and show it.
- Faults
- One clear close-up per fault, from about an arm's length away.
- Odometer
- The reading in the photo must match the listing. Buyers check.
- Papers
- Do not post document photos publicly. Show them at the viewing.
What makes a listing look untrustworthy
Stock photos, manufacturer images, or pictures lifted from another listing are the fastest way to be reported. Buyers recognise them, and the moderation team removes listings that use them. Every photo must be of the exact car you are selling, taken by you or someone with you.
Heavy filters, blurred plates that spill onto the bumper, watermarks, phone numbers written on the image, and screenshots of other apps all read as hiding something. Crop nothing off the car, and never edit out damage.
- Never
- Stock images, other sellers' photos, or renders.
- Never
- Filters that change colour, or edits that remove damage.
- Avoid
- Cluttered backgrounds, people in frame, or another car for sale beside yours.
Choose, order, and upload
Pick the sharpest frame of each angle and upload in the sequence above so the lead photo is the front three-quarter. Twelve to twenty photographs is a complete set; three is not. Do not upload near-duplicates.
Check the listing preview on a phone before you publish. If the lead photo is dark, cropped, or shows a different car from the title, fix it before buyers see it. You can replace photos from the dashboard after publishing.
- Lead
- Front three-quarter, at dusk, headlights on, nothing else in frame.
- Count
- Twelve to twenty distinct photographs.
- Preview
- Review on a phone screen, in the same light a buyer will use.
Save before the viewing
Working checklist
- Wash and dry the car the same day; clear the interior and boot.
- Shoot in the twenty minutes after sunset or before sunrise.
- Clean the lens, flash off, grid on, main lens, headlight height.
- Capture the eight angles in order, three frames each.
- Photograph every known fault and the odometer reading.
- Match the mileage in the photo to the mileage in the listing.
- Use no stock images, filters, watermarks, or other people's photos.
- Upload twelve to twenty distinct photos with the front three-quarter first.
- Preview on a phone before publishing.
Official references
Open official addresses directly and confirm current instructions. These links support the checking process but do not certify a vehicle or transaction.
Take the next controlled step
The guided chat asks for your photos after the facts, so shoot the set first and upload it in order.