This is really for those who are newer to the forums but also a good reminder for everyone, particularly those posting their work.
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What is your first thought of this reflection shot?
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Does it look wet? `Well, that`s because it is. `Look closely at the wiper arm and the paint near it. `This was taken after a stripping wash so the water was clinging to the paint. `The other point to be made here is that the sun is not directly hitting the panel. `
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In reality, the hood looked very much like the passenger door shown here.
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Here is another great reflection shot.
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This is the roof of the same black SUV. `Once again, the sun is not hitting the panel as it had already set behind the houses so it is going to look good with very little effort. `This was taken after a one step polish, no LSP. `What do you see in the photo? `Are you seeing the surface of the paint? `No. `Instead of focusing on the paint that is just 2 feet away, the camera is focused on the plane that is roughly 1000 feet away. `
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Don`t be fooled by photos that do not show what they claim to show. `More importantly, don`t attempt to deceive people by posting photos and claiming a perfect finish. `I will admit to having a lot of photos of my work that do not have sun shots of the final result. `That is largely due to the fact that I am mobile and I often finish after the sun has set. `
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To honestly show your work or if you are looking to hire a detailer and are looking at photos of their work there should be some photos that show the same spot in the same lighting condition.
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Examples: `
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The 50/50 shot:
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The Before & After:
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And true sun shots always reveal the most.
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For those researching a detailer: remember that you are probably only seeing the photos selected by the detailer that best show their work. `If they only provide a handful of vehicles in their gallery that each has several photos of nothing but final shots in the shade you should proceed with caution; they may not be of the caliber they claim.