Thanks for joining us as a verified Turo photographer. Read on for important policy information, tips and tools for producing great vehicle photos, and details for how and what to submit.
Before you schedule your first shoot, please read the requirements below. These are our minimum requirements for all photography shoots, including both which shots are required for a vehicle, and how each shot should be composed.
All photos must be delivered in final dimenions at least 5000px wide, and at least 3000px tall.
When framing the subject, assume that 20% of the image on all sides will be cropped. Our listing image aspect ratio is variable in different contexts, and you can’t assume that the edges of the image will be visible.
We cannot accept excessive high-ISO grain/noise.
We cannot accept images with a portrait aspect ratio.
The vehicle must be in focus at all times.
All photos in a set must be accurately color corrected.
All photos must be free of wide-angle distortion.
Front 3/4 angle
Rear 3/4 angle
Front
Driver's side
Rear
Passenger’s side
View from front door
Front seats
Dashboard, from the mid-backseat
Dashboard, close-up
Back seats, from front side
Trunk
*All exterior photos must have the vehicle centered in frame, with a flat horizon. When shooting exteriors, you should plan to move the car’s orientation, shooting from the same camera vantage point each time. For front and rear 3/4 shots, we recommend turning wheels away from the camera.
In addition to our standardized interior and exterior photos, we require one to five additional photos of your choosing. This is your opportunity to shoot creatively, to inspire adventure, and to give the car some character.
Use unique elements or features to show why this car is special. Spacious interiors, bikes on the bike rack, a closeup of that custom paint job: sell whatever makes the vehicle something special.
Put the vehicle into the local driving landscape. From a winding road to a local landmark, make the location pop.
If the owner isn’t camera shy, include a portrait of them with their vehicle. We love to see our owners smiling!
To avoid extra reflections in body paint and glass, shoot with a polarizing filter.
When the focus of a photo, the steering wheel must be straight.
Be sure the background view is free of distraction.
Use soft, consistent lighting throughout the shoot; for best results, we suggest shooting at sunrise, sunset, or total shade.
Front 3/4 angle photo
Rear 3/4 angle
Front
Passenger side
Rear
Driver side
View from front door
Dashboard overview
Dashboard close-up
Back seats
Trunk
Extras
Equipment requirements
DSLR 20mpx or higher
At least 17mm wide angle for interior photos
Mid-range portrait lens, between 70mm and 105mm
Polarizing filter
Once we have put you in touch with the car owner, please email them as quickly as possible. Find a time that suits both of you; suggest the car owner several different time slots in your schedule, and let them to pick a time that best fits their needs.
Make sure you share the Owner Prep Guide included in the job details. This is a good time to remind the owner to clean their car before meeting you.
Scout locations with Google Maps
It’s very important to explore the nearby area to know that it will work for your shoot. Use Google Street View to confirm there aren’t going to be unexpected parked cars, busy traffic, or other undesirable surroundings.
Ask the car owner for location suggestions
You may receive suggestions from the owner for locations. They can be a great resource to discover new locations that are convenient for both of you.
Prepare the photo shoot location
You should take the lead in determining the meeting location. Once you’ve settled on a shoot location, send a Google Maps screenshot with an indication of where you will be meeting, drawn onto the map. Especially in more rural areas, this will eliminate confusion. Always have a backup plan for a closeby location.
Be responsible and inspiring
Don’t let the background itself distract from showing off the vehicle. Don’t shoot cars on grass or dirt; driving off-road is a violation of Turo rental policy. Let the background compliment the style of the car: a sports car on a sweeping road, a Jeep parked on packed gravel.
Your photo shoot must not interrupt traffic or block pedestrians.
Vehicle verification
If the vehicle is not operational or there are any indications of unsafe conditions, please indicate so in the upload form so we can follow up with the owner.
We do our best to verify our owners’ identities and backgrounds, but if you note any discrepancies between the owner and their Turo profile, please let us know as soon as possible at photography@turo.com.
Meeting the owner
During the meeting, be polite and professionally engaging with the car owner. Take the time to greet the owner, and make sure to thank them for taking the time to meet you.
With each assignment, you’ll receive directions for how to submit each set for review. Failure to follow these instructions will result in additional edits or a reshoot, which may slow your access to new assignments, and will delay payment for the shoot.
Color correction is a key element of your photographs. Most importantly, all photos in your set need to have consistent colors.
Our default color tone at Turo is relatively warm and vibrant. If you’re shooting on a cloudy day, resulting in cool and desaturated colors, its okay to keep the cool tone, but you should consider a slight boost to the image contrast.
Example 1: Sunny
Example 2: Cloudy
All photos should have a straight horizon. If your photo is rotated off axis, please straighten the image so it lies horizontally. The only exception to this rule is for non-required “hero” images.
Within our product, your photos will be cropped at a variety of aspect ratios, ranging from 5:4 to 2:1. Don’t crop too tightly; keeping the vehicle in the middle 50% of the frame at all times will guarantee your photos are usable in all instances. We strongly recommend using a 3:2 landscape aspect ratio for all photos you submit.
Your photos should accurately reflect the state of the vehicle, and we can’t accept obviously modified photos. It’s okay to make minor edits of the surroundings to showcase the vehicle itself, but no photographic edits should be made to the vehicle itself.
Photos must be free of obvious manipulation
If an owner requests any specific changes to a photo – e.g. masking license plates – please refer them to photography@turo.com so we can follow up with them directly.
Once you’re satisfied with your set, its time to export. We expect you to provide JPEG files only, with image quality set to maximum. The width of all images must be no less than 5000px.
All photos must be labeled in sequence with your name, formatted as
{first initial}{last name}_{photo name}.jpg
For example, here is a full set of correctly titled photos from Alex Hawk:
ahawk_frontangle.jpg
ahawk_rearangle.jpg
ahawk_front.jpg
ahawk_driverside.jpg
ahawk_rear.jpg
ahawk_passengerside.jpg
ahawk_fromfrontdoor.jpg
ahawk_frontseats.jpg
ahawk_dashboardbackseat.jpg
ahawk_dashboardcloseup.jpg
ahawk_backseats.jpg
ahawk_trunk.jpg
ahawk_hero1.jpg
ahawk_hero2.jpg
ahawk_hero3.jpg
All images color corrected
Export as high quality .jpg
Sized at least 5000px wide
Image names match upload format
Include all metadata in photo export