How to Shoot Your Jeep!

Tip #5:
Hot Spots Are Not Just Nightclubs
Snap the Jeep at high noon and you're likely to end up with a photo of the sun creating a blinding burst of light off any reflective spot, which is the flash of light you see in this photo. Sometimes if you take one step to the left or right it will disappear. Sure, it may show up in another area, but it's likely to go away if you move around enough times. Then all you have to do is...

Tip #6:
Focus on What You're Doing
So, you're aware of the background, foreground, surroundings ... now all that's left is to focus on the actual Jeep. And by "focus" we do not mean light incense and breathe deeply. Focus the camera. Most modern technology has auto focus (the disposable ones exist for that convenience). Use that unless you know a thing or two about shutter speed and aperture. On a daily basis we receive images that are so blurry we get a migraine looking at them. Exception to the rule? This photo of Andrew Schwebke's TJ that ran in the November '03 Sideways. Not the sharpest photo, but it still conveys forthcoming destruction. Remember that Jp isn't going anyplace, so there's no rush to get us just any photo of your Jeep. If at first you don't succeed, focus, focus again. If you're saying, "But I'd just washed it," then know...

Tip #7:
Dirty Jeep, Good
Editor Cappa whines, "Don't take a picture of your Jeep in the driveway right after you washed it. Yeah, it looks clean and great, but not as a photo. The worst is when the ground is still wet and the wash bucket is in the shot. Don't do this! It's just..." uh, let's simply say he said "boring," plus a few words that require time in a confessional. Jp Art Director John Morgan promises he likes photos "where an owner decides to take a glamour Jeep for a mud bath or over an impossible obstacle. The 'what-the-hell' attitude is very appealing." Unless the what-the-hell attitude means you did a half-ass job and didn't bother to...

Tip #8:
Photograph the Entire Vehicle
Not just the front end. Not just the side. Not just the rear. In fact, here's a tip: Look through the viewfinder before you snap the photo. And if you do see only the front, side or rear, step backward until you see it all. Push the art director's button and you're in trouble: "I see red when part of the vehicle is cut off." When he says red, it's usually said in conjunction with rum. If the logic was that the shot would bring attention to your dog in the driver seat, your beer gut or your gal straddling the hood, then you don't know how much we make fun of your dog, your belly and your gal when the photo arrives at the office. Of course, if you're on the trail, you may not have a choice - getting the best action may mean showing less vehicle, which is OK. Wheeling wins out. As Editor Cappa pants, "I really like front three-quarter shots of Jeeps climbing and articulating." However, you may be able to shoot only a portion of the Jeep because it's a...

Tip #9:
Work in Progress
Only halfway through your buildup but need to feel like the end is near or want motivation from your name in lights? Send in the photo! Tell us what you have planned or have already done, or troubles you had during swaps, shortcuts, whatever. Your work in progress might give someone else ideas, so we don't shy away from stuff in that condition. It also doesn't need to be heavily modified to make it in the mag. We want to see what you own - simple as that. Garage shots are OK - of unfinished vehicles, not ones that spent the day on the trail. Why did you wait till now to shoot it? And speaking of the photo...

Tip #10:
A Photo is Defined By Webster's as "a Photo"
In other words, a photocopy of a photo is not a photo but a copy of a photo that was copied. Got it? An actual photo (color or black and white) or a slide is what we need. We once received photos from a disposable camera. That would have been fine if they weren't still in the camera. If you're submitting digitally, we accept JPEGs with the least amount of compression/highest quality. Your original file should be at least 1,500 pixels on its longest side to ensure this, and make sure it's the original you're sending, not one you've altered, such as in Photoshop. Ignore dpi, lpi or any other parameter you see in an image-editing program; a 640x480 image can't be used in print, only on the Web, since it'll reprint too grainy. You're safest at pleasing Mr. Morgan with the image quality if your camera is 3 megapixels or greater.

Now that you know how to shoot, print up a photo submission form and fill it out for Pete:

Click HERE to download your photo submission form in Microsoft Word format.

Click HERE to download your photo submission form in Adobe PDF format.

Send the photo, your name and a completed photo submission form to:
Jp Magazine
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Specify if it's for Jeep Shots or Sideways.