Seven shots that show a build properly.
You don’t need a studio. You need even light, a quiet background and enough space around the car. Every shot on this page works indoors or outdoors — a kitchen table and a shaded car park are both fine, as long as the whole set is shot in one place.
Indoor or outdoor — both work
PICK ONE AND STAY THERE- A table by a window on an overcast day is the easiest light you’ll find.
- Turn the room lights off — mixing daylight and bulbs shifts the paint colour.
- A roll of paper, a plain worktop or a bare wall behind the car is enough.
- Watch your own shadow falling across the car on the top-down shot.
- Overcast is better than bright sun. Shade works well on a clear day.
- Tarmac, concrete, short grass or gravel all read as quiet backgrounds.
- Check what’s behind the car — bins, cars and washing lines pull the eye.
- Low sun late in the day is flattering but leaves long shadows across the body.
The seven shots
ALL REQUIRED · INDOOR OR OUTDOORHero / three-quarter
The one people see first, and the image that represents your build everywhere on RC Bench. Front and side visible at once, roughly at wheel height.
Side profile
Square on to the car, the whole thing in frame. This is the shot people read proportions from — ride height, wheelbase, stance and graphics.
Front
Straight or near-straight on. Shows front geometry, wheel camber, bumper and any body detail up front.
Rear
Rear suspension, motor, wing and mechanical detail. On most builds this is where the interesting work lives.
Top-down
Directly above, car filling the frame. This is the shot for paintwork, decals, graphics and overall layout.
Chassis / mechanical
Underside, or the car with the body off. This is the shot that demonstrates build quality rather than appearance.
Detail
One close view of the part you’d point at first — a modification, a piece of fabrication, a finish you’re proud of.
Getting the shot right
APPLIES TO ALL SEVENOvercast daylight is the easiest good light there is, through a window or outside. Indoors, one large soft source beats several small ones. Harsh glare and hard shadows hide the work.
A plain wall, a worktop, a concrete floor, tarmac, short grass. Anything with clutter competes with the car. Indoor and outdoor are equally acceptable — neither is preferred.
The car should be large enough to appreciate but not touching the edges. Leave a consistent margin across all seven shots.
The build and its important details need to be in focus. Steady the camera or use more light rather than accepting a soft frame.
A gloss shell picking up a sky can look excellent. Your own reflection in the paint cannot. Check the body before you shoot.
Seven shots taken in the same place and light read as a set. Switching between indoors and outdoors mid-set is what makes a build page feel assembled rather than photographed.
What the automatic checks look at
BEFORE PUBLISHINGThe checks are there so a submission doesn’t sit waiting for a person to look at it. They test whether an image will work on a build page — not whether it’s a good photograph, and never whether it’s a good build.
Got your seven shots?
The submission takes about fifteen minutes, and guidance for each slot is repeated as you upload.