Automotive

Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero

Lighting setup

A car in a dark studio edged by two stripboxes — a bright strip wrapping the tail and roofline, a fainter one tracing the far bonnet and fender — a simpler showroom hero than light painting.

Lighting breakdown

1
Camera-Left Strip Rim
A gridded stripbox behind camera-left wraps a long soft highlight around the tail corner and along the roofline.
Gridded stripbox · 0.9
Stripbox
2
Camera-Right Strip Rim
A second gridded strip behind camera-right, set well under the left, draws a thin line along the far bonnet edge and front fender without flooding the hood center.
Gridded stripbox · 0.9
Stripbox
3
Optional
Low Front Fill
Optional low front fill keeps the grille and badge readable without killing the strip reflections.
Small softbox or bounce · 1.1
Softbox

Dark grey sedan at three-quarter front on black gloss, a soft highlight wrapping the rear corner and roofline, a thin bright line tracing the far bonnet and fender.

Base setup

Two strips. Clean edges. No paint pass.

Top view

Complete setup · 2 lights · 1 optional

Lights: 2 + 1 optional
Contrast: 6:1
Catchlight: Long soft highlight on the tail corner; thin edge lines on the far bonnet and fender
Key position: Stripboxes camera-left and camera-right behind car; optional soft front fill
Mood: Dramatic / Luxury / Commercial
Quality: Soft Light / Specular
Subject: Automotive
Environment: Studio / Dark Background

Mood variations

Matte dark sedan on black gloss, one soft highlight wrapping the rear corner at frame-left while the bonnet and front end sit in deep shadow. — Single Strip Only
Turn off the camera-right strip — the bonnet and fender line goes dark while the camera-left rim holds, which shows what the second edge light adds.

Matte dark sedan on black gloss, bright white rims outlining roof, mirrors and bumper edges with deep shadow on the body panels. — Dual Strip Bright
Both strips at full power for maximum edge separation on a black background.

Final look

Base setup

Stripboxes behind a car on each side lay long highlights along its edges — here the tail corner and roofline on one side, the far bonnet and fender on the other — without lighting the whole bay. A low front fill or ambient floor keeps the grille readable while the strips sell the silhouette — the lesson is edge control, not a multi-pass composite.

Camera & framing

Exposure

ISO

ISO 100

Shutter

1/125 – 1/160s

Aperture

f/8 – f/11

Lens & framing

Lens

50 – 85mm

Camera height

Low hero angle (bumper height) or eye level 3/4

Framing

Three-quarter car, full body in frame

Try these settings → Key : fill ratio →

Key notes

1Place strips parallel to the body line — angled strips create messy broken reflections.
2Grid the strips or flag spill so the background stays black and the car separates.
3Keep front fill low — the hero read comes from the edge lines, not a flat wash.
4Polarize or angle the camera slightly to manage windshield glare without losing strip reflections.