Automotive

Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero

Lighting setup

A car in a dark studio rimmed by paired stripboxes — a simpler showroom hero than light painting, teaching how narrow soft sources define body lines and panel reflections.

Lighting breakdown

1
Camera-Left Strip Rim
A gridded stripbox behind camera-left skims the driver-side panels with a long vertical highlight.
Gridded stripbox · 0.9
Stripbox
2
Camera-Right Strip Rim
A matching strip behind camera-right balances the shoulder line and grille edge without flooding the hood center.
Gridded stripbox · 0.9
Stripbox
3
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 a black gloss floor, one long soft highlight sweeping the near flank and roofline, the far side dropping into black.

Base setup

Two strips. Clean edges. No paint pass.

Top view

Complete setup · 3 lights

Lights: 3
Contrast: 6:1
Catchlight: Long vertical strip reflections on panels
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

Car exterior — Single Strip Only variation of Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero. — Single Strip Only
Turn off one strip — asymmetric rim shows what the second edge light adds.

Car exterior — Dual Strip Bright variation of Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero. — Dual Strip Bright
Both strips at full power for maximum edge separation on a black background.

Car exterior — Spill Warning variation of Showroom Stripbox Automotive Hero. — Spill Warning
Remove grids/flags so strips spill across the hood — the muddy failure mode.

Final look

Base setup

Stripboxes behind or beside a car create long vertical highlights that trace the shoulders and doors 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.