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GO ON, HAVE A GO - EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER USED A CAMERA BEFORE. BORROW ONE AND GIVE IT A TRY. IT COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING INTERESTING.

TOP TIPS FOR A BETTER PHOTO 

1.   LIGHT.  It's all about light and the best quality light is found early and late in the day.  In a nutshell, up to one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset.  Normal daylight hours are not the best time, the sun is high in the sky and this makes for a hard, harsh light with deep shadows, all bad news!  Overcast days are best, with flat grey cloud as far as you can see.  This makes for a soft, evenly spread light with no deep shadows, all good news!  If the sun is out, make it early or late and park the car so that the part you want to photograph is facing the sun.  Make sure your back is doing the same.

2.   CLEAN.  Keep it clean. If photographing your Mini, it should be spotless, particularly the wheels, arches and tyres.  Take a cleaning kit with you, including a brush or broom to sweep the ground you want to park on.  Trust me, when you start to look at these things, you'll see just how much rubbish people leave behind.  Clean it up and bin it.  Then check your mini with a critical eye, taking care to turn those front wheels towards the camera.

3.   ANGLES.  Shoot low and high, don't just stand in front and snap away.  Sit down, lay down, climb up on the step ladder you've brought with you.  But do it safely! 

4.   LOCATION.  Pick a suitable spot.  Bear in mind the colour of your mini and chose accordingly.  Avoid grass and painted lines on the road if possible.  Open areas often work well, with nothing nearby to cast unwanted shadows. Watch out for all the clutter that can spoil your photo: trees, fence poles, traffic signs, anything that may end up popping out of the bodywork.  Look all around the viewfinder before pressing that button. 

5.   RELECTIONS.  Try to avoid them by varying your angle or using a polarising filter, the right type for your camera, unless the reflection is the point of the photo.  For example, don't shoot a dark coloured mini under a tree on a sunny day at midday.  It'll be a tangle of unwanted branch reflections and shadows.  But a reflection in a large window or still water can be put to good use. 

6.   FLASH.  Use whenever possible.  Check your camera manual to find out how, especially if the only time you have to photograph your mini clashes with some bright sunlight.  This helps to lighten the shadows and avoid washed out colours.

7.   QUALITY.  Only use the very best quality settings on your camera.  Check your manual if not sure.  Go to the maximum you have.  You need quality, not quantity.  Then set the camera to full manual operation if you how to use it that way, or Aperture Priority if not.  With AP, set the lens aperture at f8 or f11 to help keep all of your mini in focus.  The camera will atomatically set a shutter speed for you.  Use a TRIPOD or some type of support to keep the camera steady.

8.   HOODS.  Use a lens hood if know about them.  If not, use your hand to shade the lens from any light that shows up as flare in the viewfinder.  Keep it high above the lens to avoid appearing in the photo, but close enough to keep it shaded.  Same as a hat or sunglasses for us.  In fact, use a hat if wearing one!

9.   LIGHTS ON.  In low light, don't forget to switch those headlights on for extra effect.

10.  INTERIORS & ENGINE.  Must be spotless.  Park in the shade and use flash.  Vary angles to help reduce unwanted reflections.  Better still, because you're close up, tape some white paper over the flash to diffuse and soften the light.

11.  VISIT THIS WEBSITE.  www.cobracountry.com/fototips It's packed full of first rate car photography advice, given in plain language that's easy to understand.