A taste of the shoot. More photos are in the full gallery further down the page. Click any photo to see it large.
In January 2025 I spent two hours at Fernside Automotive, a car mechanic workshop in Redfern. They had just paid a little over $3,000 for a new website, and every photo on it was a stock image. The owner wanted real photos of the workshop, the team and the work they do, so customers could see who would be looking after their car.
The brief: from a short list to a shot list for every service
The owner’s brief was short. Fernside offers more than ten services, though, and a website that explains each one needs a photo for each one.
So before I arrived, we turned the brief into a full shot list. It covered every member of staff and every service, matched to what the business wanted the website to sell. That’s where my background as a marketing consultant helps: I’m thinking about what each photo has to do on the page, not just how it looks.
Photographing a mechanic workshop during opening hours
The team kept working while I photographed. That was the point. Real jobs on real cars give you real in-action photos: hands on tools, cars on hoists, screens showing live readings.
When there was no job booked that day for a particular service or piece of equipment, we set the shot up so nothing on the list was missed.
What I photographed
- The workshop from the street, with the signage.
- The reception counter and the customer waiting room.
- The full workshop floor, with cars on the hoists.
- Wheel alignment, with the alignment screens and wheel clamps.
- Tyre fitting and wheel balancing.
- Brake and suspension work.
- Engine work under the bonnet.
- Diagnostics on a tablet inside the car.
- Supplier and membership displays.
- The team together, and a portrait of each mechanic.
I shot in portrait and landscape and from several angles, so the web designer had choices for every page layout.
Staff photos that look like a team you’d trust
Staff photos work when people look relaxed and happy to be there. Grumpy or awkward portraits say something about a business too. For Fernside’s team photos, the aim was a crew who clearly get on and would be glad to look after your car.
Delivery and where the photos were used
I delivered around 70 photos within seven working days, with a commercial licence. That covers the website, social media, print advertising, brochures and letterbox flyers.
Fernside replaced every stock image on their website with these photos. The screenshot below is their live site at the time, with the new photos in place. They were very happy with the photos and enjoyed the shoot.
A shot list for any car mechanic workshop
If you run a workshop, this is the shot list I’d start with. You may not need every item, but each one answers a question customers have before they book. The best approach is to match the list to your website: one strong photo for every service page.
Your premises
- Exterior and signage: the front of the workshop from the street, with clear signage, so customers recognise you when they arrive.
- Reception: a clean, welcoming counter, showing a customer-friendly place to drop off a car.
- Waiting area: seating and any amenities you offer, such as toilets, a coffee machine or Wi-Fi.
- Accreditations and memberships: certificates, licences, awards and association or supplier displays that build trust.
Your team
- Group photo: the whole team together, the people behind the business.
- Individual portraits: one for each mechanic, for staff profiles and your About page.
- Mechanics in action: team members working on real jobs, showing skill and care.
Your services
- Vehicles being serviced: cars being inspected, repaired or maintained, to show the variety of work you do.
- Specialised equipment: alignment rigs, diagnostic tools, tyre machines and hoists, to show what your workshop is capable of.
- Common repairs: brakes, engine diagnostics and air conditioning servicing.
- Wheel alignment and tyre fitting: the alignment equipment and a tyre change in progress.
- Range of vehicles: the cars, vans or motorcycles you service, so every customer can see themselves.
- Repairs and restorations: the transformation of a vehicle, from dent removal to a full restoration.
Your customers and offers
- Happy customers: with their permission, customers collecting their vehicles.
- Deals and offers: signage for discounts, service packages or seasonal promotions.
Shoot each one in both landscape and portrait, so your web designer has a photo that fits every layout, from a wide banner to a phone screen.
Real photos of your team and workshop do something stock photos can’t: they show customers exactly who they’re dealing with.
Car mechanic photography in Sydney
Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 finished photos and a commercial licence included. See business photography in Sydney for what’s included, or see the Brookvale workshop shoot.
Shoot details
Client
Fernside Automotive
Industry
Car mechanic workshop
Where
Redfern, Sydney
When
January 2025, about two hours
Photographed
The team, the workshop and more than ten services
Delivered
Around 70 photos within seven working days
Used for
Website, social media, print, brochures and letterbox flyers
The full gallery
More photos from the Fernside Automotive shoot. Click any photo to see it large.
Need photos of your workshop?
I can photograph your team, your services and your premises in one session, anywhere in Sydney, with a shot list built around what your website needs to show.
