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Dirty Car Park Portrait Hack

By Lewis Whitter, wedding & events photographer (11+ years) · How we pick

Turn this grim UK car park into a cinematic portrait using just your kit lens and some puddle water. Drop low, right down to the tarmac.

That horrible grey concrete? Instant moody texture. Now, use the puddle for a cheeky forced reflection—just hold your phone or camera upside down near the water's edge.

Step back, zoom in to compress the background, and suddenly that Morrisons delivery van looks like bokeh. No studio lights, no expensive gear.

Just a bit of British grime and a lower angle. Try it out.

Dirty Car Park Portrait Hack
Photo: Nikolai Bulykin, CC BY-SA 4.0. Credits

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