Ok I did the worst thing you could do to your poor mini! I gave a company money in enchange they were suppose to wash and wax "no swirls or scratches" <-- i specificaly asked and when I picked it up it was raining so it looked great! then on my way back home, no rain, I saw to my horror SCRATCHES! swirls! but now the real problem... since I am 1000miles away from the poopfaces i gave the money to I need to take some good high rez pics. Now these aren't noticeable from a distance but the glare screams scratch and since it is a black mini it really sucks. So what would be the best way to get some good pics to send them. I have a crappy polaroid 5.1 megapixel camera but non of the pics i seem to take show the scratches. Any ideas?

-Josh

 

bump

 

Find someone with a DSLR that also has a polarizer with a sharp 50mm f1.8 or a 60mm macro.

With a polarizer you can control glare/reflections that might help to bring out the scratches.

 

If bright sunshine isn't available to make the scratches "pop", try indoors under flourescent light... but you'll need someone with the ability to take a picture without a flash and a camera on a tripod to make that work.

 

There are different ways to shoot scratches. You can use a point and shoot or a digital SLR like Juan suggests. A DSLR certainly makes it easier, but it's not a must.

Here is a hairline scratch I shot using my Nikon DSLR


It helps to shoot outdoors, but a bright Xenon flashlight can also work. This is a before and after after I buffed out the roof. Line is actually a tape line--scratches are to right--left shows scratches removed.


Trunk of a Lexus LS430 shot in sunlight using my DSLR. Easiest way to shoot this in direct sunlight, and shoot at an angle. You should set your Point and Shoot to Closeup (flower) mode and turn off the flash.




Dark Colors are easier to capture, but white can be done as well



These were all taken with my Nikon Coolpix 4300 Point and Shoot

 

Direct lighting and a polarizing lens and you can dial those scratches right in...you can even make them look ten times worse.

I had a CD storage system that advertized (with "lab evidence") to be scratchless, yet over time my CDs developed scuffs in the pattern of the sleeves. I noticed the company changed sleeve design to that commonly used by other brands and said that's it. Took a good angle photo that really brought out the scuff pattern and made them look very deep, sent it in a stern email...and they sent me a good $50 worth of new CD storage stuff. I credit it all to the pic.

Here is an example of where I dialed in the relection with a polarizer to highlight, in this case hood damage. The door is at a different angle and would be a different position of the polarizer, so it shows up body color instead of reflection.

 

here was my try.




these are the worst of the scratches but best photos I can get of them. And both of these can bee seen from 10 feet away. Anyone is TN that can help take some better pics?

-Josh

 

Curse those poopfaces! Make them pay out of their hineyholes!!!

 

i am working on it... i don't want my money back I want it fixed... plus thursday I am getting the damage evaluated by a bodyshop and send them (the place that did the damage) an estimate for them to pay for fixing their screwup.

-Josh