I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures. Even before I owned a camera that could do anything beyond “point and shoot,” I felt like I had an eye for a good shot. But for years, I never took the time to actually learn how to use a camera the way it was meant to be used.

That changed when I was asked to join the photography team at my church. I was paired with a mentor who patiently walked me through shooting in full manual mode and introduced me to editing tools like Adobe Lightroom. That one decision radically transformed the quality of my photography—and that skill spilled over into every area of my life. Now I’m the guy who gets the best family photos, and it’s also become one of the most valuable things I bring to the table in my business.

Learning how to shoot professional-level photos has saved me thousands of dollars in marketing content, but even more than that, it’s elevated our brand. There’s nothing better than sending a client beautifully edited pictures of their campaign—shots they didn’t ask for, didn’t expect, and didn’t have to pay extra for. It creates loyalty, makes your work look top-tier, and gives you a constant stream of content to feed your marketing engine.

​If you’re serious about growing your mobile digital billboard business, don’t underestimate the value of learning this skill. It’s one of the most overlooked and highest-ROI tools in your arsenal.

One of the smartest business moves I’ve made—by far—was learning how to take professional-grade photos of my trucks and my clients’ ads. Not just for them, but for me.

Your truck is a mobile media platform. But when all people ever see are low-quality, blurry, poorly-lit photos taken out a driver’s window, it doesn’t matter how good your service is—it looks cheap.

Photos are the first impression. They’re what fill your website, your social channels, your pitch decks, and your media kits. And they’re the single fastest way to either earn trust—or lose it.

​If you want to look like a premium advertising platform, then you need to start showing up like one. And it starts with photos.

Let’s talk ROI.

Most operators rely on their drivers to take campaign photos while the truck is out on the route. We used to require 5–10 photos per hour, which meant 40–80 total per day. But here’s the problem: from that batch, we were lucky to get 5 usable ones. The rest were either:

The difference between that kind of photo and a well-shot, street-level scene with people and context is everything. One looks like a real media company. Here is an example of a well shot photo:

In this photo, you have everything: a person looking at the truck, a well known venue in the background with crowds of people in direct view of the advertisment, and the mobile digital billboard front and center.

​If you want shots like this, you can pay a professional photographer $500–$1,000 per shoot, or you can invest in a camera like mine, which is a Canon R6 mirrorless camera with a 70–200mm RF f/2.8 zoom lens. It cost me about $5,000—but it’s paid for itself 10x over. Every great photo you take becomes a piece of evergreen content you can use in:

And most importantly, it elevates how your business is perceived.

The goal of a great truck photo isn’t just to show the screen—it’s to show how your truck functions in the real world.

You want potential advertisers to look at the image and immediately think,
“I can see my brand on that.”

​To do that, you need to:

By contrast, here’s the kind of image that doesn’t help your brand:

Planning a shoot isn’t hard—but you do need to be intentional. This is a creative task, not just documentation.

​Start by choosing 2–3 locations per campaign. Look for:

Then bring a driver to operate the truck while you shoot. You can’t do both well at the same time. Have them circle the block 2–3 times per location so you can get shots from different angles, distances, and lighting.

​Post up 15–20 yards away using a zoom lens, and try to capture:

Photography is a craft—but you don’t have to be a professional to make it work for your business. Here’s what to focus on:

1. Time of Day:
Shoot during golden hour—about 1 hour after sunrise or before sunset. Avoid direct mid-day light unless you’re working with high contrast scenes.

2. Screen Brightness:
Always lower your screen brightness before shooting. At dusk or in shaded areas, the LED screen can overpower the rest of the image, washing out the ad entirely.

3. Camera Position:
Shoot from just above eye level when possible. Avoid shooting downward unless for dramatic effect. Use your zoom to compress depth and make the ad feel closer and sharper.

4. Variety:
​Capture the truck parked, moving, near crosswalks, in intersections, and alongside pedestrians. These “social proof” shots build confidence.

ChatGPT can help you write a pitch that leads with outcomes instead of specs.

Even if you’re not doing video editing yet, you should be capturing B-roll on every campaign.

What is B-roll?
It’s the quiet background footage that fills social videos, highlight reels, or ads. It doesn’t need to have audio or a narrator—it’s the “cutaway” footage that shows your truck doing what it does best.

​Capture:

Events, stadiums, concerts, food truck festivals—these are the perfect places to get this type of content. And even if you don’t know how to edit, a Fiverr editor can turn that B-roll into a 15–30 second sizzle reel for under $100.

Or, import your footage into Canva Pro and create vertical reels for Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn—without ever touching a timeline editor.

​This is content you can use for months. And the cost to you is… nothing. Just your time.

I’m excited to announce that Legion LED Trucks has partnered with Currency to offer flexible financing and lease options for both new and used LED trucks! Whether you’re looking to start or grow your MDB business, these leasing plans provide an affordable way to get on the road with minimal upfront investment.

Leasing is an excellent option for operators who want to keep cash flow steady while upgrading their equipment regularly. With 36-, 48-, and 60-month turnback leases available, you can keep your fleet up to date without the commitment of long-term ownership. For example:

To qualify, applicants need a minimum 670+ credit score and three months of bank statements. Additional requirements may apply. Financing is subject to credit approval, and terms may vary based on creditworthiness and truck selection.

​This partnership is designed to make it easier than ever to grow your business without tying up capital. For more information or to explore your leasing options, contact us today!

Want to see a gallery of one of our Lead Innovations events? This was the NCAA March Madness Round 2 in Omaha and this gallery includes a mixture of action shots of the truck along with staged “hero” shots of just the LED truck.

Check out this weeks Bonus Video where I give more examples of great LED truck photography and show additional examples from my work.