How to Create Awesome Digital Photos for an Etsy or EBay Shop

Selling arts and crafts on Etsy can be very profitable if you learn how to effectively market your items. Since the customer can not see the item in person, they have to rely on your photographs. Great photos are one of the most effective marketing tools available in the e-marketplace. In many cases the photo can make or break the sale. The following steps will give you advice on how to shoot and edit your digital photos in order to increase sales.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Digital camera
• Computer
• Photo editing software
• Table
• 1/4" thick glass
• Satin fabric
• Etsy or eBay account

1. Take pictures outside in daylight, unless you have professional photography lighting set up indoors. Don’t take photos in direct sunlight it will cause shadows, find a shady spot to set up the photography table.

2. Take pictures with the item sitting on a clean, clear table. Don’t have junk on the table or in the background of the picture.

3. Place a piece of white or light beige satin on top of the table, then place a sheet of clean glass on the table. This will provide a nice base for the photo and give awesome results.

4. Use the correct setting for close-ups to avoid a blurry picture. Most digital cameras have a setting for close-up and super close-up. Using these advanced setting will give the picture a more professional touch and will help your Etsy or eBay shop to look more professional as well.

5. Shoot at least 5 pictures of the same item, taken from different angles. If you find that some of the pictures didn’t turn out, you will have others to choose from without having to go back and set up the photography area.

6. Only use items in the picture that complement or enhance it. For instance using dried flowers in the background to bring out certain colors is a good idea. Don’t use a cookie jar or another object. It’s best to stick to natural items for a backdrop

7. Invest in some display items to hold the items while photographing if you sell items that will not stand up on their own. You can buy these from retail display dealers. Don’t hold the items with your hand when taking the picture.

8. Edit pictures before posting. You can crop out things that you don’t want, and change the attributes of the picture until you get it looking professional.

9. Resize the pictures to the websites recommended size. When you use photos that are too large, it takes longer to upload them on Etsy and eBay. In addition, they will resize the photos for you, causing your picture to appear improperly cropped or distorted.

Tips & Warnings

• Iron fabric items before photographing them.
• Take all your pictures in one day, and then edit them all at the same time. This will save time from setting up a photography area over and over.
• List multiple pictures of your items for each ad, making sure to show all angles of the item.
• If you are selling clothes, use a model or mannequin in photos; don’t hang clothing from the back of a door or lay it on the bed.

Resources

• Etsy
• eBay

[janicebutler]

on 9/20/2009 Great tips! Thanks!

[AbbyNormal]

on 8/2/2008 Good article.

[Siri187]

on 7/27/2008 I'm definitely going to start implementing these. Thanks again; awesome advice.