How To Do Just About Everything
By dduck1947
Portable Studio with camera, clip lamp, item for sale
Rate: (3 Ratings)
Want to sell items on ebay? Show your merchandise to its best advantage with a little portable studio. You can buy one on ebay ($20-30) or make one ($4-5).
Purchase a pop-up laundry basket. They are available for $4-5 dollars at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
Open and set it on the table on its side.
Cut one side out. Be sure to cut only ONE side or the basket will collapse
Drape fabric over the back and floor of your studio. Use inexpensive clip lamps to light your items. If you're shooting in front of a window like this, you might want to use heavy fabric for your background or use a rubber drawer liner like this.
Ready for my close-up!
Your portable studio is now ready for those money shots!
Nice close-up with white background.
Get in close to show your products to their best advantage. Be sure that no seams are showing. And smooth out any creases in the fabric.
You can use different background colors to enhance your products. Cover the sides with your background color and shine the lights through it, or pull the background back for white light. You can change the mood to suit your products.
nice, but fabric too fuzzy
Use fabrics without much sheen or nap. This shot was nice, but the fleece fabric had too much fuzz and detracted from the product. (Click on the picture to see what I mean.)
Use darker fabrics to enhance a light-colored item.
Over the top
Shoot down through the top (the side you cut out) to show the tops of your items.
Nice shot - this camera sold for over $200!
That's it - your pictures are ready to be uploaded to your computer then inserted into your ebay listing.
Enthusiast 
Comments
akchrist said
on 8/12/2008 Great tips!
arwen1964 said
on 7/30/2008 Wow, that is clever and creative. Where can I get that cute set of sunflower dishes? ;)
vallain said
on 6/30/2008 You might think about putting a link to E-Bay on this article.
vallain said
on 6/30/2008 Well, this beats just putting things on my kitchen counter and using the undercounter light. Thanks!