How to Take Great Photos for Ebay Auctions

Would you like to get higher prices on your eBay auction items? There's nothing that jazzes up an auction more than great photos Taking good photos can mean the difference between selling an item for a good price and one that's barely acceptable. That's why it's so important to master the art of taking professional auction photos. Here's how to take great photos for Ebay auctions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. If you're serious about selling on eBay, you need to purchase a digital camera. The one exception would be if selling an item that can be effectively scanned on a flatbed scanner such as books, magazines, DVD's, CD's, etc. Most other items will be best reproduced by using a digital camera.

2. Finding a good digital camera is not cost prohibitive these days as prices are rapidly coming down. I would suggest reading up on the different options on the internet and doing some price comparisons on eBay as well as the shopping comparison sites. This will be well worth the time investment. In addition, you may want to consider purchasing a tripod, particularly if you hand is shaky when holding a camera.

3. I would choose a corner of a room to set up a small area for photographing your items. Move a large table into the room and use this as your base for photographing your auction items. You're going to need to avoid shadows and glare. To do this, you can purchase a photo cube at your local camera store. These are very effective in blocking out unsightly reflections and shadows.

4. You should also purchase a light to use with your photo cube. Since the cube is translucent, it will diffuse any light that enters it, making it necessary to have only one light source. Visit a reputable camera dealer and let them know what you're going to be photographing so they can help you choose the most appropriate light.

5. Take multiple photos from all angles. Show not only the good, but also any dents, scratches, or imperfections.

6. Always use good lighting. If you don't have a photo cube and light available, use natural light. Avoid using the flash feature on your camera.

7. Use close up photos whenever possible. Not only do they look more appealing but they also make the buyer feel confident that they're seeing all of the flaws.

8. Once you have your photos, use photo editing software to make any corrections to your photos. I would suggest cropping as much of the surrounding background out of the photo as possible. This creates a more appealing picture. You can also do any necessary light or color correction using photo editing software. One free photo editing software you can use that's available online is called Picasa.

9. Always have a simple background for your photos. The best way to do this is to use a neutral background that contrasts with your object. Avoid having any other props, distractions, or patterns in your photograph. You want the attention to be focused on the item you're selling.

10. Consider using your ISP to host your auction photos. You can save quite a bit of money this way since eBay charges for any additional photos beyond the first one. Now that you know the secrets of taking great photos, put them into practice and watch your bids sour to new heights.

Tips & Warnings

• In general, the more photos you include in your auction listing, the more money your auction will generate. Here are some photo tips that will help you generate higher sales:

[CaseyCarlton]

on 10/20/2008 Thanks! Good info I needed. 5 stars!

[Heart-C]

on 8/4/2008 Im very much into eBay, so this is a welcome article!

[Meri]

on 8/4/2008 Good tips.