How to Take Pictures for an eBay Posting

One of the first things buyers look for in an eBay auction is the pictures. It is your job to provide quality pictures for them to review since they cannot physically touch and inspect the item they are looking to buy. With that in mind, here are some ways that you can improve your images.

Things You'll Need

• Digital camera

Instructions

Choosing Your Camera

1. Understand that the higher the megapixel count on your digital camera, the better quality pictures you can take. Look for a camera with a megapixel of five or higher.

2. Keep in mind that a high megapixel count can also be problematic if you happen to have unsteady hands. Your pictures can blur very easily so also look for a camera with an anti-shake quality in it.

3. Don't forget the memory. If you're selling a guitar you can run up to 24 pictures very quickly so you'll need a camera with either a decent memory card or a good built-in memory bank.

The Backdrop for Smaller Items

1. Know that if you're dealing with a smaller sized item you'll want a nice clean surface to take your pictures on. A table with a plain white cloth will work great.

2. Consider lighting. Take several pictures in different places to try and find the spot with the best light. Your flash will be able to add some light, but you won't want to depend on the flash alone. Sometimes the flash bounces off the surface of the item and you end up with blur.

3. Set your table flush against the wall. Make sure that the wall is "empty" with no pictures or clocks in the way. You don't want to confuse your buyers into thinking those are included in the auction.

The Backdrop for Larger Items

1. If you're dealing with larger items, tools or lawn equipment you'll want to find another place to photograph them. A section of your back patio or freshly mowed grass would work. Keep in mind that you'll want to stay away from windows and sliding doors. Those are highly reflective and will glare in your pictures.

2. Know that if you are selling a chainsaw or tool of that size you can use the table again. Finding an off-white cloth or alternative color would work better for this, especially if the item has been used at all. You might have cleaned the tool to a beautiful shine and it could still leak oil or lubricant onto your cloth.

3. Keep your photo area clean. Taking photographs outside might be more difficult, but you don't want your buyers distracted from the item by a huge dead spider in the corner of the screen.

Taking the Pictures

1. Take a picture of the whole package. If your item has accessories or includes the original box it came in, your first picture should be of everything that is included in the auction.

2. Lay out all the items included in the auction. You can get creative with this step. However, make sure you don't have too much space between each item.

3. Photograph each accessory individually. A buyer won't have to ask you if the power cord is included if he sees it in the photographs.

4. Photograph the main item. Make sure to zoom in on all nicks, scratches, scrapes or other defects.

5. Put the items away for safe-keeping. Make sure to package the item and all of its accessories in one box. If you need to, wrap the box and label it so that no one in your household takes one of the pieces.

Uploading Your Pictures

1. Upload the pictures to your computer.

2. Understand that depending on your chosen eBay auction management system you will have a certain number of pictures you can upload into your auction for free. You'll need to inspect each of your pictures and choose the ones that are best if you don't want to pay the extra money for more photos.

3. Understand that some eBay auction management systems have trouble uploading higher resolution pictures. If you find yourself in this situation, you can easily fix your pictures to fit the criteria. Go to the eBay community site or help site and follow the guidelines. You may have to set your camera to a lower MP.

Tips & Warnings

• Take a picture of the manufacturer's sticker if your item has one.

• If you keep getting glare on your item, especially if it has an LCD screen of some kind, angle the item diagonal from your camera and try again. This should take away the glare.

• Don't use the stock pictures of an item. People will want to see the actual item that they are purchasing.