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Step 1
Adequate Lighting: Lighting, combined with high-quality (non-grainy, non-blurry) photos, is the most important part of your picture. Your potential customers want to be able to see exactly what they are getting. Care needs to be taken that the lighting is not TOO bright, however, as this can wash your photo out or give unsightly reflections, glare, and shadows. Indirect light works best. Light up your item from all angles to avoid casting any one area in shadow.
There are several lighting options for taking your eBay pictures. The best option is to splurge for professional lights, preferably two. Look for "continuous lighting" if you're doing an eBay search. Two lights are ideal and will allow you to light your item front and back. One light can work as well, especially if you use something reflective in the event that shadows appear on one side of the item. You should also use a diffuser with professional lighting, so that it doesn't "white out" your item by focusing all the light on one spot, and instead diffuses light over a larger area.
Your second option is to shoot outside. Ideally, you should shoot your eBay pictures outside on a day that is slightly cloudy. Doing so will prevent harsh shadows on your item.
Your third option is to use indoor lighting. You can remove the lampshade from a lamp and use that light for your pictures. This will give you the clearest light. Using two lamps in this way is even better.
Your fourth and last option is to use the flash on your camera. This really should be your last option, as the photos will not be as ideal as with the other lighting options. Flash tends to cast a harsh light, and if can reflect too much if your eBay item is made of glass or metal. -
Step 2
Environment: The environment of your item should be kept to a bare minimum in your eBay pictures. You do not want to confuse your potential customers as to what, exactly, they are purchasing.
A simple, one-color background works best, preferably in a color that contrasts with your item. Poster board makes a cheap background for smaller items, but be sure to use the matte side of the board to prevent glare. Sheets make the easiest, cheapest backgrounds for larger items. For cars and other very large products for sale, take the pictures in a nice area. Give your car a pretty environment. Dumpsters, trash cans, toys laying around- these do not make for beautiful pictures. -
Step 3
Tripod: One thing you should seriously consider is investing in a sturdy tripod to take eBay pictures. Shutter speed is often low on digital cameras, meaning that the camera takes a longer time to take a picture. Because of the longer time, there is a greater risk that your hand will move, causing your picture to turn out blurry. A tripod will give you a nice, steady shot, making your eBay picture turn out crystal clear to other users on the internet.
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Step 4
Point of View: Get close to the eBay item you are selling. For really small items, use the macro setting on your camera to zoom in close. Take pictures from different perspectives. Fill the picture with the item- it is what you are selling and thus should be the focus of your picture.
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Step 5
Show it All: Take- and use- multiple pictures. You should try to show the whole item in totality. Be sure to take clear pictures of any flaws on the item. Take pictures of everything that comes with the eBay purchase. If the item comes apart, take pictures of the item open and closed, or put together and taken apart.
Don't think that taking and using a lot of photos has to cost you extra money! With the use of a free hosting website and a little bit of HTML code you can use multiple pictures on your eBay listing, without paying anything extra! Check out the articles in the Additional Resources section below: "How to Upload Images" and "How to Do HTML Images"!
Comments
jenng said
on 11/14/2009 great article on How to Take eBay Pictures 5*