Your potential eBay bidder/buyer cannot touch, smell, taste, or hear what you have for sale.
But they can see your photos, and many will make their decision based on what they see.
While an accurate description and clear auction terms remain very important, it is often the visual representation (i.
e.
your photos) which will make or break a sale.
It is not necessary to be a professional photographer or even a good amateur photographer to get good results with your eBay photos.
Nor is it necessary to have top of the line equipment.
An average quality digital camera is quite adequate for most three dimensional items.
(For those selling sport cards and other flat items, a flatbed scanner may be a better choice).
Here are a few tips to get the most from your eBay photos: 1.
Keepit sharp ..
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There is probably no greater turnoff than auction photos whichare fuzzy.
The easiest way to getsharp photos is to use a tripod.
After you have set up for your photo, setthe self timer on your camera to make the actual exposure.
This eliminatesany possibilities of accidental vibration and also allows for longerexposures in low light conditions.
2.
Unclutterthe background..
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You want all of your buyers concentration focused on your widget.
Remove anything from the cameras view that is not for sale.
It isalsoa good idea to use abackground which contrasts with your item.
Lighter backgrounds for darkeritems, and vice versa.
A hardwood floor or a solid colored fabric remnantcan work quite well as background material for many items.
Clothing can bephotographed hung up in front of a neutral colored wall.
3.
Lightingis very important..
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Lighting can be one of the more difficult areas tomaster.
Turn off your cameras automatic flash and use natural lightingwhenever possible.
Your object is to avoid flash glare and harsh shadowswhile keeping the color rendition as accurate as possible.
Soft naturallight filtered through a white curtain can often produce good results.
Where shadows appear, position whiteposter board to reflect light back onto your subject.
If you must use flash, the best resultswill be with an external bounce flash that will provide indirect lighting.
It may take a bit of experimenting to getthe setup just right, however it will be time well spent.
4.
Watchthe file size..
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Keep in mind that you are publishing on the web - notmaking a door poster.
Using the mid range settings on your camera willkeep the file size down and allow the photos to load faster.
5.
Useediting software with caution..
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It is fine to use editing software to cropa bit and touch up the background.
Use caution however when editing any aspect of the actual subject.
Regardless of the magic you can do with Photoshop, it remains quiteimportant that your photo be as accurate a representation as possible ofthe real thing.
6.
Showthe bad stuff..
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When selling used items be sure and photograph any defectsin the item.
(they should also be noted in your written description) Number seven is an easy one - quite simply practice until you have a system that works well for you.
Objectively look at your photos and ask yourself if you would buy that widget based on the pictures alone.
If the answer is yes, you can then be reasonably comfortable thatbuyers will feel the same way.