I have been experimenting with different ways to take pictures for my items on Ebay this past month and have found a very good method that I would like to share with you.
First thing I want when listing an auction is a great picture. If the picture has the qualities below, I am very satisfied.
1. The image looks like the item does in real life.
2. The image is clear and understandable.
3. The background is as clear as possible.
The way I achieve this is simple and quick.
1. I grab a stand I use for vases in the house. It is tall and lean. If you don't have one of these stands, you can use a small table as well.
2. I put a white kitchen table sheet over the table.
3. I position the table so that the sun hits it during the daytime.
4. I also position the table so that it is against a white wall background. Most houses have white walls so almost all users will have this option.
5. I turn off the flash on my camera. Since the sunlight is strong, it lights up the item. I feel the flash distorts the image.
6. With the sunlight on the item, and the item is in a frame with a white table sheet base and white background, I test the camera shot by looking through the lens and making sure that the entire background and base is set up perfectly so that only the item itself becomes the main focus.
7. Finally I take the snapshot of the item. Digital cameras will normally give you a 1 second preview after you capture the image. Use this 1 second to make sure the picture came out as perfect as possible.
If you want to see examples of how the images end up looking, please check my auction listings. Most of my items are taken in this format.
2 Bonus Tips
1. If you are taking a picture of a watch, or any other item with fine details, make sure to use a camera stand. The slightest bit of movement will distort the picture. A camera stand will prevent this from happening.
2. If you are taking a picture of text, you can set this up in your camera menu tab. Most digital cameras have a button called menu. After pressing it, look around to see if there is an option to tell the camera what you are taking a picture of. There should be a few options to choose from. I never use this unless I am taking a picture of text. So what I do is click on the menu button, go to where it says "Perfect Shot", and select text. Of course all cameras are a bit different, but that is how my camera works.
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