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Here’s how to take a good photo. You’ll only
spend a few extra minutes at most setting up these shots: a very small
time investment considering the payoff.
Don’t backlight your merchandise. This will create
shadows and “black out” what you’re trying to show users. Light should
come from behind you or from above the item if possible – not the
windowsill in which you’ve propped up the book you’re trying to sell.
You shouldn’t rely on your camera’s flash to do all
the work. In addition to the flash, you should also place the item
strategically to capture available light from overhead fixtures, lamps
and even spotlights if you’re very pressed to find good lighting.
Fill as much of the frame as possible with the
actual merchandise. People don’t care where you’ve parked the car that
you’re trying to sell. They don’t want to see the bushes lining your
driveway, the neighbor’s kid grabbing their mail or the sun setting in
the background. They want to see the car, period, so give them as much
of that as you can.
If possible, take shots of the items being used,
worn or otherwise displayed in a “real” manner. Laying out your old prom
dress on the kitchen floor will inevitably result in a flat, uninspired
photo. Get someone to take a picture of you wearing the clothing – from
the neck down is fine if you don’t want people to see your face.
Potential bidders will get a better, more realistic idea of how the item
looks when it’s being used. That makes them more willing to bid on your
listing instead of someone else’s.
Don’t be cheap: pay the few extra cents to upload
additional photos of the product. Currently, eBay lets you list the
first photo at no charge: additional pictures are 15 cents each. These
are the most important shots:
A close-up of the entire product, preferably from a
top or head-on view. There’s not much point in taking a snapshot of a
video game system’s bottom side, after all.
A good picture of any damage or imperfection. Most
would-be bidders are actually reassured when they can see that the
“minor scratches” you describe are really quite small. Otherwise, many
people will exaggerate your description in their minds and not even
bother bidding.
Finally, get a shot of anything that makes your
item unique. Example: if you have an autographed baseball, book or
picture, get a close-up of the signature. Should you also have a
certificate of authenticity, include a shot of that as well.
However, you shouldn’t go insane with photos. Not
every bidder is on a high-speed connection, and even fast surfers don’t
like waiting for more than 30 seconds or so for a page to load. Try to
stick to three pictures or less.
Resize the photos so that they’re a few hundred
pixels across and down. Users don’t like scrolling sideways or down to
see pictures. They’d rather take in the entire photo at once.
Photo-editing programs – even free ones that you can find through an
Internet search – make it easy to resize images.
Finally, make sure that you take honest photos:
pictures that accurately present your item. Being up-front about your
item’s condition will encourage good feedback and prevent auction
winners from complaining that your item wasn’t what you advertised in
the listing.
With these tips, you can photograph and list with
confidence. Your improved pictures will attract more bidders, reduce the
number of questions that you have to answer before people will place
bids and assure buyers that they’ll receive exactly what they thought
they were buying.
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