Take a PictureOr Make a Scan


It all starts with a picture. But it had better be a darned good picture, or potential bidders won't find it much use.

Tips for Taking Great Product Photos

Although this really isn't the place for a basic photography lesson, I can give you a few tips on how to take the right kinds of pictures to use in your eBay listings.

  • Use a digital camera. Although you can take pictures with a normal film camera, develop the film, and have your film processor transfer your photos to graphics files on a photo CD, it's a lot easier if you start with digital at the sourceespecially if you plan on listing a lot of items on eBay. You can pick up a good low-end digital camera for well under $200 these days, and going direct from camera to computer (and then to eBay) is a lot easier than any other method.

    Caution

    Whatever you do, resist the temptation to simply copy someone else's picture file to use in your listing. Not only is this unethical, but it misrepresents the exact item you're selling. You could also find yourself on the wrong side of a copyright lawsuit if the owner of the photo takes particular offense.


  • Shoot in strong light. One of the worst photographic offenses is to shoot under standard indoor room light. Although you can touch up the photo somewhat afterward (see the "Edit the Image File" section, later in this chapter), you can't put in light that wasn't there to begin with. Open all the windows, turn on all the room lights, use a flash (but judiciouslyyou want to avoid glare on your item), or just take the item outdoors to shootdo whatever it takes to create a well-lighted photograph. (Figure 18.1 and Figure 18.2 show the same item shot in low light and with stronger lighting; Figure 18.2 definitely works best.)

    Figure 18.1. An item shot in low lightingbad.

    Figure 18.2. An item shot in stronger lightinggood.

    "Mike Sez"

    When you go shopping for a digital camera, look for one with a macro mode so that you can take close-ups of any small objects you might be selling. Also, invest another dozen bucks in a tripod so that you can take steady pictures in low light.


  • Avoid glare. If you're shooting a glass or plastic item, or an item still in plastic wrap or packaging, or just an item that's naturally shiny, you have to work hard to avoid glare from whatever lighting source you're usinglike that shown in Figure 18.3. This is one reason why I typically don't recommend using the type of single-point flash built into most of today's digital cameraswithout any fill lighting, it produces too much glare. You avoid glare by not using a flash, using external lights (to the sides of the object), diffusing the lighting source (by bouncing the light off a reflector of some sort), or just turning the item until the glare goes away. A simpler solution is to shoot in an area with strong natural lightlike outside on a nice day.

    Figure 18.3. A shrink-wrapped item with glare from a flashbad.

  • Shoot against a plain background. If you shoot your object against a busy background, it detracts from the main point of the photograph, as you can see in Figure 18.4. Hang a white or black sheet (or T-shirt) behind the item; it will make the main object stand out a lot better.

    Figure 18.4. An ugly background detracts from the item you're shooting.

  • Focus! Okay, this one sounds obvious, but I see a lot of blurry pictures on eBaylike the one shown in Figure 18.5. Make sure you know how to focus your camera, or how to use the auto-focus function. Alsoand this is particularly important if you're shooting in low-light conditionsremember to hold the camera steady. A little bit of camera shake makes for a blurry photo. Either learn how to steady the camera or buy a cheap tripod to hold the camera for you.

    Figure 18.5. An out-of-focus photobad.

  • Frame. To take effective photographs, you have to learn proper composition. That means centering the item in the center of the photo, and getting close enough to the object so that it fills up the entire picture. Don't stand halfway across the room and shoot a very small object; get close up and make it big! (Figures 18.6 shows a poorly framed itembad!)

    Figure 18.6. Bad compositionthe object's way too small!

  • Take more than one. Don't snap off a quick picture and assume you've done your job. Shoot your item from several different angles and distancesand remember to get a close-up of any important area of the item, such as a serial number or a damaged area. You may want to include multiple photos in your listingor just have a good selection of photos to choose from for that one best picture.

Tip

If you're shooting a small item, your camera may have difficulty focusing if you get too close. Use your camera's macro focus mode to enable sharp focus closer to the object.


Scan Instead of Shoot

Of course, if you're selling relatively flat items (books, comics, CDs, and even small boxes), you might be better off with a scanner than a camera. (And remember that boxes have flat sides that can be scanned.) Just lay the object on a flatbed scanner and scan the item into a file on your computer. It's actually easier to scan something like a book or a DVD case than it is to take a good steady picture of it!

Use eBay's Stock Photos

If you're selling a book, an audio book, an audio cassette, a CD, a DVD, a VHS tape, or a video game, you might not need any photos at all. That's because eBay automatically inserts a stock product photo when you use the pre-filled item description option to create your item listing. (You learned about this back in Chapter 15, "Selling Items via Online Auction.") If the item you're selling is listed in eBay's product databaseand you like the photo they providesave yourself the trouble and let eBay insert the picture for you.

Tip

When you're scanning compact discs, take the CD booklet out of the jewel case to scan.





Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay
Absolute Beginners Guide to eBay (4th Edition)
ISBN: 078973561X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 204

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