We here at eBayAppReview.com are big on pointing out ways that you can be better than your competition. Even though eBay is the ultimate open and competitive marketplace you can do things to get a leg up on your competition. One thing that you can and should be doing is taking quality, professional looking product images. This post will point out the things you need to take quality product photos along with techniques to make your auctions stand out with crisp product images.
First lets see some examples of what we are looking for
These are the type of images that really make an auction stand out!
Now Lets List the Things That You Should Have:
- Digital Camera- This should be atleast 2 megapixels, and you dont need anything above 4mp because in the end your images are not going to be much bigger than 300-500 pixels
- 1-2 Tripod/ Light Stands- This is what you plug the light bulb into. Generally a tripod that is 4-5 feet tall with a swiveling head will provide enough lighting options.
- 1-2 Umbrellas or PhotoBox- If you do both large and small items you will need both of these. The photobox is all you need for smaller items. The umbrellas allow you to photograph larger items on a white background.
- 1-2 Light Bulbs-This is the most important thing you are purchasing. Afterall when you really break this process down, we are trying to shine an even amount of artificial daylight on our product. When you throw in the white background you get quality professional images for your eBay auctions.
- Camera Tripod(optional)- Some people like to keep the camera very steady while taking their product photo and this is where the camera tripod really helps. I have found this is not a requirement.
Some Advice
When all is said and done you can expect to spend around $300- $400 dollars on all of this stuff, but most of that will be spent on the digital camera which many of us already have. If you already have a camera the other accessories should only cost around $100-$150 dollars. It is recommended that you shop online because online prices will be much less than your local photography store. For even more savings checkout this article which describes the process of creating your own homemade light box.
When it comes to taking the photo the best advice I can give you is to use plenty of light. You can get away with one light, but I find that using two provides better results. With two lights you will find that you don’t have to move your tripods because your entire “photo studio” will be lit up. Also you have to make sure that you set your cameras lighting settings to match up to the light that you are using. For example most photography light bulbs are either going to be tungsten or fluorescent, so you will need to set your camera up for this setting.
In the end it really just comes down to your own experimentation with your camera and lighting. It can take time to get it right, but eventually you will be taking quality product photos that will make your eBay auction really stand out. If you have any questions about taking quality photos for your eBay auction please post them in the comments section and I will be sure to help.
