A lot of new sellers on Ebay make the mistake of not learning some basic photography tips. This can really hurt your bottom line. I know I've personally picked up some steals on items that have been poorly photographed that should have had a much higher selling price. All it takes to drive up your selling price is a better photo on your ebay auctions, which isn't hard to accomplish. Read on for some basic tips for better photography in your auctions that will help increase traffic, bids and profits!

Taking better photos requires a few things. First, you need a very brightly lit area that looks naturally lit. Bright flashes white out the true colors of your product, and cause the picture to look fuzzy and unappealing. You'll also need a tripod to get a steady shot without blur, and some basic photography supplies like an umbrella will help, too. These two products will probably cost less than $150, but will pay themselves off infinitely in the quality of the photos.

When you choose your digital camera, you're going to want to pick one with the manual focus so you can adjust. Automatic focus is good, but it often goes haywire and doesn't focus on the close up aspects and details you need it to when you zoom. Speaking of zoom in, you're going to need a camera with good optical zoom as well. I use a lens that has 12x optical zoom. It's ideal for not just my Ebay photography, but for my outdoor photography and for vacations, parties, etc.

Many cameras have a built in "Ebay" setting, but you may not need that. Setting your camera on a typical "landscape" setting will usually yield good results.

A photo editing program will help tidy up your photo, lighten or darken the photo, and maybe add some text or borders to make your photo look more professional. You can also adjust the resolution and image size so the file doesn't take forever to upload to the site. Keep in mind that big borders around your gallery photo are prohibited, so exercise caution with that. Your interior photos on the auction you can do whatever you'd like though! Add some seasonal decorations with some clipart, or create your own logo with a photo editor like Photoshop or Paint Shop. I personally use Paint Shop Pro X2 and it's worked out well for me (a very reasonable price).

• Taking Photos of your Products
• Camera Jim's Ebay Photography Tutorials :

I highly recommend this site above! Please do yourself the favor and take a look.

• Taking Photos that Sell
• Straight from the Horses Mouth: Ebay's Tips on Photography
• Ebay Photography Tips
  

Here are some additional resources for Ebay sellers that I've written:

• How to Sell Your Used Clothing on Ebay
• Drive Traffic with Ebay Guides
• Get More Traffic to your Ebay Store
• Find Your Ebay Niche
• Why You Should Use PayPal
• Package Your Ebay Items the Right Way
• How to Make More Money on Ebay
• Blogging About Your Ebay Store
• Finding the Best Deal on Ebay
• 100 Easy Tips to Make More Money on Ebay