eBay Tips: Photography Basics
A successful ad will have great photos. All of your ads should have at
least one photo and a gallery. The gallery picture will appear in the
search results when a buyer types in a keyword in the search field.
The Camera:
A good digital camera is an absolute requirement for eBay sellers today. PDXBuys uses
a 
Point and Shoot:
The three cardinal rules of photography: FOCUS, LIGHTING, and SIZE
Nothing looks as bad as a photo which is out of focus, too dark, or too
small! If your photo does not look good, then take the time to reshoot.
A bad photo can drive down your sale price.
If you have your own personal photography studio then you are very
fortunate. For those on a budget, improvisation is the key. Shooting
outdoors in direct or indirect sunlight will often get you the same (or
better) results as you'd get shooting under expensive photography
lights. A small piece of colored paper will work as a functional
background if you have nothing else. Remember that the important thing
is the final result. You buyers will not know that you improvised as
long as the image looks great!
I enjoy photographing small items and giving them a larger-than-life
feel. A mundane item, such as this vintage Lesney truck found at the
bottom of a Goodwill bin, can be given new life when featured in a
carefully executed close-up shot. The narrow depth of field adds depth
and makes the vehicle look larger than it really is.
Tips:
1. Crop your ad as close to a square shape as possible. This makes the best gallery photo.
2. Make sure your pictures contribute to the ad.
3. Consider photo hosting services such as photobucket.com to help keep costs down.
NEVER post a blurry photo in
your ad! Use of a tripod or simply resting the camera on a solid object
when you shoot can reduce your number of blurry photos. If your first
photo is bad, always take the time to shoot again until you get that
perfect image.
Remember that photography, like playing the piano, is a skill. It will
take some practice to develop a method which works. Be patient and
experiment frequently. That random thing you do might result in a super
photo. Make notes and try to repeat the technique the next time! Study
stock photos taken by professionals and try to duplicate the look.
There are hundreds of books available on photography. Read a few and
try to apply what you have learned. If you are very dedicated, sign up
for a class at your local community college. Photography can be the
most creative and satisfying part of creating your ad!
PDXBuys
