Tips to Ensure You Are Putting Your Best Photo(s) Forward

June 28th 2011 | share on

In our previous blog, 3 Really Easy Tips to Ensure You are Maximizing your Product Listings, we mentioned that you should take optimal photos of your listings and try to take lots of them. Let your pictures entice and grab your audience. Don’t just add 1 or 2 photos. You have the opportunity to add more, so you should take advantage of it.

Tip: Go back through all of your listings and make sure each item has at least 3-5 different images. Go over your images and ask yourself, “What does this picture say about my listing?” Having too many pictures is not a problem. You can have up to 6 photos on each of your Addoway listings.

Here are some other quick tips to go over to ensure you are putting your best photo(s) forward:

Use a background that contrasts with your item. You should try to use a plain, white backdrop when possible to make sure your item stands out
Use natural or artificial lighting to light the entire item thoroughly
Photograph items at close range and at an angle that provides some noticeable depth.
Photos should be big enough to show details clearly
Take multiple pictures of your item. Take pictures of labels, original packaging, and accessories
If the item has any flaws, stains, wear and tear, take pictures of those details so buyers know exactly what to expect before they purchase from you
Set the camera to a medium or higher resolution to produce good quality photos. This allows you to show bigger pictures in your listings

If you have additional tips not listed above, please feel free to post them in the comment section below and share them with the Addoway community. Thank you.

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| Permalink | Addoway, Inc in eCommerce | 22 Comments

Reader Comments (22)

| June 28th 2011 at 1309287568

You are HIRED!!!!!
BTW...who took the pic above?

I have saved this in my AddoTIPS Favorite Folder and will be using this in all my NEW listings!

Thank YOU Fredrick! ♥

Fredrick Nijm | June 28th 2011 at 1309288084

Not sure who took the picture Kim, but it is very nice indeed. :) Hope all is well.

Addoway.com/catsmom/storefront/ | June 28th 2011 at 1309289205

I'm being over run with paper here. I always print off these nice tips from who ever posts them. Now if someone would just post a blog about take great pictures of RINGS, I'd be a happy lady.;

Good blog, Fred, as usual.

Ilene

dale ann schepis

| June 28th 2011 at 1309295101

rings are EASY! its also simple to make your own "lightbox" I made mine with a white styrofoam cooler and I use a natural light lamp i got at Costco for about $15 - simple! the white styrofoam allows you to take a great pic without all the glare.

Fredrick Nijm | June 28th 2011 at 1309296096

You definitely have some of the best photos out there Dale Ann. :)

Donna's Stuff & More | June 28th 2011 at 1309305027

Thanks for the tips!

BargainBasement | June 28th 2011 at 1309306625

Great tips. I like the idea of the styrofoam cooler mentioned by Dale Ann Schepis ^ above. I use a white non-glare background or cork board, never a sheet! Also use an an overhead fluorescent light, never the flash. Use close-up setting and a tripod too.

LouieTheSeller | June 28th 2011 at 1309309431

Great Post! I've always used real photo's for used items and stock photo's for new items. Is this the normal practice? Or is it best to take real pics of all items?

Wild Rags Place | June 28th 2011 at 1309311035

Excellent. I am attempting to pull and retake some photos as i go through and make other additions and corrections to listings.

Indizona Variety | June 28th 2011 at 1309317847

I use a light box. also I like a pale blue background and for small items, I use a textured light blue piece of scrapbook paper that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I have 2 pieces, one for the bottom, and one behind my item. For larger items, I choose whichever background looks the best from the 4 that came with my light box. Some of my older listings don't have pics with the light box.... yet.

Ayuni Gifts of the World | June 28th 2011 at 1309319916

Louie - when an item looks like a "stock" picture, I tend to pass it by. I think it's good to have some real photos of the item.

I have read all the above and heard many times all the suggestions about white and neutral backgrounds etc -- and yet, I love to take my photos on interesting backgrounds - I like contrasting colors & textures..... I know it flies in the face of what everybody says - but I like the pictures that I use..... they look different, interesting - and nobody ever thinks they belong to anybody else!!

Tuckerstuff | June 29th 2011 at 1309332233

Most of my photos are taken at night, so I put a lamp to either side and use a dark background to reduce glare. A lot of my items are warehouse direct, so I use their stock photos in most listings.

Fredrick Nijm | June 29th 2011 at 1309344464 - in reply to LouieTheSeller

Well it depends on the products you are selling, but new stock photos work if those are the best you have, but sometimes you might want to go ahead and change it up, especially if you own the products and are not drop shipping them. This way they don't look like everyone else's product listings. The only way to know is to test :)

Fredrick Nijm | June 29th 2011 at 1309344481 - in reply to BargainBasement

Thank you for the added tips

Fredrick Nijm | June 29th 2011 at 1309344533 - in reply to tuckerstuff

Yeah stock photos work if you never see the items, but in your case or in Ayunigifts case, if you have the items then you have the advantage of taking your own photos and control everything about the listing.

Pink Hill Vintage | June 29th 2011 at 1309347930

This is a great post Fredrick ....and a topic that we can all learn from. Thanks for sharing and to all who added more tips...thanks for those too! ( Thank you for the inspiration on what I wrote on mine for this week!)

Fredrick Nijm | June 29th 2011 at 1309353253

You got it! Thank you

Joyceb

| June 30th 2011 at 1309458800

Some really great tips on photography. Remember digital photography does not require as much light as film, avoid flash on catalog photography as flash creates bounce and changes the color of an item

Cabana Threads | June 30th 2011 at 1309475146

Excellent tips! I can't stand seeing blurry photos of sale items. It takes a little time, but well worth the effort to get a clear shot. With the great cameras around today it's affordable to get something that will do the trick! Photos with flash burn? Same deal...step back and zoom in to avoid that washed out look!

Fredrick Nijm | June 30th 2011 at 1309475187 - in reply to Joyceb

Thank you Joyce and yes you are absolutely right about digital photos. :)

Fredrick Nijm | June 30th 2011 at 1309475210 - in reply to CabanaThreads

Thank you for the extra tips CabanaThreads.

Marsha Collier | July 1st 2011 at 1309535484

Using 5000k bulbs give a pure white light and do not cast unwanted colors. I have tested dozens of bulbs and there are the kind catalog photographers use. Also, try a Cloud Dome for easy focus macro photography of jewelry (also for the best quality shots in true color)

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