Photos are extremely important in becoming a successful online seller. For those who are thinking of giving online selling a try, here are my tips for taking great product photos.
1 Good Lighting
Photo Credit: myam
It is a great idea to take your photos when you have amazing lighting. I am talking about a sunny day or a set of lights that will let you capture accurate images of your product. Now you don't really need very expensive lights to get great photos. As long as you have a great source of natural light, you're good to go. Taking photos at night and using flash are two things I do not recommend. I took the photo above one very hot afternoon. I was sweating like a pig but my image turned out great, in my opinion.
2 Nothing Blurry
Photo Credit: sunsetgirl creations
If you have blurry photos, I will not buy your products. Your customers will not have the benefit of an actual item to examine so it is important that you take clear photos. I recommend that you use a tripod. Make sure that your item is not moving, too.
3 Nothing Overly Edited
Photo Credit: Rubyran
As an online seller, it is important that you post a photo that shows what the item really looks like. In other words, do not edit the photo to give it a vintage-y feel or add tacky frames or something like that. Now the photos you take may not exactly show the colors of the product so you will need to edit them a bit. You can edit the contrast or color balance to match the actual item but do not overdo it.
4 Show Details
Photo Credit: Margarida Sardo
What I like to do is take macro shots of the items I'm selling. This way, I can somehow show the texture of the fabric, bead, or whatever material I used.
5 Show Size
Photo Credit: PetitPlat Food Art - Stephanie Kilgast
If you are an online seller, you know that not everyone will read your description. Even if you write down the dimensions of your products, not everyone will have an idea how long a 12-inch thing is or how thick a 2-inch item might be. What you can do is take a photo of your product beside something recognizable, such as a mobile phone. Anything that shows size reference will be very important.
6 Show Different Angles
Photo Credit: anda ?
Often, a simple full frontal photo will not do. Show the interior and different sides of your product. Again, this is easy to do if you have a tripod.
7 Post a Large Image
Photo Credit: amibutton
Online selling platforms will give you a max size for photos. Some will even suggest a good size to upload. Follow the DPI or resolution that they suggest. If you post something closer to a thumbnail, you will have a hard time making sales.
8 Show Sample Product in Use
Photo Credit: myam
Okay, this is not very important but it can't hurt. I admit that I like browsing online stores with lookbooks so you can do something similar. If you're selling a vintage dress, style it fabulously and photograph it using a gorgeous model. The photo above shows a paintbrush holder I made and I have to say I liked taking photos of it with actual paintbrushes and paint tubes.
Top Photo Credit: Kup Kup Land