Photography is as useful as it is an important art form. More people are trying to start businesses online, many of which involve selling vintage or homemade items on sites ranging from Amazon to Etsy to eBay to Craigslist, and they need to be able to showcase these items online with attractive digital photographs to promote healthy sales. Digital scanning is also important for paintings, photos, drawings, and other flat artwork. But indoor still photography is more difficult than snapping a shot of your friends at the park.
You might think that a decent photo is sufficient and that the product will sell itself on its quality and merits. You would be wrong. A bad product in an awesome photo will usually sell better than a great product that you can’t see clearly.
Two rules should govern every decision you make when taking a digital photograph of something for sale online: the item should be clear and easy to see so potential customers can get a good look at the details of what they’re buying; and the photo should draw attention to that item to make it look interesting and appealing. Any choice you make that in any way interferes with either of these goals should be amended, and you should try to analyze elements of every shot to see if there are any simple steps you can take to improve each of these aspects of the photo.
In general, there are three or four elements of every shot that you can control and which will help you make your item clear and draw attention to it: lighting, staging, framing and camera position, and camera settings – white balance, depth of field, and shutter speed. Many of these ideas apply to all staged photography, just with minor variations depending on the subject and purpose.
Lighting
You want soft, diffuse lighting. It needs to be strong enough that the object is clearly illuminated, but not harsh. Soft lighting is more forgiving and it both makes it easier to get nice highlights and eliminates distracting shadows. To achieve this, you should turn off your flash and try to use natural light. Shoot in the early morning or late afternoon when sunlight isn’t as direct. It doesn’t matter if you work inside or outside, but it’s often easier to control the intensity and direction of light if you shoot inside because you can move the subject around relative to the light source, usually a window.
Staging
You’re going to have to put the subject on something, and there is a temptation to include other objects that are relevant to your theme. But you want simple. A plain tablecloth, some nice, colored construction paper, or even an attractive work table are all fine places to set items for photographing. You don’t want a significant pattern, wrinkles, or anything else in the shot that will be distracting. If it’s a figurine, put it on a slight pedestal if you have it, or if not just set it on the same surfaces as above. If you’re shooting clothing, get a model. You don’t have to use a pro, but a shirt will look better on a live person. Follow the same rules about keeping the shot simple.
Framing and Camera Position
Don’t get too creative with your framing. Remember that your goal is an informative photo, not an artistic one. In general, you want to get the camera as close as possible to the item you’re shooting while still maintain crisp focus. It’s often best to center the item, and you want it to fill the entire frame. This same concept holds for digital scanning with art. In sales, dead space can be distracting. It’s a good idea to try different angles and positions, and take a few photos from each spot just in case you shake or a cloud passes or something.
Camera Settings
First and foremost, take the highest resolution photo you can. Crisp, clear details and a decent visual size are incredibly important. Second, be sure you use the white balance on your camera so colors are natural and accurate. You also want to use a smaller aperture, meaning a higher f-stop number, because this will shrink the depth of field. This allows you to take photos where the item itself is in focus but nothing closer or further from the camera is, thus drawing attention to the object. Let your camera determine the shutter speed so it gets enough light.
Taking a good photo is essential to sell your homemade and used products online successfully, wherever you choose to do this. People are much more likely to get interested in a product if there’s a good photo. Follow these tips and the ideas they represent to tale a better digital photograph of the things you want to sell and you’ll find yourself enjoying more success.
Tags: digital photograph, digital scanning, photo
