How to Pack a Punch with Great Auction Photos!

Are you an Ebay seller looking for ways to improve your auction listings? There's nothing that jazzes up an auction more than great photos! Taking good photos can mean the difference between selling the item for a good price and what that's barely acceptable. That's why it's so important that you master the art of taking professional auction photos.

If you're serious about selling on Ebay, you're going to need to purchase a digital camera. The one exception would be if you're to selling an item that can be effectively scanned on a flatbed scanner such as books, magazines, DVD's, CD's, etc. Most other items are going to be best reproduced by using a digital camera.

Finding a good digital camera is not cost prohibitive these days as prices are rapidly coming down. I would suggest reading up on the different options on the internet and then doing some price comparisons on Ebay as well as the shopping comparison sites. Believe me, it'll be well worth the investment! In addition, you may want to consider purchasing a tripod particularly if you hand is shaky when holding a camera.

I would choose a corner of a room to set up a small area for photographing your items. Move a large table into the room and use this as your base for photographing your items. You're going to need to avoid shadows and glare. To do this, you can purchase a photo cube at your local camera store that's very effective in blocking out unsightly reflections and shadows.

You should also purchase a light to use with your photo cube. Since the photo cube is translucent it will diffuse any light that enters it, making it necessary to have only one light source. I would visit a reputable camera dealer and let them know what you're going to be photographing and they can help you with the setup.

In general, the more photos you include in your auction listing, the more money your auction will generate. As an experiment, I listed an item with two photographs on Ebay and listed the exact same item again with five photographs. The listing with five photos sold for almost three times the amount as the one with only two photos!

Here are some photo tips that will help you generate higher sales:

1. Take multiple photos from all angles. Show not only the good, but also any dents, scratches, or imperfections.

2. Always use good lighting. If you don't have a photo cube and light available, use natural light but avoid using the flash feature on your camera.

3. Use closeup photos whenever possible. Not only do they look more appealing but they also make the buyer feel confident that they're seeing all of the flaws.

4. Once you have your photos, use photo editing software to make any corrections to your photos. I would suggest cropping as much as the surrounding background out of the photo as possible. This creates a much more appealing picture. You can also do any necessary light or color correction using photo editing software. One free photo editing software you can use that's available online is called Picasa.

5. Always have a simple background for your photos. The best way to do this is to use a neutral background that contrasts with your object. Avoid having any other props, distractors, or patterns in your photograph. You want the attention to be focused on the item you're selling.

6. Consider using your ISP to host your auction photos. You can save quite a bit of money this way since Ebay charges for any additional photos beyond the first one.

Now that you know the secrets of taking great photos, put them into practice and watch your bids sour to new heights!