Photo Studio Setup-Natural Light (left), Artificial Light (right)

The basic items you need for either setup is a digital camera, tripod, and back drop. I would also suggest a GretagMacbeth Color Checker Mini Gray Balance Card for reasons I will describe in the next post in this series—Photo Editing.

Digital Camera
You probably already have a digital camera that will work just fine. It should be at least 4 MP and have an aperture preferred mode of shooting.  Depending the on the size of the object you are photographing you may run into a depth of field issue (the front part of the object is sharp and the back is fuzzy) Setting the aperture manually instead of shooting in Auto mode on close up shots will solve this problem. Remember the higher the number the more depth of field you will have.  I use a Canon G5, a 5 MP camera that I have had for a number of years, and get very good results shooting my ceramic birds. 

Back Drop (or Background)
I prefer a neutral background (neutral is black, white, or gray, not biege or tan) Assuming the object you are photographing is small enough to be placed on a table I recommend a neutral gray flat (not shiny) background. White and black are other common choices, however a neutral gray is the best for shooting a colorful object.  I bought a couple yards of a gray fleece at a local fabric store. Before you buy the fabric look at it under natural light to make sure it is really gray and doesn’t have a little blue or other color cast. Also, you can get a smoother background with fleece than with a harder fabric. Note how the fleece is pulled away from the bottom edge of the box to make a smooth background.  If you can’t move the object you will want to remove as much clutter from around it before you shoot. You don’t want other objects to compete with the  item you are trying to sell.

Natural Light Set Up
My natural light set up is outside on our patio. This works in Minnesota in the summer, but I will either use our four season porch or artificial light in the winter. The important thing to note when using natural light is not to set up in direct sunlight. A bright cloudy day is great or wait until the area you selected is in the shade. The ideal setting would be a North facing room with big windows to bring in the natural light. (Now you know why artists like north facing studios.) The main advantage of using natural light is that you avoid shadows and glare that are difficult to avoid using artificial light unless you use a light tent.

Artificial Light Set Up
For indoor shooting I set up on the pool table in our lower level (a fancy name for basement). I have two daylight desk lamps that I position to minimize shadows and glare. You can also use a light tent and position the lights on the outside of the tent to diffuse the light and eliminate the shadows. I ordered one today so I will see how much difference that makes. Here is a photo comparison between the two lighting set ups. I do prefer the natural light approach, but the artificial light set up is pretty good.

Compare Artificial Light (left) with Natural Light (right)

Use a Tripod and Get Close
I recommend using a tripod and getting as close to the subject as practical. There are a number of reasons for using a tripod:

1. Unless you are shooting with a flash, which you do not want to do anyway, it is difficult to hold the camera steady enough to achieve a sharply focused close up image.

2. Since you will want to take multiple photos from different angles to give the prospective bidder an accurate impression of the item.  It is a lot easier and faster to take multiple photos if the camera remains in one position as you move the item.

3. Using a tripod with and adjustable head that will rotate the camera both vertically and horizontally will allow you to get the perspective that best illustrates the design and quality of the item.

4. If you have a number is similar items to photograph it is much faster with a camera on a tripod than holding it in your hand. I photographed 15 birds taking about 4 shots per bird in less than 10 minutes.

Below is the original natural light photo of the birds in the above comparison photo as an example of a close up shot that will show the detail and the quality of the birds. Although I used the Auto mode instead of the recommended Aperture Priority mode the overall focus of the birds is very good.  The lighting was pretty bright so the auto aperture setting was high enough to achieve an acceptable depth of field. As a general guide I would suggest setting the Aperture at f8 or higher. The camera will compensate for higher f-stops by slowing down the shutter speed—another reason to always use a tripod. Note that the gray card was positioned so it could be cropped out of the photo but still allowed for a high resolution close up of the birds.

Original Bird Photo Before Photo Editing

What Resolution?
Since I have a 5 MP camera I always shoot at the maximum resolution which gives results in a pixel count 2592×1944. While this is certainly a much higher resolution than you will upload to eBay it will give you enough to crop and show portions of the item for added detail. Cropping, resizing and color correction will be a topic in the next post on the Better eBay Sales with Better Photos series. If you have an 8 or 10 MP camera you could shoot at about half the maximum resolution (minimum of 4MP recommended). Here is an example of close cropping to show detail of the lower bird. A word of caution—not all photo editing programs will maintain the sharpness when cropping. This will be discussed in the next post on photo editing.

Crop Photo to Show Detail

Next Step: Photo Editing
Yes, even after you take the time and care to create your “Photo Shoot Studio” you will still have to edit the photo to optimize the presentation for maximum sales appeal. But, take heart. Help is on the way. I will cover photo editing for eBay in the next post.

Edit Photo for Maximum Sales Appeal-Before/After with CorrectPhoto

Wayne  www.correctphoto.com

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Wayne http://www.correctphoto.com