This document provides tips for taking good product photos for online selling. It emphasizes using available cameras instead of expensive ones, focusing on lighting, composition, filling the frame, and minor photo editing. Good photos are important for online selling as they allow customers to visualize products and increase sales. Background, props, angles, and details should be considered to showcase products professionally. Both natural lighting and a clean background are recommended.

1. May 13 & 14, 2013
Julie Kittredge
Business Services Advisor
jkittredge@ahml.info

2. Why are good photos important?
 Pictures sell – think about how you shop on
Ebay or Craigslist.
 It indicates you took the time to present
yourself well.
 Quality pictures communicate quality products
 It’s a reflection of your branding
 It an education tool – to help customers
visualize how it will look in their home, on
their body, in use.

3. Do I need an awesome Camera?
 Use what you have
 Don’t invest in a new camera until what you
have is limiting you
 Even the iphone can give you decent results if
you use apps for basic editing
 A nice camera does help but is not imperative.
 Learning the rules of composition will help
your pictures look better immediately

4. Places to Share your Photos
 Website
 Blog posts
 Etsy shop, Ebay store, online e-commerce store,
decorating a physical bricks & morter shop.
 Event promotion or recap
 Facebook
 Instagram
 Pinterest
 Flickr

5. Choose your Subject
 What is your focus?
 Photos tell a story – using
props can help to stylize
or stage your photos
 Be careful that your props
don’t take center stage
 Make sure your camera’s
focal point is focusing on
your subject

6. What’s nearby?
 Be aware of your surroundings
 Watch your background
 Use a white foldable science presentation
board or sturdy foamcore as a clean base and
background
 Crop in tight to avoid distracting
backgrounds

7. Look for the Light
 Shoot indoors near a
big window
 Use natural light, never
use flash
 If shooting outdoors,
choose a shady spot or
an overcast day
 Never, never shoot in
direct bright light

8. Look for the Light (example)

9. Composition
 Fill the Frame – zoom in tight!
 Rule-of-thirds: focus and recompose if needed
 Get down to the level of your subject
 Change your angle – up high, down low, from the side
 Capture the details

10. Fill the Frame

11. Rule-of-Thirds

12. Get Down to the Right Level

13. Change Your Angle

14. Capture the Details

15. Designers Style the Shot
 Show the item
 Show the details
 Shoot the item in use – illustrate what the item
might look like in real life
 Hang or frame the picture/painting
 Show clothes/scarves/jewelry on a model
 Display item beautifully
 Look at other shops for inspiration

16. Example

17. Example

18. Examples of Photos That Sell

19. Minor photo editing is important
 To make professional looking images, light editing will
make your good pictures great!
 Picasa, Pixlr, Gimp (free - online)
 Photoshop Elements ($69 – Adobe software)
 Brighten
 Create depth by increasing contrast (slightly)
 Adjust the lighting or white balance (warm vs. cool)
 Crop
 Straighten
 Resize for the web

20. Organizing Your Images
2013
• January
• February
• March
o Birthday party
o St Patricks Day
o Randolph Street Craft Fair
2013 OR
• Etsy
o Scarves
o Prints
o Hats
• Ebay
o Jewelry
o Vintage
o Costume
• Clothes
o Girls
o Boys

21. Quote
“To consult the rules of composition before making
a picture is a little like consulting the law of
gravitation before going for a walk.”
~ Edward Weston