Photos are often the key to making sales online whether it so through Etsy or eBay. A good photo draws viewers in and also showcases the product to its best advantage. Light boxes make a huge difference in the image quality but can be pricey. In this post we show you how to create your own light box like setup and take better photos for selling items online.
Our friend and Etsy artisan Azuree shows us how to make our own lightbox like set up to take better product photos.
What You Need
Equipment [OR] Tools:- white poster board
- camera
- product to be photographed
Instructions
1. Use the white posterboard to create a box. Since Azuree's table was already white, she taped poster boards to her shelf and and chair to create the box. If you don't have a white table you might consider laying down a piece of poster board.
2. Work with your available light and adjust your camera accordingly. These images were shot a little after dinner time as the sun was starting to set, so she set her ISO to 400 and opened up her aperture to let more light in. The goal is to have a nice white background image where the product is the focus.
3. Don't be afraid to experiment when taking product shots. Try a few different angles and don't erase them until after you've seen the images on your computer!
4.Import your images and make any needed adjustments, like white balance.
5. Export in a variety of sizes. We recommend a small icon version as well as a larger version.
6.Upload to your online retailer and happy selling!
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(Images: Azuree Wiitala)
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luckily we have white walls and a white dining room table (melltorp) in the kitchen. the table is already up against the wall, so it's SUPER easy to take ebay photos!
@ kristen lubbe Lucky you! I have to box it up when photo time arrives.
I always have a white background, but I'll vary the surface, from our white ikea tv stand, to a piece of industrial looking plywood, to our antique farm table depending on the feel I'm going for. Always in natural light.
I always thought a lightbox was something that diffuses the light so it wraps more evenly around the subject like this DIY version that uses tissue paper.
The setup here serves more as a light reflector and clean background. Not a bad thing at all, but you have less control over the light. BTW I usually prefer foamcore over posterboard for these setups because it's easier to get it to stand up.