Choosing A Tripod For eBay Product Photogrpahy

A tripod is very useful for you in product photography. When you are taking indoor photographs in natural light or other low light situations, the camera's shutter speed will be slow. Any shutter speed under 1/30 of a second will cause blurry pictures if you try to hold the camera in your hands.



CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRIPOD: There are so many types, styles, sizes and weights that buying a tripod can bea daunting task. Prices on tripods range from cheap to very expensive. Whenchoosing your tripod, look for one that is easy to set up, easy to use, and thathas controls which are easy to adjust. Consider these factors:
STABILITY/WEIGHT:Large, heavy tripods give you the most stability. That said, consider where you will be using your tripod and what attachments you’ll have on your camera. If you plan on using additional lenses, other than the lens that comes with the camera, remember that a large heavy lens on the front of your camera can unbalance and topple a lightweight tripod. If you are going on location, buy the heaviest tripod that you can carry comfortably. The weight of the tripod will add stability when shooting outside in the wind. Weather is seldom a concern when shooting inside, so if you are just carrying the tripod from one indoor location to another, the excess weight could be a draw back. If you haven’t bought a camera yet, or if you don’t really know exactly how and where you will be using your new digital camera, don’t worry.
What youwant is a reliable, middleweight tripod for studio work.
MAXIMUM & MINIMUM HEIGHT: A tripod's height is adjustable. When purchasing one, you will want to knowthree things: maximum height (tallest), minimum height (lowest) and collapsed size (for carrying). You want the tripod to extend high enough for comfortable viewing, so you don’t have to bend over when looking at theLCD screen or through the lens. Most tripods have a center extension pole that can be raised for a little extra height. However, be careful not to extend this center pole too high. It will cause your tripod to become unstable. For height, get a tripod with long legs. Even when the legs are fully extended, the tripod remains balanced.The lowest extension of the tripod becomes more important if you are doing table top photography. Be sure the minimum height is not too tall to work with on your photography table. To accommodate both table top and normal shots, you might find two tripods do the job better than one. If you switch back and forth between very small and larger pieces, you’ll appreciate having a way to quickly switch setups.The folded size is important for carrying and storage. The folded size will depend partly on the number of sections in the legs and partly on the lengthof those sections. As you probably expect, folded size varies.
CENTER COLUMN: Going hand in hand with leg height consideration is the center column. Center columns on cheaper tripods tend to be too long and flimsy to providea firm support when raised more than a few inches. Look for a balanced center column - one that moves easily up and down - and locks firmly into place easily.
TRIPOD HEADS: Most tripod heads have basic three-way pan and tilt features. That’s probably all that you will need for product photography. Ball heads are smaller, lighterand a lot more expensive (and, of course, easier to use) but they are not necessity. Always test your camera on the tripod head to make sure the head will allow free movement and rotation without the camera bumping into any part of the tripod.
LOCKING MECHANISM: Check the locking mechanism on the legs. Make sure the locks are easy to use and that the legs are held firmly into place. Older tripods had caps that needed to be screwed and unscrewed to release the legs. Newer ones have thumb locks that are much easier to release and secure.
QUICK RELEASE: A Quick Release is a really great feature. It is so useful that it has quickly become standard on almost all newer tripods. The Quick Release is a platethat is left permanently screwed into the tripod thread on the bottom of yourcamera. It fits into a quick release holder on the tripod head. Once the Quick Release is attached to your camera, you simply push a lever on the tripodwhile lowering the camera and plate onto the head. Let the lever go and thecamera is locked in place on the tripod. This is very useful if you need to usethe camera both on and off the tripod.

For more information, or to purchase a tripod visit CloverCity Sells

Photographing New Sealed In Package Items For Your Listings

NEW IN SEALED PACKAGE
Should you take a new item out of the box to photograph it? That depends.
Most of the time, a photo of the box is sufficient. Most manufactures have spent a great deal of time designing their packages to be attractive. Let the package speak for your product if the item is sealed and you don't want tobreak the shrink-wrap.
If the item isn't shrink-wrapped, take it out of the box and photograph it, possibly including the box as part of the photograph. This will assure your buyerer that the item is new with box, and you have taken it out of the box to inspect and photograph it.
Many times while researching a new item, you may find a great photo of the product online and think to yourself "Mine's still wrapped. This photo isfantastic! I'll just cut and paste this one into my listing." Don't do it no matter how tempting it is! Unless you are an authorized dealer for the product, you will be violating copyright laws. If the original photographer or copyright owner clicks into your ad and sees that you have borrowed their image, they can - and often will - immediately shut your listing down.
How likely is a copyright holder to stumble across your auction? More and more, manufacturers are employing people to police online sites, looking for unauthorized use of their intellectual property. The online auction sites cooperatewith the legal owners in these efforts, and generally pull a listing without notice. On eBay, this is referred to as a VeRO violation (VerifiedRights Owner). Yes, some sellers may seem to get away with it.

But an increasing number of auctions are terminated early because of VeROviolations.

Stay out of trouble, read Easy Auction Photography by Cindy Shebley!

How Many Photographs For Your eBay Listing?

How Many Photographs?

How many photographs does your listing need? The simple answer is: as many as it takes to show every detail a potential buyer needs to know. Because connection speeds vary and your buyers' patience isn't unlimited, you may wonder, exactly how many is enough? How many are too many?

Sadly, there is no simple formula to determine the correct number of photos. The very minimum needed is one. Buyers need to see the item to feel comfortable buying it. They can't touch it, so it is doubly important that they see a good picture of it. The first photo in a listing is usually free - and I say, "Never pass up free." Always include at least on picture.

What Do Buyers Look For?

What product information are potential buyers looking for?

In general, the first thing buyers want to know is that your truly have the piece - so a full shot of the item is a good place to start. Many online sellers are "Drop Shippers" - people who act as agents for the distributors of certain products. The person listing the item never has it in his or her possession. They can't guarantee that it is in stock or that it will be shipped promptly. These sellers usually have "canned" product shots that are instantly recognizable. Your photographs will set you apart from such sellers, and may make your listings more appealing.

Next buyers want to know specific things about the item, such as condition, color, imperfection's, etc. You can best answer these questions and document your article's condition through photographs.

Not every product will require the same sorts of photos. Collectibles like coins or stamps may have variations that make them especially valuable, for instance, and you'll want to concentrate on those details. Think about what questions you would ask if you were buying (rather than selling) your item, and let that be your guide.

Here's a general list of additional areas to photograph:

• Damage to the item - chips, cracks repairs, rips, wear marks, flaws of any kind
• Signatures - On the bottom of most pottery or glass there is a manufacturer's stamp or signature. On hand made items or crafts, if there is a signature - photograph it. It doesn't matter if you can't read the signature clearly. Someone might recognize it and bid according
• Labels and tags on clothing.
• Close-up of the pattern
• Certificate of Authenticity
• The backside - people like to see both sides and the bottom and top
• Any accessory (including software) that comes with the main item
• The plug - This is especially important for vintage collectibles that require electricity. Many people want to see if the wires are frayed or if the plug is grounded. For modern equipment, buyers may be able to discern special requirements for voltage or electrical outlets by seeing the plug.

Other situations may require special photos. For instance:

• Before and after shots are important if you are selling a product that, when used, improves something. For instance, if you were selling rust remover, you might photograph a rusty, tarnished kettle and then show the same kettle cleaned up and gleaming after the rust remover was used.
• If you are selling vehicles, photograph the interior, exterior, engine and trunk.

This list is a place to start when your are considering what you need to photograph to sell your item.

The text above is used with permission from Easy Auction Photography, A Guide For Everyone Who Sells On The Internet. To Find out more, or to purchase go to www.ezauctionphotos.com