I suppose the works of Ansel Adams or Alfred Stieglitz belong in a museum for a reason.
Now, I realize that eBay is not the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the number of dark, fuzzy auction pictures, or items with flash flares, are so prevalent online that I often wonder how they get bids at all. When I'm going to purchase an item online, the picture makes up at least 50% of my decision. I really like to see what I'm buying.
With that in mind, I'm going to attempt to straddle the fine line between art and commerce, quickness and quality. In short, here are some down and dirty tips for eliminating some very common picture maladies.
Bad Focus
The majority of digital cameras used by online auction sellers are point-and-shoot, which means that you don't have to adjust a focus ring to bring your subject into sharp view. On many of these units, when you press the shutter button half way, it will focus on the subject and give you an indicator light if it's okay to press the button completely down. This is basic but important.
If your camera has a normal focus range of 50 cm, you can't get any closer to your subject than 50 cm and still maintain focus. Your camera may also have a macro setting, such as 20 cm, that allows you to take extreme close-ups. You'll still be limited by how close you can get to your item and still keep a focused image. The manual that comes with your camera should have the specifications.
Another cause of blurriness is from shooting pictures hand-held. I don't have a steady hand, but that didn't keep me from earning a living as a videographer. My best accessory has always been a tripod. A basic, functional tripod costs around $30 and will start paying dividends almost immediately. Shooting from a tripod allows you to keep your shots rock-steady.
Hot Spots on Items
I buy and sell advertising collectibles on eBay. I can't keep track of the number of metal items I see online that have big, glaring hot spots right in the middle of them. This is caused by the flash reflecting directly back into the camera. Some items absorb the light from the flash better than others, but if your item has a reflective surface, it could cause a problem.
Observe the technique that is used on television talk shows. Whenever a guest is on, promoting a book or a product, the close-up is taken with the product tilted forward a bit to eliminate any glare from the overhead lights. Apply that concept when you're taking auction pictures. Keep your items pointed away from your flash.
The tendency is to take pictures from a point that is higher than your item. If you are propping a flat, shiny item on a couch or against a wall, the item will lean back a bit. If you're standing higher than your item, the light will reflect directly back into your camera when you take a flash picture, causing a hot spot. Tilt the top of the item forward a bit. If the item won't stay, get someone to hold it. I'd rather see someone's hand in the picture than a total meltdown right in the center of an item. http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/pictip1.JPG
You may still get a flare on the edge of a flat product, but with a little experimentation, you should be able to find a happy medium where the composition of the image is acceptable and the flash glare has been drastically reduced.
Round or cylindrical items are more problematic, and you may want to try eliminating the flash altogether. This is where knowing your camera can be a great asset. If you have shutter speed or exposure adjustments on your camera, you can effectively eliminate the use of a flash. Shutter speed adjusts the amount of light the shutter allows into your camera. The longer you keep the shutter open, the brighter your image will be. On my Kodak camera, I can set shutter speed from under 1 second all the way up to 16 seconds. If there is a reasonable light source, even the fastest manual setting will bring the image brightness up considerably. Keep in mind that you'll have to lock your camera down on a tripod - because you're leaving the shutter open for a longer amount of time, any camera movement will cause blurring.
If your camera doesn't have manual settings, take your items to the most brightly lit room in your house. (If it's convenient and the weather is nice, try shooting outside.) Choose an area where the background won't be distracting and the light will be to your back, and snap away!
Overexposing Items with the Flash.
This is a real problem with white or light-colored items, especially when attempting to take close-ups of details. When the flash goes off, it tends to overpower everything in the scene and you're left with a white Supernova in the middle of your picture. Here's a tip for getting nice and close with your camera flash and still being able to take a clear picture.
Professional photographers are never without diffusion or frost gels. These materials spread light over a wide area when a flash is used, to avoid flares and hotspots. Translucent household materials such as tracing paper or wax paper can be used to produce a relatively large diffused light area. (Flammable materials must be kept out of contact with the flash to prevent their catching fire - although with a digital camera flash, this is extremely unlikely.)
Hold the diffusion material a few inches in front of your camera flash, without getting it in the way of the lens. If the picture is still too bright, fold the material in half and try again. You should be able to find a happy medium where the light is bright enough to discern detail in your subject, yet not have it "blown away" by the flash. http://www.auctionbytes.com/images/pictip2.JPG
Speaking of overexposure, keep your clothes on if you're taking pictures of mirrored items. Many of you have probably seen the infamous picture circulating in the forums called "Reflection in the Tea Pot!"
Conclusion
These may not be ideal solutions, and they'll take a little experimentation, but they attempt to balance picture quality and speed. The key is to experiment and get to know your camera better. You probably won't have your own photography exhibit by following these hints, but hopefully, you should make a little more money!
