Using Models for your Pictures
by A.B. Russell
eBay Staff Member

I'd like to continue this month by focusing on people pictures. They can be very important if you're selling items that need to be modeled, such as clothing. Below are some tips and techniques you can use to improve these photos.

Almost everyone has either said or heard someone say that a photo makes them look bigger than they really are. While this isn't always the case, you want to present the clothing articles you're selling in the best possible light, so this issue is worth considering.

There's a simple way to make a photo of someone modeling an item look thinner. Simply angle the model at 45 degrees to the camera. Very often this will make a person look several - even many pounds -- lighter. For lighting, softer light is usually better; even if that means that you need to backlight your subject. In fact, I like backlighting a lot, and use it quite often. Remember that harsh lighting will exaggerate some features, such as wrinkles, which may present your item differently than you would like.

Be certain that your model is standing or sitting straight. A slouched posture will detract from your photo and your item.

Another thing you may want to do is experiment with your lighting setup. Usually, photographers will use a setup that is three times brighter on one side than on the other. This means that there will be one f stop-and-a-half difference between the brightest side of the subject and the other. Which side is brighter is often a decision to be made by the photographer, or is dictated by the situation. I'll be discussing this more in future articles.

Be sure to pay attention to detail. You don't want to show a loose string or a fly landing on the item you're trying to sell. If you want to use an outdoor scene, be sure to place your subject so that it doesn't look like he or she has a tree or telephone pole growing out of their head. You can also use selective focus, a topic I'll be talking about soon, to help a busy background become much less distracting.

This advice is good for other items, too, and also for candid photos. It can be a lot to keep in mind, but remember that your photos will be better off for it.