In the broadest category on the site there is one photographic method, and it starts with a question.
Ask what the surface is
Shiny — metal, glaze, plastic, glass. Diffuse the light or you photograph the window. Matte — paper, cloth, unglazed clay. Side light brings out texture. Transparent — light from behind as well as the front. Dark — more light than you think, bounced, never direct.
Almost every collectible is one of those, and the setup follows.
The shot that sells
Three-quarter, whole, plain background, soft daylight, with the edition number or maker's mark visible if there is one.
The shot that prevents the dispute
The damage and the packaging. Both, deliberately, and neither cropped.
The list
- Whole piece, three-quarter and square on
- Every face of the box, if boxed
- Maker's marks, numbering, certificates — readable
- Scale, with something ordinary in frame
- Every fault
- Contents laid out, for anything with parts
Background
Plain, mid-tone, non-reflective. A patterned cloth makes a camera guess at exposure and a buyer guess at colour.
What goes wrong
Using the maker's catalogue image, which is not yours and hides your item's condition. Intellectual property.
Also: shooting at night under one yellow bulb, and cropping so scale is unreadable.
Questions people ask
How many photographs is enough?
Enough that nothing is left to discover on arrival. Usually six to ten.
Does editing count as dishonest?
Straightening and cropping, no. Changing colour or removing a mark, yes.
Is video worth adding?
For anything that turns, opens or moves, always.
More: selling collectibles, describing them.