A saree is a large object whose value lives in details too small to see in a photograph of the whole thing. So you need both.
The shot that sells
The saree draped or spread so the pallu and the border are visible together, in daylight. That is the frame that makes somebody stop.
The shot that prevents the dispute
The reverse of the weave, close. It is where handloom and powerloom differ visibly, where the zari is readable, and where no description substitutes for an image.
The list
- Whole saree, spread or draped, daylight
- Pallu, close
- Border, close, both ends
- Reverse of the weave
- Zari, close enough to see the thread
- Blouse piece, if included
- Every fold line, stain, pull or repair, deliberately
Light
Daylight, always, and never mixed. A tube light plus daylight makes the colour unrecoverable, and colour is the most common honest disappointment in this category.
Avoid direct sun, which blows out zari into a white smear. Open shade near a window is the right light.
Colour
Shoot once near the window and say in the listing what the colour looks like in daylight versus indoors. Screens differ; an honest note costs nothing. Common mistakes.
What goes wrong
Shooting folded on a bed, shooting at night, and ironing before the show — heat on zari is a risk with no upside.
Questions people ask
Should I model it?
If you want to. It does not replace a flat shot of the border and the reverse.
How do I show softness or weight?
Video — a slow fall of the fabric says what no still frame can.
Does a hanger work?
For a kurta or lehenga, yes. For a saree, spread it.
More: selling sarees, describing condition.