If you’ve ever wished you could take better photos on your iPhone, you’re not alone.
While it used to be true that you needed a large, expensive camera to take quality photos, the times have changed. Right now, you can make beautiful photos of your store’s consignment items with the camera you already have in your pocket – your iPhone. The question, then, is how.
Luckily, it’s not nearly as difficult as it might sound. Let’s dive in.
6 iPhone Photography Tips for Stunning Consignment Store Photos
Whether you’re looking to showcase a new item for your consignment store or just up your Instagram feed, these six tips can help you make the most of your iPhone photo skills:
1. Keep it Simple
The first step to taking great photos with your iPhone is to keep it simple. The less clutter in the frame, the better chance you’ll have of getting a crystal-clear, compelling photo.
With this in mind, keep your pictures to one subject at a time. Instead of taking a photo of an item on a rack, hang it alone against a wall on a hanger. Remember: it’s easier to create a strong composition when you’re only shooting a single item.
2. Keep Your Angle Low
Instead of holding your iPhone at chest height when you take a photo, lower it to capture a different angle.
Not only does this showcase a new perspective, but it makes it easier to catch unique details on your items and create a more interesting visual experience.
3. Capture Multiple Angles
In the world of consignment sales photography, detail is everything, and multiple angles will help you communicate it better than virtually anything else. With this in mind, be sure to move around the subject as you photograph it. If you’re taking pictures of a couch, for example, you may take a head-on picture, one from the back, a few from the top, and even one of the underside of the sofa.
This gives buyers the confidence they need to make a purchase, even if they’ve not yet seen the item in person.
Note: Capturing multiple angles also means providing an honest depiction of any blemishes or damage an item might have. Not only does this inspire customer confidence (people love honesty), but it helps people sort through your inventory more efficiently.
4. Use a Third-Party App
If you’re taking photos inside your store or of your consignment materials, download a third-party camera app to take greater control of your photos.
These apps feature a wide variety of camera control settings, including shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and exposure, and can provide the manual manipulation opportunities you need to create more beautiful visuals. These images can then go out on social media to help you drive traffic, or become fodder for your website.
5. Use the “Square” Setting for Instagram Photos
When you open your iPhone camera, you’ll see a variety of photo settings just above the shutter button. “Square” is one of the options there. Use this setting if you know you’re shooting photos for Instagram.
Shooting photos in the mode you intend to publish them decreases the amount of editing you have to do and helps ensure you’re creating a beautiful visual product for your customers.
6. Invest in Good Lighting
Depending on your lighting, a coat on a hanger can look like an irresistible vintage find…or a limp old coat on a hanger. If you want to take photos that sell, investing in good lighting is your first step. Don’t worry, though – it’s not a massive one.
If you have plenty of natural light in your space, use that to create beautiful photos. You can also visit your local photo store to pick up a few standing lights. This is a great step if you sell a large volume of items online, or if you specialize in detailed or vintage items that need to look their best!
Better iPhone Photography Starts Here
Great iPhone photography is within reach! You just need to learn a few nifty tricks. Learning basic photo composition and lighting can significantly increase the quality of your photos and drive more online purchases. Customers are increasingly becoming more comfortable with making online purchases on used items, but by taking high-quality photos of your best products, you’ll make your customer’s decisions easier than ever.
