How to take better photos with a phone
Feb 17, 2025
Step-By-Step: Taking Better Photos With Your Phone
Great photos help your items sell faster and for higher prices. Whether you’re reselling clothes, electronics, collectibles, or anything else, your phone is a powerful tool for creating crisp, attractive images. Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly guide to taking better photos with your phone and organizing your reselling operation for smoother sales.
1. Clean Your Lens First
Before you start, wipe your phone’s camera lens with a clean, soft cloth. Dust, fingerprints, or smudges can make your photos look blurry or hazy. A clean lens ensures every shot is sharp and clear.
2. Use Good Lighting
Natural light is best: Take photos near a window during the day, but avoid direct sunlight that causes harsh shadows.
If you need artificial light, use a desk lamp with a daylight bulb and diffuse it by taping a white napkin over the shade.
Never use your phone’s flash—it often creates glare and unnatural colors.
3. Choose a Simple Background
Place your item on a plain background—white poster board or a clean sheet works well.
Avoid busy patterns that distract buyers from the item.
If selling small items, consider using a light box for an even, professional look.
4. Frame Your Shot
Center the item and fill most of the frame with it—leave just a little space around the edges.
Tap your phone’s screen to focus on the item, especially if it has details like text or fine textures.
Take photos at eye level with the object, not from above or at an awkward angle.
5. Take Multiple Angles
Photograph the front, back, sides, and any important labels or features.
If there’s damage or wear, show it clearly—transparency builds buyer trust.
Take close-ups of details (like stitching, tags, or serial numbers).
6. Edit for Clarity—But Don’t Overdo It
Use your phone’s built-in editing tools to adjust brightness and crop the image, but avoid over-saturating colors or adding heavy filters.
Keep the photo true to how the item looks in real life.
7. Stay Organized: Centralize Your Photos and Listings
Once you’ve taken great photos, organizing them is key—especially if you plan to sell across multiple platforms (eBay, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, etc.).
Create folders on your phone or in cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox) for different items or categories.
Rename photos with clear, searchable names (e.g., "Nike Air Max Red Size 10").
Consider using a central inventory system, such as Gavelbase, to keep listings, photos, and sales in sync across all your platforms. This helps you avoid double-selling, track what’s listed where, and see what’s sold at a glance.
8. Assign Basic Team Roles (If You’re Not Solo)
Divide tasks: One person handles photography, another writes descriptions or manages listings, someone else tracks shipping.
If you’re using a system like Gavelbase, you can assign roles and permissions so everyone stays organized and focused.
9. Track Sales, Fees, and Inventory
Keep a simple spreadsheet, notebook, or use an inventory tool to record what you’ve listed, where, and for how much.
Track sale prices, platform fees, and costs—this helps you understand your actual profit.
With a central system, you can generate basic reports and spot which items or categories sell best.
10. Handle Shipping or Pickup Smoothly
For shipping, have materials (boxes, tape, labels) ready. Print shipping labels at home if possible to save time.
For local pickup, choose a safe, public location and confirm details with your buyer in advance.
Update your inventory system the moment an item ships or is picked up so your listings stay accurate everywhere.
Pro Tips for Beginners
Keep your setup simple—don’t wait for fancy gear. A clean phone lens and natural light are your best friends.
Batch your work: Photograph several items at once, then edit and upload them together.
Review what top sellers in your niche are doing and aim to match (or beat) their photo quality and organization.
Final Thoughts
Better photos aren’t about expensive equipment—they’re about attention to detail, good light, and honest presentation. When you combine those basics with organized inventory and teamwork, your reselling business will run smoother and your listings will stand out. Start with these easy steps and keep improving as you go—your phone, your wallet, and your buyers will thank you!