VINTAGE SHAKESPEARE / ROOT ARCHERY: How Photography Can Sell Your Vintage Bow

Great Photos Will Help You Sell Your

Vintage Bow

(all photos used are actual photos found on eBay auctions)

Let's begin!

Although eBay is infamous for having poor product photos, I'm always impressed by the lack of quality of some of the pictures used in auctions. If you search for "Recurves, longbows" on eBay, you'll come across a mix of both excellent and terrible photos. High-quality photos are essential for selling your bow successfully, whereas low-quality photos can hinder your sales. This holds true whether you're selling vintage archery equipment or electronics.

Cameras

Nowadays, smartphones have impressive camera capabilities that are perfect for capturing photos to share online. With the ability to edit photos directly on your device, it's easier than ever to enhance your images. However, if you're looking for truly professional-level quality, there are countless digital cameras available on the market. New models are introduced practically every week, with advancements in image quality being a top priority. The image quality of a camera is determined by its pixel count, measured in megapixels. Generally, the higher the pixel count, the better the image quality. Higher-end cameras tend to offer greater resolution and overall quality, but they can come with a higher price tag.

When it comes to auction photography, extremely high resolution is unnecessary. In fact, high-resolution photos can be a hindrance as they take longer to download when someone views an auction. eBay suggests limiting photo file sizes to 50 kilobytes, but you can go up to 1-2 megabytes without any problems. Opting for one megabyte will allow potential buyers to see finer details. Keep in mind that most digital cameras have an email setting of 64 kilobytes. Therefore, when purchasing a camera, it's important to ensure that it has a low resolution or email setting.

For digital photos that won't be cropped, the email setting is sufficient. However, cropping causes a loss of detail, so a resolution of 1 or 2 megapixels is necessary for editing or cropping. To preserve detail, it's best to shoot at the highest resolution and then resize for online or auction purposes. It's important to save the higher-resolution versions. If using a smartphone, consider downloading a photo editing application.

Shoot outdoors in indirect light.

When taking photos, it's best to avoid shooting in direct sunlight to prevent unwanted shadows and high contrast. It's important to be mindful of your surroundings and avoid casting a shadow on your subject, especially if you're trying to sell a product like a bow. Check out eBay for examples of photos that could be improved by avoiding shadows cast by the photographer.

GET YOUR SHADOW OUT OF THE PHOTO

Get your shadow OUT OF THE PHOTO! (String your bow correctly)

Shoot in an indirect light.

To avoid glare, it's best to have indirect light. If your window faces north, you can enjoy beautiful diffuse light. If you own a high-quality camera, use a tripod and a slower shutter speed, ideally under 1/125th of a second. A sturdy tripod will prevent blurriness and enable you to take good shots even at 1/25th of a second. While a good tripod can set you back $100, you can find second-hand options for as low as $20-$30. To diffuse light from your lights, consider using white plastic light covers or invest in a light tent like the "EZ Cube".
LINKS FOR PHOTO TENTS:

http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/ezlite.html
http://www.tabletopstudio.co.uk/Pages/EZcubeMenu.htm
https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-photo-light-boxes
The “EZ Cube” is a light tent widely used by good photographers. It makes taking great photos easy. You simply place an object inside the light tent; shine the lights on the outside and you get very diffused light. This eliminates glare and reflection from shiny objects. Also, it has a seamless background, and you can place different colored paper or cloth in the background to get different effects.

Never photograph your bow strung backward.

It is not recommended to leave your recurve bow strung backward during storage, as it is not a common practice among experienced users. Unfortunately, some sellers on eBay may unknowingly list their bows with this error, signaling their lack of knowledge on proper bow handling. As a buyer, it is best to avoid such listings to ensure the safety and quality of your purchase. It is also important for sellers to use their own photos when listing their products, as using photos found online can be misleading and deceitful for the buyer. As such, it is crucial to take the time and effort to properly string and photograph your bow to ensure an honest and fair transaction.

watch out for flash flares

Avoid reflective flares that distract from your subject

Focus carefully and correctly!!!

I come across blurry images on eBay regularly. In the particular photograph displayed below, the seller failed to capture the bow and background in clear focus. Consequently, a potential buyer gains minimal information from the image.

there is a bow hiding in this photograph

Difficulty in focusing is typically attributed to two factors: malfunctioning auto-focus or inadequate depth of field. In digital cameras, a laser or infrared beam is projected onto the subject to determine the distance for focusing. However, this beam can easily be misled by large objects that are too close or reflective surfaces on the subject.

Sometimes when taking a photo, the camera may focus on an object situated behind your intended subject. This occurs when the camera struggles to determine the correct depth of field. You may have observed photographs where the main subject is sharply focused while the background appears blurry. The term used to describe this phenomenon is "depth of field." It refers to the range of focal distance from the nearest to the farthest point that the camera will capture with a sharp focus. The camera lens's opening can be adjusted to allow more or less light into the camera. When the lens opening is wide, the focus range becomes narrow. Conversely, when the opening is small, the focal length increases. This effect is particularly noticeable when taking photos of small objects or details at close range.

If you own an expensive camera, you are likely familiar with the concept of "depth of field". However, for those using a smartphone or inexpensive camera, I recommend taking your time to allow the camera to properly "read" your subject. It's best to take multiple photos to ensure that the focus is correct. If your camera struggles with focusing on close objects, try setting it to the highest megapixel setting and taking the photo from a distance where the camera can focus. You can then crop or edit the image before uploading it to an auction site.

Make sure your photo is oriented correctly. You can edit an image while it's still in the camera, on your computer, or through edit options on some auction sites when uploading it.

POORLY ORIENTATED PHOTOS

This seller was too lazy to turn his photo.

when I first saw this photo, I had trouble figuring out what I was seeing.

Three eBay photos were oriented incorrectly. Don’t be lazy, turn on the photos!!

and no matter how cute your girlfriend is, DO NOT use a photo like this to sell your bows

Here is another example of a poorly orientated photo. The dog is a cute touch.

OUT OF FOCUS

A horrible blurry photo was found on eBay

Out of focus, and poorly lit. (See the foot?)

An example of a poorly lit, under-exposed, and out-of-focus photo (what is the electric plug doing there?)

Get the feet out of the photo!

Get the feet out of the photo!

more feet!

bare feet

One more with ugly feet, poor lighting

Keep your feet out of the photo or take them out by cropping

Avoid clutter.

For a clean and uncomplicated look, opt for a simple background. Personally, I prefer to use deerskin as my backdrop. However, you may also choose to use a gray or off-white fabric or even animal fur.

Well Organized Photos

This is an example of an uncluttered, well-lit, well-cropped, quality photo of a vintage bow

Here is a great example of good composition, lighting, and simple background.

The Background

Keep things simple. avoid clutter or confusing backgrounds!! Try to photograph only the object you are shooting. Get your feet, your dog, the laundry, and the kid’s toys out of the photograph! If you are going to use carpet make sure it is clean and compliments your bow. Putting your bow on a table surrounded by clutter in the background will distract from your subject.

Poorly Organized Photos

The bow is lost against the background

the "Where's Waldo" Photo hurts your sales.

Here is a good example of a cluttered photo. What is this person trying to sell?

believe it or not, there is aa bow in these photos

believe it or not, there is a bow in these three photos, NEVER USE A BACKGROUND in which your item will be lost!!!!

To showcase your bow in the best way possible, it's important to choose a background that doesn't overpower it. Clean up the background as much as possible and select one that highlights the beauty of your bow.

I found this photo on eBay, believe it or not, there is a bow hiding in that photo.

This is a terrible photo because a buyer can’t see what you are selling. Clean the clutter!

Cluttered and out of focus, what is this seller trying to sell?

Another example of a cluttered photograph is a buyer will pass this up because the bow is too hard to see

This bow is lost against a landscape background.

another photo of a bow lost in the landscape. If it were not for the Hoyt logo, this bow would be completely lost in the background!!

This is a much better use of a landscape background

This a great example of a well-lit and well-composed vintage bow. All of this seller’s bows are well-photographed

Avoid Over or Underexposure.

When capturing images against a white background or in bright sunlight, your camera's light meter may be deceived into adjusting to the surrounding light instead of the object. However, many cameras offer a metering function that lets you measure various parts of an object. If you're uncertain, avoid measuring the brightest lights (overexposed) or darkest shadows (underexposed), and opt for mid-values instead. It might be useful to have a light grayboard or similar material nearby to aid with metering.

When taking photos indoors, the type of light source used can affect the appearance of the final image. For instance, using an ordinary household light bulb can give your photos a yellowish tint, while fluorescent light can make them appear blue-grey. To achieve optimal results, consider getting Daylight bulbs that emit the same wavelength as natural daylight. These are readily available at most large camera stores. Alternatively, you can adjust your camera settings to match the type of light source you are using. If you encounter exposure issues, you may be able to fix them during the editing process. For best results, consider shooting photos outside in indirect sunlight.

Get close.

If you're having difficulty focusing on close-up shots, it's recommended to use a larger pixel format (1 or 2 megapixels) so you can edit the photo later. It's important to capture good profile shots of the riser, take multiple shots of the limbs and overlays, and ensure you capture any flaws such as dings or scratches in detail.

Close-ups of flaws will give a buyer an idea of what they are paying for. It also is good protection for the seller since the seller has fully disclosed any imperfection with the bow.

This is a good example of what not to do. This seller did not get close to the item

Editing

Learning how to edit photos can be challenging at first, but it can greatly enhance the quality of your pictures. While I won't be instructing you on the process, it's something you'll have to master on your own. Thankfully, most computers come with built-in photo editing software that you can experiment with and utilize for practice. There are also more advanced programs available, such as Photoshop Elements, which I personally use for all my online and auction photos. It's a simplified version of the full Photoshop program, and you can even find older versions on eBay. Alternatively, you can try the free software GIMP, which operates similarly to Photoshop and is available for download: http://www.gimp.org/.

do not string your bow like this, string it correctly

Things to learn and practice:

Sizing – learn how to resize your image. This is very helpful when you have a really high-resolution image and you want to make it smaller for email or eBay

Enhancing- this refers to altering the value and color of your photo. This is helpful when you have a slightly over or under-exposed photo.

Cropping- This is THE most important editing feature because you can take a cluttered photo and remove all of the distractions

When you have mastered these you can start playing with other features such as layers and filters.

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/photography-video/digital-photography/using-the-computer/popular-software/adobe-photoshop.html

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners/

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/tutorials/three-key-lessons-for-every-new-photographer

To become skilled at taking great photos, frequent practice is key. Always strive to showcase your best work by leading with your top photo. This is typically a clear profile shot of the item being sold. As your photography skills improve, your chances of selling your bows will increase. It is important to carefully read your camera's instruction manual and experiment with all of its controls until you feel comfortable. Don't hesitate to retake photos if necessary, as sometimes an item that appears in focus can end up blurry. By studying the techniques of successful eBay sellers, you can learn how to properly light, frame, and edit your photos to maximize their impact. Ultimately, the quality of your photos will play a significant role in the success of your bow sales.

Here are some examples of how important good photos are to buyers and sellers.

This seller is outstanding. He uses beautiful photography. He also uses editing to offer several angles in each photo. ep1944

These are bows refinished and restored by Doan Archery, he uses well-composed and well-lit photos, His bows are exquisite and the photos reflect this.

doanarchery