7 Tricks That Will Instantly Improve Your Poshmark Photos

PoshmarkReselling

Oct 2

7 Tricks That Will Instantly Improve Your Poshmark Photos.png

You don't have to be a professional photographer to take amazing photos for your Poshmark listings. You don't even need a bunch of fancy styling props or an expensive DSLR camera (your phone will work just fine!). Here's what you DO need:

GOOD LIGHTING

The main question on any Poshmark buyer's mind: what is the condition of the garment? That's why lighting is so important. Bad lighting begs the question: what flaws are hiding in the shadows that I just can't see?

The clothes you are selling should be in good condition. That's why you're bothering to take the time to sell them in the first place. You have nothing to hide—right? PROVE that to your buyer by taking photos in good lighting—lighting where they can see the finer details. Even if there is a small flaw or two, show those in photos. You want to build trust with your potential customers and minimize the risk that they will feel disappointed when your package arrives at their doorstep. Furthermore, you want to do everything in your power to minimize the risk of having a case opened (and potentially having the item returned to you!). PRO TIP: Always make sure the light source is shining ON your garment rather than from behind it so it’s not “backlit”.

I personally prefer natural sunlight (just an aesthetic preference) but using softboxes or a ring light are great options, too—especially if you live in a cloudy city. I use them on rainy days because overcast weather should never be an excuse to not photograph your items. Here are the ones I’d recommend:

Softbox Lighting Kits

Bestseller: Neewer Softbox Socket Light Lighting Kit

Most ratings: Neewer Umbrellas Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit

Highest rated: Neewer Foldable Octagonal Softbox

Cheapest: MOUNTDOG Softbox Lighting Kit

Ring Lights

Bestseller: Neewer 18" LED Dimmable Ring Light Kit

Highest rated: EOTO 18 inch LED Dimmable Ring Light

Cheapest: Yesker 18 Inch LED Ring Light Kit

CHOOSE A DISTRACTION-FREE BACKGROUND

Whether you decide to hang your clothes, display them on a mannequin, or lay them on a flat surface—make sure the background is clean and minimal so you don’t visually distract your buyers. A plain white wall with a command strip hook is more than sufficient. Remove all clutter and steer clear of busy patterns that will compete with your garment. If you’re going the flat-lay route, avoid tacky surfaces like ugly shag carpet that run the risk of making your product look cheap. I would only hang your items on a door if it is solid white or incredibly aesthetically pleasing.

HAVE A PHOTO CHECKLIST

Make your job easier by having a standard checklist when photographing. Here's mine:

Full shot of the garment
Closer up, more detailed shot
All angles: front and back of garments and ALL angles of shoes (including the soles to disclose any wear)
Heel measurement shot for shoes (I get the "heel height?" question so often from buyers that it's just easier to be prepared from the get-go)
Photograph the brand label tag and fabric content tag
Capture any and all flaws
If you really want to be extra, take photos of areas that commonly show wear (like the armpits and crotch areas) to prove they're in excellent condition

ADD A NATURAL-LOOKING PRESET

The key here is natural-looking. Your buyer wants an accurate snapshot of what your garment looks like. If you add a super heavy filter to your photos, it could warp the colors too much or make the garment appear far lighter (or darker) than it truly is. But a preset that adds a subtle pop of color, a hint of contrast, and tastefully brightens the image can help make your photos more aesthetically pleasing and stand out from the rest.

INCLUDE MODELED STOCK PHOTOS (IF YOU CAN FIND THEM)

Most product stock photos can be found by doing a simple Google search. Seeing the garment styled a certain way may help your customer envision how they could style it. Plus, a modeled photo shows what the garment looks like on a body rather than on a hanger (and helps you avoid the dreaded, "Can you take a picture of yourself wearing this?" question). The more specific your Google search is, the quicker you'll locate the stock photo. But it can be time-consuming, so set a time limit for yourself. If you've been searching for more than a few minutes and keep coming up empty, just move on and get your listing posted!

UTILIZE PORTRAIT MODE

I love using portrait mode for shoes as well as jewelry. It also works well for detail shots because it blurs the background so your eye can focus on the specific feature being photographed. A helpful trick I learned from Tik-Tok is to turn your phone upside-down while in portrait mode to get any angles that would otherwise be too tricky to accomplish.

SHOOT IN SQUARE MODE

Since Poshmark automatically crops your photos into a square shape when creating a listing, do yourself a favor and select ‘square mode’ in your camera settings from the get-go. That way, you’ll ensure every detail makes it into the shot and nothing accidentally gets cropped out of your image. Forgot to shoot in square mode? Don’t panic! Apps like Whitagram can create a white border on the sides of your photo so it fits perfectly within the confines of a square—all with just the click of a button.

Get $10 when you sign up for Poshmark using my invite code: POSHTOPROFIT

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