Hello! We are back with the second installment in our series called How to Have a Successful Destash! We’re breaking a destash down into its most basic steps from planning to shipping. This week, it’s all about taking fabric photos that sell! Let’s get started! 

Having appealing photos is probably the most important factor in having a successful destash sale. If your photos are dark, yellow-y, blurry, or taken in a rush, they will turn off potential buyers. Especially if you are destashing with FeelGood Fibers (which is set up as an online quilt shop experience for secondhand fabric), your photos need to look like quilt shop quality photos. Even if you are looking to destash over social media, the better the photos, the more likely buyers will be willing to pay for your destashed goods.

Help! I don’t even know how to get started!

It’s okay, that’s why we’re here to help! The first step to taking great fabric photos is choosing a location and setting up a photo staging area. It sounds fancier than it is. Pick a spot by a window (preferably a cloudy day without too many shadows or extremely bright sunlight). Set up a stool or a small table with a piece of poster board on it (or one of the background options mentioned below) and you are ready to roll!

What should I photograph my fabric on?

A plain white piece of poster board or a white piece of fabric make a great background for photographs. The clean white background will make your fabric stand out and prevent any clutter from competing with your product.  Other background options include a light grey wool pressing mat, a large piece of batting, a plain wall, or a neutral colored cutting mat. The goal is to have your fabric stand out, and for the background to look like it doesn’t exist.

How do I take a “well-lit” photograph?

A well-lit photograph will grab a buyer’s attention and make your fabric shine. Aim to take photos during the daytime near a sunny window. Avoid shadows by using a white piece of paper to deflect more light onto your fabric.

If you are short on time, and need to take photos at night, a light ring or light box is the way to go. You do not want to use the flash on your camera to photograph fabrics. The flash actually changes the color of your fabrics, gives them a glare, and makes pictures generally unappealing.

How do I edit photos to make them look better?

It’s not always possible to photograph during the daytime or even on a sunny day. This is where photo editing is your friend. In fact, it’s pretty much essential. Adjust the exposure and brightness of images to make colors as accurate as possible and represent the true essence of your fabric. Crop out anything in the background that might be distracting.  You can use the settings on your iphone or download an app like snapseed, lightroom, or canva to help you make adjustments. Check out this quick video we made to demonstrate how to adjust the different settings on your photo editor:

Can I take photos with my smartphone?

Taking photos with your phone is more than acceptable. You can experiment with a table tripod if you have trouble keeping your hand still enough to get a clean shot. And photos taken with a smartphone should be small enough to upload without having to reduce their size.

Why can’t I upload my photo to FeelGood Fibers?

The maximum photo size accepted by the FeelGood Fibers platform is 256MB. To maximize the amount of photo storage available to all users of the site, FeelGood Fibers compresses and optimizes photos that are uploaded. However, if photos are larger than 256MB, you will need to compress them prior to uploading. The easiest way to do this is to use a site like https://tinypng.com.

How do I get my fabric featured on the FeelGood Fibers home page or in the newsletter?

If you would like to be featured on the home page or in our newsletter, it is important to take pretty photos! Our FGF community is a huge supporter of secondhand fabric. So while they understand pre-loved and pre-owned, they don’t necessarily want fabrics to look used. Make sure fabrics are ironed, free of stains, and photographed to look high-quality. When fabrics look fresh and clean they appeal to all buyers.

Should I photograph my fabric’s imperfections?

YES! Buyers need to know exactly what they are purchasing. Being as clear and upfront as possible with your photos and descriptions will ensure a happy buyer and a successful destash!

We hope that these help you in getting started with the destash process! Stay tuned for next week, when we teach you how to set up your account and destash shop! Have a specific question for us? Leave it in the comments below!

Just getting started with the destash process? Check out How to Have a Successful Destash Part 1: Planning.