I’m constantly being asked how to get a white background for Poshmark, or how do I get my Poshmark cover shots to look clean and bright. So I figured this would be a great topic for my first post!
Just so you know, I am not a professional photographer by any means, and my style may not be your style. I’m just sharing what works for me. Below are a few flat lays I took and edited on my iPhone 6. It’s totally possible to get nice photos using only your phone.
My 3 essentials for great Poshmark cover shots:
solid white background
There are so many things you could use as a white background for your Poshmark cover shots, and I have probably tried them all! Good ideas are butcher paper, bulletin board paper, or drawing paper. I’m currently using a giant roll of drawing paper I had stashed in a corner of my art studio. Drawing paper will cost you roughly $25 a roll, and unless you’re planning on doing some big ass drawings in the future, you probably don’t need anything fancy. If you have kids you could roll out the extra and let them doodle. Just buy the brightest white you can find. Bulletin board paper is a little cheaper, but wrinkles more easily. Some good places to look for these are Amazon, Blick, Uline, or Utrecht.
photo editing apps
**This list includes affiliate links to the iTunes store, but all of these apps are available for Android phones as well.
In future posts I’m planning to go in-depth on how I use each of these apps, but for now here’s the overview of my faves.
By far one of the most popular photo editing apps, VSCO offers so many tools for brightening and color correcting your Poshmark photos. A paid subscription offers even more advanced editing tools, if you’re ready to make your photos really stand out.
For editing exposure and color, and getting rid of lint / dog hair / random marks, Snapseed does a wonderful job and is very user-friendly.
This is an excellent app for creating sale or announcement listings, and doing typography overlays. You can even upload your own fonts, so unlike other apps, your font options are virtually limitless.
Poshmark limits the number of photos per listing, so every now and then you just need more. I use Diptic to make two or more photos out of one photo space.
I don’t use this as often as the others, but there is a really cool masking feature I like and have used to make announcement listings in my closet.
natural light
This is pretty straightforward. If you don’t have studio lights (this is a really great lighting kit that comes with everything you really need for a basic setup) try to photograph your listings when the sun isn’t beaming straight into your windows and causing really harsh shadows. Even if you do get shadows you can minimize them via editing, or make them work for your image as part of your style.
Taking your photos
The first thing I do is look at the item and determine the best way to photograph it in order to spotlight its best qualities. Structured items like jackets can go on a hanger which I put on a nail on a bare wall. Sweaters and flowy fabrics tend to droop on a hanger, so I usually lay these items out on my background and position them in a way that minimizes shadows and mimics the body’s shape.
It’s always a good idea to think outside the box: check out your item and see if there is an interesting pattern or feature that might get lost in a photo. Take a close-up shot of the item to show off the feature and add a little visual interest that entices shoppers to click for more photos.
Editing
Most times I start the editing process with the Snapseed app. I dial up the Ambiance and Highlights features to mimic natural light if there wasn’t enough. Upping the saturation just a tad helps keep it from looking washed out. If there are shadows I don’t like, I use the Brush tool to carefully lighten those spots. You may have to zoom in closely to do this accurately. The healing brush is also a lifesaver for removing specks of dust or hair. Finally I crop out any clutter around the edges.
This is my basic process for photographing my items for sale. To save time, I try to do a bunch of items at a time, then go back and edit later. (Since originally writing this post, I added some lights and a mannequin to my setup, but you can still get good photos without them. Check out this post to see the list of all the tools I use for reselling!)
Here are a few of my before and after shots:
What are your tips and tricks for getting great Poshmark covershots? Share them in the comments below!
4 Comments
Thanks for this article btw the YouTube video was removed bcuz of copyright issues
Thank you so much for pointing that out Michelle! I’ve updated the post and removed the link.
Really nice job styling and love the after photos. I’m downloading that app and see how my photos improve. Thanks !
Thanks Lynnette! Good luck with your closet!