Top Tips for Selling on Poshmark in 2022, Part 2: Take Consistently Great Photos

Cathy Vandewater

Oct 4, 2022 • 4 min read

Lighting, background, and the ability to control shutter speed goes a long way for a clean, bright photo

Photos, like most skills in selling on Poshmark, can be daunting. But once you get them down, you'll be taking excellent pictures on the regular without an extra thought.

Here are our top 5 tips for getting amazing, clear, aesthetically pleasing shots of your clothes that will show them to their best advantages and get you sales.

1. Take Your Photos in Square Mode

This is the single easiest way to save time cropping, and avoid any cut-offs once you're listing.

2. Use a Phone or Camera That Lets You Adjust White Balance

Blue garments can cause white balance trouble, because your camera will seek equilibrium and (wrongly) assume it has to compensate for very cool light by warming things up, when in fact the item you're photographing is just very cool. Here's a photo before and one after I started using a phone camera that allowed me to adjust white balance (and the second photo is also inside a light box, which helps distribute light more evenly. Bye, yellow shadows!).

Color accuracy is so key when selling clothing: you don't want a buyer to order what they think is an olive green sweater only to realize it was a poorly lit forest green sweater instead. Phones like the Samsung S10E have advanced photo settings that let you adjust the color temperature of your shot to match what you're seeing in person. Check to see if your phone lets you control this, or use a good camera and play with the settings. And remember: cool, clean daylight works best for capturing color accurately. If you can't take picture near a window during the day, make sure you're not using warm light. Professional photo equipment should keep things cool.

3. Use a White Background, or Fake One

There's a reason stock photos of clothing almost always have white backgrounds: it looks fantastic, and lets the piece shine without distraction. Invest in a photography backdrop, use an ironed sheet or white wall, or try a background replacing app to keep things clean.

4. Keep It Light

This photo was taken in a light box, and buyers frequently ask me if they can see "non-stock" photos of the "real" item when I photograph in it. Is there a higher compliment?!

If you're doing to do any one photo app (assuming your background is clean), make it "brighten." Crisp, well-lit photos look tidy and help your buyers see all the details of your item. Better yet: invest in good light, and use a phone or camera that allow you to adjust shutter speed to ensure a bright shot every time, without the post-production work. It's generally much more efficient and fool proof to get a good shot the first time than to have to play around with editing tools.

5. Answer Your Buyers' Questions With Your Photos

Remember to capture the item at all angles, and get shots of all the components of an item. For shoes, that's heel height, closure (ie. buckles), and tread. For garments it might be sleeve cuffs, shoulder seems, and an embroidered brand logo. When it doubt, take a picture of it!

Make sure to get pictures of brand, size, care, fiber content, and style tag info. Did you describe wear or a flaw in your listing? Get clear pictures of it. And cover all your basic bases: photos of the full length front and back, special details/features, and closeups to show texture are considered pretty standard.

Bonus: Use Stock Photos if Applicable

Same jeans, but way better presentation. Guess which image I led with?

Expertly style stock photos show off an item to its best advantage, showcasing the personal style the piece compliments, how to wear it, what to pair it with, and the general vibe it projects. Not sure how to track them down? We have a post on finding stock photos for your items, so study up.

Do you have any photo apps you swear by, or equipment that helps you get great shots? Share in the comments below.

-Cathy @ ClosetWitch