Quality images of your knives are key! This way, potential customers get a good idea of how your knife looks and how it is made. Good, high-quality photos are the best way to display your product.
Modern smartphones are capable of taking high-quality images. Using a professional camera is always better, but we normally don't have those lying around.
Follow our guidelines on how to make quality product images to sell your knife quickly on KnifeMarket.
Recommendations
- Take at least 3, but ideally 5-8 photos of the knife, displaying the knife from multiple angles.
- Take portrait (vertical) photos. Avoid landscape photos as those will be cropped on the listing views.
- Include close-ups of any imperfections or signs of wear so that potential customers have realistic expectations.
- Photo size of at least 1MB per photo, more is better.
Main photo
The main photo must be of the knife only, ideally in portrait (vertical) format. Additional information, markings, labels, accessories, papers, pictures of your store/workshop, the team, or similar are not permitted.
Place the knife in the center of the photo and ensure the entire knife is visible.
→ Nice wooden background.
→ Photo taken in the morning light, no excessive shadows or reflections.
→ Entire knife is in the frame.
→ 45° position on the square.
→ Taken directly from above (bird’s-eye view).
→ Too much reflection and shadows, photo taken in direct sunlight.
Tip: take photos in the morning without direct sunlight.
→ Handle is outside the frame.
Tips and tricks
With these tips & tricks, you will have high-quality photos in no time!
Condition
Clean the knife before photographing it to remove any stains, fingerprints. Include close-ups of any signs of wear or imperfections so that potential customers have realistic expectations.
→ Good light.
→ Shows the details of the maker’s mark, kuro-uchi and Damascus pattern.
→ For detailed shots, use a side angle and not from the above.
→ Excessive sunlight, strong shadows.
→ The details are not very visible - bring the camera closer to the blade.
Background
Choose a neutral background that won't distract from the knife. White or gray backgrounds usually work best.
→ Good contrast between the handle and the background.
→ Nicely visible wooden patterns in the handle.
→ Wooden background is too similar to the handle. It is difficult to see the difference between the handle and the background.
Lighting Conditions
Photograph your knife under natural light or in a bright environment. Daylight provides the best lighting without having to purchase additional equipment. Take photos in the morning light - indirect from the sun for no excessive reflections, light shadows. Studio photography can be expensive and takes time, but it gives the best results.
Avoid using your camera's flash function. It can lead to inaccurate representations of the knife's color and material.
→ Enable “Grid” setting in camera settings of your phone.
→ Photo taken directly from above (the crosshairs in the center are completely aligned).
→ Good position of the knife.
→ Indirect light, no strong shadows.
→ Photo was not taken directly from above (the two crosshairs in the center are not aligned).
→ *Exceptions are mirror polished blades. For those, slightly adjust the angle to avoid reflections of you and the camera.
Choil shot
Choil shots can be difficult to capture as smartphone cameras have troubles focusing on thin surfaces. Use white background for this shot, the camera will be able to "catch" the focus on the choil.
→ Choil is in focus and in the middle of the image.
→ Camera positioned in between the middle and the end of the handle.
→ Use white, A4 printer paper as a background.
→ Choil not in focus.
→ Knife is not in the middle of the image.
→ Camera positioned too far at the back of the handle, should be closed to the choil.
→ Wooden background doesn’t provide enough contrast. Use white A4 paper to get the choil in focus.
→ Edge of the background seen in the top right corner.
Quality
Make sure that the knife as a whole is in focus. Take sharp, high-resolution images.
This is especially easy to do on smartphones. To focus on the subject (the knife or accessory), simply tap it on the touch screen. Never change your images' resolution or file size after the fact.
Start selling on KnifeMarket
It is time to create your first listing!
Take some quality photos, write an appealing description and start selling your knife on KnifeMarket. Good luck!