If you spend any time viewing auctions, you'll notice that picture quality varies widely. Blurry, dark and out of focus pictures are still fairly common, usually resulting in less than stellar bidding and sales prices. Reviewing the listings of some of the successful powersellers is enlightening. Many use multiple photos, but all are crisp, clear, well lit and easy to make out.

In order to educate your eye as to what your photo quality should aspire to, spend some time viewing product photography on any of the major home shopping channels. The 'laser shots', or stationary views of the product, are great examples of how to display your product to its best advantage. Like Ebay, home shopping channels must convince their customers that their products are good quality without being able to physically touch them. Their shots are done by professionals, but you can use the same principles in your Ebay photos.

Set up an area of your home to take photographs. Natural light is the best, but if this isn't convenient, invest in some of the 'blue' light bulbs that simulate daylight. Most digital cameras have some sort of exposure correction built in, but proper lighting will make much better shots. Avoid dark shadows behind your products, they are distracting and difficult to correct.

Set up a background that is simple and compliments your item. Again, note that the home shopping channels do their shots of jewelry against a dark (contrasting) solid background. Many photos on the Ebay site are taken in home situations, with everything from toilets to ugly couch fabric in the background. If you are serious about your Ebay business, purchase several yards of solid fabric in different colors, poster board or foam board to set up a studio setting. It's well worth the few dollars you'll invest.

Get as close as you can to show the most detail. Make sure that the product fills as much of the frame as possible. Viewing a piece of jewelry from 6 feet away doesn't make the customer feel that they are intimately familiar with the piece. Learn to use your digital camera's zoom or macro feature.

You may notice that many auctions feature two, three and even four views of the product. Collectibles, jewelry and some other items benefit greatly from multiple views. After all, the bidder can't examine your item in person, let them see every angle and become familiar with what they're bidding on. If there are distinguishing markings, characteristics or even flaws, take an extra shot of them. By letting the bidder know up front exactly what they are getting, you'll allow them to make more informed bids.

Finally, learn about the software that came with your digital camera, or upgrade to imaging software that allows you to make corrections to your pictures. No matter how well you prepare, not every shot will be perfect. Use digital technology to your advantage and learn how to correct color, increase brightness and crop pictures with your software. Most software also contains compression features. Compress your photos to about 400-600 pixels to limit upload time. Bidders can hit that back button easily if your photo takes too long to load.

The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" can easily be applied to today's Ebay entrepreneur. Your auctions can stand out from the crowd's, if you practice making your pictures jump through the computer screen and grab your bidder's attention!