This year, I’ve thrown a ton of energy into updating my Etsy listing photos. It was a long time coming, but I finally got around to it. Already, I’ve seen such a difference in sales since posting my new product photos, and I love the way my shop is looking.

I began this initiative by researching the type of photos other art retailers were using. I looked at bigger stores like Anthropologie, West Elm, and Urban Outfitters, as well as other Etsy shops I admire. I tried to pay attention to the kind of photos that caught my eye. I even asked family and friends which photos they liked best. As I did my research, I started to see patterns emerge. I concluded that there are four types of “essential” photos everyone should have when selling art, as well as a few “nice to have” photos.

“ESSENTIAL” PHOTOS

1) Framed Artwork in Situation

I found that this is the most important photo you can have! It’s the money shot. It helps people to visualize what the print will look like in their home.

I tend to like these photos best when they have some sort of object in them with the art - like a plant or a chair, but a frame on its own works too. However you style the photo, consider your brand and what you want to communicate.

I use this photo as the header image for all of my listings. If you only choose one type of photo to show, this is the winner.

2) The Cropped Closeup

I always show one image of the artwork up close, so the buyer can see all the little details.

I strategically crop this image on the edges, so it can’t be printed or reproduced without my knowledge.

The bonus is that if you crop these images to a square, you can reuse them on your Instagram.

3) The Unframed Print

It’s important for the buyer to see what the edges of your artwork look like. This should show how thick the border is, and where your signature is placed.

Some people may be using floating frames, which is why this photo is extremely important.

One piece of advice I have on this type of photo is to not have your paper be pure white. That way people can’t easily steal your artwork without having to Photoshop it. I’m all about making it more difficult for people to steal!

4) The Gallery Wall

This is a great opportunity to showcase your artwork amongst other prints you offer, allowing you to sell additional prints to your customers.

I love this type of photo too, because it’s a great way to communicate your brand. It really gives people a feel for what your art is all about, and you can use props to create a feel for your shop.

“NICE TO HAVE” PHOTOS

6) Artwork on a Dark Wall

I like to show this as an alternative my lighter in situation image. Given how important I’ve found this type of image to be, I don’t think there’s any harm in showing two of them.

Depending on your brand, you might even use this as your header image, and use the lighter image as a secondary photo. Showing a dark background like this can really make your artwork pop when customers are scrolling.

5) Process Photo

You may not have this type of photo for every art print you offer but if you do, customers love it!

They want to know where their artwork comes from, and what type of tools were used to create it.

I’m going to tell one of my secrets - I’ve taken MANY photos of blank sketchbook pages (with my paints, brushes, and palette). That way, I can easily mock up these photos on the fly. I know it’s kind of cheating, but the materials are all real! And it’s impossible to hope for good lighting every time you are painting something, so this is my workaround.

7) Bio Pic in Studio

I’ve started to include a picture of myself on all my listings. In the same way the process photo provides a story behind how this piece was made - this provides a story behind who made it.

I really like people like to buy from real people. They want to see where you work, and what your space looks like.

8) Brand Story

This may seem excessive, but I actually noticed a lot of Etsy shops include their brand story as a listing photo. I like the idea of not cluttering the item description with extra words, so this actually seems like a good solution.

I can’t swear that anyone is actually reading this brand story as they are paging through my listing photos, but I figured it can’t hurt.

I like the idea of including your website and social media handles on this as well, so they can find you elsewhere.

Well, that concludes the 8 types of photos I think you should consider when selling artwork online! My secret to listing photography is that I use the same image for every listing. LITERALLY the same image. Check out my shop if you don’t believe me! I just use the Multiply effect in photoshop to drop my artwork in.

Once you’ve created a horizontal and vertical version of all your photo mockups, the process of creating a new listing is fairly easy. I realized that I don’t really care if other shops use the same photo for every image. In fact, I think it’s a nice way to make a shop look cohesive. If this bugs you, I would suggest creating a few different versions of each type of shot, and just alternating which one you use. Whatever you do, please don’t make it harder on yourself than it needs to be! Selling artwork online is TOUGH, and no one will judge you for taking a shortcut.

Also, if you aren’t a photographer or you are short on time, just purchase stock photos! I have a great blog post about finding great stock photography here, if you are interested. Good luck!!