How to Photograph your Bike to Sell

If you want to make it easier for browsers and buyers to see your bike properly, here is a step by step guide on how to take a set of decent photos of your bike, even if you’re just using your phone and don’t have a decent background or good light.

LOCATION

Find a spot that is uncluttered; a plain wall without too many pipes, windows etc, an empty parking garage, open garden or field. You want as much light as possible, ideally coming from behind where you will shoot from. Bright but cloudy days are ideal. Avoid direct sunlight, or spotlights, which will create harsh shadows and plunge dark items like tyres, black rims and engines into darkness.

Shot 1 – the Master shot: Place the bike pointing to your right, sidestand away from you (see above and below).

WHERE YOU SHOOT FROM:

This is important: Back away at around 20 feet, squat down so your camera is level with the headstock/tank. Frame the bike so there is at least one half wheel width of empty space to the left and right of the bike, and half a bike height above, plus some room below the bottom of the wheel.

As you are now 15-20 feet away, you may have to zoom in to re-frame the bike (as below). This will reduce the warping that comes from using the wide-angle lens that is standard on camera phones and cheap cameras, and creates oval wheels and making everything in the middle of the image over-sized:

In summary: 1. backing away. 2. crouching low and 3. zooming-in a little will create a better image and reduce warping at the edge of the image

This is your master shooting position and your main shot.