This section will contain the information needed to allow for successful photo taking and layout of your auction.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS:  No truer words have ever been spoken.  It is one thing to tell someone what something is, and it is something else to show them.  Words can only go so far.  I can't help from recalling the story of the three blind men who were asked to describe an elephant.  One took it by the trunk and said it was like a giant serpent.  Another held it by its tail and said it was like a rope.  The third took it by the leg and said it was like a tree.  All three were correct in their own viewpoints, but their descriptions just weren't enough to create the whole picture.  Your photographs will sell your point far better than all the words you could use to describe it.  It is imperative the best photograph you can generate is presented on your auction .  One of the easiest ways to create a good quality image is with a good scanner.  A scanner will allow you to crop, rotate, edit, and if necessary make changes to the color and light.  It will allow you to adjust for darkness, or over exposure, or simply discard it and try again. A scanner will allow you to preview the scan before making a final scan of the object, and most will allow you to limit the area of this scan and confine it to just the area the artifact is in.  Minor changes can be made just prior to the final scan to adjust for artifact angle and position.  One of the major drawbacks of a scanner is the glass surface the artifacts are placed upon.  Care should be taken not to scratch the glass, which in time, will make the quality of your images decrease dramatically.  Should your screen finally become heavily marked up, it would be better to replace the scanner.  Usually flint objects will not damage your scanner surface; however stone items such a axes or celts can be abrasive and will eventually damage it unless great care is taken.  One of the best preventatives of screen damage is frequent cleaning with a good glass cleaner.  This will help remove any grit and sand from the surface that might eventually mark the surface as well as leaving a light polish or oil behind that will help act as a buffer between the item and glass. 

Digital cameras work well also, but unlike the scanner, you do not always know what you have until you actually download the images and apply touch up features to them.  Most photo editing software will correct any problems you have with your image; however, should it be necessary to discard them, you will have to go through the entire set up process again with your artifact and re-photograph the object.  The plus side of a digital camera is it allows you to take photos of larger items such as axes, celts, pottery bowls, and other items too large or potentially damaging to the scanner screen.  Many digital cameras now have viewing ports in the rear of them which allows you to have a pretty good idea of what the photograph should look like once processed.  As a minimum, I recommend a digital camera to have not less than 3 megapixels of resolution.  Phone cameras, and other starter type digital devices, just do not have the resolution I like to see in my photographs.  A 3 megapixel will allow you to take a good 8 by 10 inch photograph if you choose; however this is not the size of photograph used on internet websites.  A one inch by two size is more like it, but again you want a photograph and not just a picture.

BACKGROUNDS AND ARRANGEMENTS:  The only thing more important to a clear photograph is the object itself.  How it is photographed, and how it is presented is just as vital as the clarity.  Backgrounds should always contrast with the artifact and not conflict with it.  Taking a scan or photograph of a white point against a white background will detract from your artifact and render it moot.  The best photograph is one that is taken against either a background that will either remain neutral or make it stand out.  White against black works well, but white against green works better.  Black against white is attention getting, but black against red causes the black to fade into the background.  The human eye can not easily separate black from red because both share a similar wavelength.  Red light is used in the military for night lighting because it can not be seen as well and as far as a white light can.  Additionally, the viewer is not left temporarily night blind by it.  Black against tan works well, but not against blue for the same reason it doesn't work well with red.  Tan works well against black however, as well as red, green, blue, and to some degree some off whites, provided the tan isn't a very pale version of this color. 

The best background is an absolute colorless background.  One of the better ways to photograph and object is to do it during the day when the sky is overcast.  An overcast sky eliminates shadows and glare.  A background or photo plate made from a glass cutting board or microwave tray allows for a neutral background.  There are few shadows to contend with, light either on it or under it tends to be defused by the somewhat frosty glass, and it is completely color neutral allowing nearly everything to show up without distortion.

The next best background, in my experience, is one in which cloth is used.  Often a slightly rough textured cloth works well to eliminate shadow, but it should be of a solid color without any distracting pattern.  Felt works equally well, and in some cases so does velvet.  Whatever cloth you use, make sure it is ironed smooth and is not stained or wrinkled.  A wrinkled background makes the photograph look tacky and not well laid out.  It creates the impression you don't care how your item looks to buyers, and you are running a shoddy business.  This is a psychological turn off to the bidders.

ARTIFACT POSITION:  This is one of the areas in which most auctions fail.  Often we tend to think of a photograph as picture, but it is more than that.  A picture is a hastily taken snapshot of something.  A Photograph, however is a carefully thought out capture of a specific image.  It conveys thought and meaning.  It is the pinnacle of what you are trying to express to the potential buyers.  It might even be called the crown jewel in your auction.  You can not take enough care to show your artifact in the best light possible.  Many artifacts can be displayed with one image.  Others require more than one.  The better the artifact, the more images will be required to demonstrate the uniqueness of your artifact and to demonstrate its superiority over all others competing against it.  Like a newspaper or magazine there is a right way to place your artifact for maximum eye recognition, and a wrong way.  For example, if you were to advertise your artifact in a newspaper or magazine, the ideal location you would want to place it would be in the upper right hand third of an inside page.  The human eye will automatically fall to the page on the right side when this media is opened, and it will automatically fall on the upper right hand third of this page.  This is called the optimum viewing position.  Given the cost of advertising in one of these periodicals, you, of course, would want this position for whatever it was you were trying to sell.  The internet is no different.

When selecting a page layout, the top center of the auction page is where you should place your first photograph.  This should be the best photograph you can present.  A good, BOLD, caption should either be placed above it or directly below it stating what the item is.  The descriptive text should follow below the photograph.  Secondary photographs such as edge shots, or bottom shots should follow the text if at all possible.  Those who can use HTML can do this without problem, and for those who can't there are other auction based programs that can be had that will allow you flexibility in strategically posting your photographs.  If you must use the one provided by the internet auction site, eBay does allow some flexibility in where the photos can go.  They currently offer free slide-show capability and I highly recommend it.  Super Sizing the photograph is another option which I recommend because it allows the viewer to click on the image and get a larger view of your relic so they can easily see the features such as fine flaking your are attempting to sell them on.

Artifacts such as arrowheads should always have their point towards the top.  If it must be photographed at a different angle, the point can be rotated using most photoshop type software so the point is in the optimum viewing position.  The point should not vary more than a few degrees.  The ideal location would be between the 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock position of the photograph.  Additionally, the point of the artifact should, if at possible, point the top right position.  This gives a slight psychological boots to your point suggesting the point is right....

Think I am crazy?  Maybe, but let's look at studies in which body language is used.  It is known fact the way you comb your hair creates an impression of you.  Presidents from Carter to Clinton have used various hair styles to convey certain messages.  Presidential contender John Kerry changed his hair style to mimic Ronald Regan.  He even went as far as buying cowboy boots to help dispel his "French" look he had  previously worn while in the Senate.  When Carter and Clinton wanted to take a high moral road, they wore their hair parted high on the right.  When they took a more liberal stance, it was parted low on the left, and when they attempted a middle road message or stance, they parted their hair right down the middle.  It may sound funny or un-believeable, but archive footage will show I am correct.  These are just one of many subtle changes used to present a subliminal response in a viewing audience.  There are others, but this example is one of the easiest to list and use as a comparison. By the same token, point position conveys a similar response in the viewer.  A point with the tip down is a total negative connotation and is equivalent to a thumbs down.

SIZE DOES MATTER:  It is not enough to toss a photo onto your auction site.  You must give it reference for the viewer to compare it too.  One of the oldest and easiest is to place a ruler next to it.  The ruler should be bland, and not overly marked with too many fraction lines.  A simple 1/8 - 1/4 -3/8 - 1/2  - 5/8 - 3/4 - 7/8 - 1 inch ruler is more than sufficient to provide the reference you need.  The ruler should be neutral wood or a light tan color since this will not conflict with most backgrounds.  You want them to focus on the point first, and the ruler second.  The ruler should be as close to the point as possible without the point appearing to be on top of the ruler.  The point should be placed at either the one inch or two inch mark for reference and not that the end of the ruler.  It is easier to align an artifact away from the end than it is to start it at the end.  Additionally, it is easier to read one when an artifact is begun at one of the later marks.  This helps create an additional positive view of the artifact by implying it is larger than it looks as well.  Should you become a little off on your positioning and the point gets nudges to either side of the one or two inch marks, it can still be read by the viewer and its size translated easily into positive thought.

One of the least effective ways to provide reference is through the use of a coin.  Coins do not make a good measuring device unless the point is a very small point, such as smaller than a dime.  Then a coin has value as a reference size object.  In the case of a small point, you will want to emphasise how delicate and small the item is while boosting the amazing craftsmanship it must have taken to create such a microscopic lithic work of art.  Small points should not be held in the fingers, since the softness of the skin will press into the point and hide some of the artifact, making it impossible to view.  Placing it in an alligator style clip or putting putty on one corner is also not the best way.  The proper way of shooting these smaller objects will be covered in a future section of this guide where space will allow better description and photos.

One of the best means to emphasise size is by holding it in your hand.  Holding a point immediately demonstrates how large (wide) and how long it is to the viewer.  It gives also helps personalize the artifact by placing yourself into the picture.  It makes the point visually real and says, "THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN HOLD".  Buyers respond to auctions that are as personalized as possible more so than one that is nothing but cold and cryptic and looks like an ad.  People want to feel warmth.  Purchases are not always a reasonable choice.  Purchases of items, especially hobby items, are purchases of desire.  It is something they WANT not something they NEED.  Want's are guided entirely on emotion while needs are dictated by logic.  Therefore, it is only wise to pander to their emotional side and create as much appeal to the artifact as you can. 

The next section will provide photographic examples of the items covered in this part of the guide.  Due to space limitations it will not be possible to contain these photos here.  Each of the photos addressed have been taken from actual artifact auctions on eBay.  They are not created, nor what will be said about them should be considered a lack of understanding or a negative of the person who's auction they came from.  There will be no names or numbers assigned to these photos and no one should assume comments are directed at them.  The comments will be only directed about photo content; what is good about it, what is bad about, and what could have been done to improve it.

Please go to Part 4