Gear in a bag photographs as a bag. Gear assembled photographs as gear.
The shot that sells
The item assembled — a tent pitched, a pack loaded, a stove lit. It takes twenty minutes once and it is the frame that sells the listing.
The shot that prevents the dispute
The contents laid out and counted, and close shots of seams, zips and the groundsheet.
The list
- Assembled, whole, outdoors in daylight
- Everything laid out, counted in frame
- Seams and seam tape, close
- Zips worked, on video
- Groundsheet underside
- Poles, including the elastic and the ends
- Any mould, stain, hole or repair, deliberately
- For optics: the view through the eyepiece if you can manage it
Light
Outdoors, overcast or open shade. Direct sun on a bright fly sheet blows out the colour and hides staining.
Hold a torch inside a pitched tent and photograph from outside to show pinholes and worn fabric — it is the one trick in this category worth knowing.
Mould
If there is any, photograph it clearly. It is not cosmetic, it does not come out, and a buyer who finds it has found the thing you hid. Common mistakes.
What goes wrong
Photographing a stuff sack, shooting damp gear, and cropping out the part of the groundsheet that is worn.
Questions people ask
Do I really need to pitch it?
For a tent, yes. It is the difference between a listing and a guess.
How do I show waterproofing?
You cannot. Say the age of the coating and whether it has been re-proofed.
What about binoculars?
Photograph the lenses straight on under even light; haze and fungus show that way.
More: selling outdoor gear, describing it.