LotJitsu writes a lot's title and description from its photos. It describes only what it can see, so better photos give you better text and less to fix.
Make the first photo the best overall view
The first photo is the Cover Photo. It is the thumbnail in your lot list, the first photo LotJitsu reads when it writes, and the first image in your export package.
- Show the whole item, clearly, on a plain background.
- For a set, show the whole set together first, then the pieces.
- If a later photo turns out better, make it the cover. See Cover photo, reorder, crop, rotate and delete photos on your phone or Add, arrange and remove photos on your computer.
Light, background and focus
- Work somewhere bright with even light. Avoid strong light behind the item and deep shadows.
- Use a plain, uncluttered background, and move anything that isn't for sale out of the frame. LotJitsu treats everything in a lot's photos as part of the lot.
- Hold still for each shot. Retake any photo where text or details are blurred.
- In the app, the flashlight can light a dark corner, and you can set its brightness. See Use the camera.
Fill the frame, but leave a margin
Every photo is stored in a 4:3 shape (3:4 for an upright photo), cropped around the centre. A wider or squarer photo loses its edges.
- Get close enough for the item to be clear, but leave some space around it so a handle or corner isn't cut off.
- In the app, line the item up inside the corner brackets, or use the lens buttons or a pinch to zoom instead of stepping closer.
- If you shoot on a separate camera to upload on your computer, use its 4:3 setting.
- In the app you can crop a photo after you take it, crop it again later from the original, or undo every crop and rotation with Reset to original. LotJitsu on your computer has no crop tool. See Cover photo, reorder, crop, rotate and delete photos on your phone.
Photograph the details
Take close-ups of:
- brand names, maker's marks, signatures and labels
- model and serial numbers
- measurements, for example a tape measure held against the item
- damage, wear, repairs and missing parts
LotJitsu names a maker or model only when a photo shows it. Unless Include Condition is turned off in the catalog's settings, the description mentions condition that is visible in the photos, so show the real condition.
Add angles, but only of this lot
The front, back, underside and inside each add facts. LotJitsu reads up to 20 photos per lot, cover first. Photos after the twentieth are still exported, but don't shape the text.
Put the lot number in the first photo
If you use stickers or tags, put the tag in the cover photo, flat, facing the camera and in focus. Detect number in photo reads up to five photos, cover first, and fills in the Lot Number.
Check your platform's photo limit
Each auction platform limits photos per lot, and a lot over the limit has to be trimmed before it can be exported. See Platform reference before a long shoot.
