Product Photography on a Shoestring Budget

A week or so ago I decided to put a bit more effort into the product photos I take for my ebay listings. I've observed how, within my own purchasing habits, I'm more likely to bid on an item with great photos, as I feel much more confident that I'll be getting exactly what I anticipate. Also, it (to me) shows that the seller cares more than usual about the item he or she is selling, which is always a big confidence booster. 

Having essentially no budget to put towards the setup, I went and grabbed a roll of aluminum foil and a piece of cardboard and fashioned two reflectors.

As you can see, I'm using the two reflectors for fill light, the flash (which ended up being pointed at the ceiling) as key, and my smartphone (used to take the photo) was used up very close as a catchlight. Despite appearances, the setup actually looks quite nice, though a less confused background would have been better. 

Not bad! Then again, I'm  a fan of the more organic sorts of product shots, so this suits me. A few more examples below...

Postcript: As a proof of concept, I listed the Lexicon interface on ebay where it competed for bids against two other identical units. It sold it for $25 higher than my competitors. I'd say that's a success!

- Additionally, the Leica D-Lux 4 shown here sold for $50-75 more than competing units. You can't afford not to do this!!