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Guide to Equipment Photography for Faster Sales

Although he has been forgotten by many, Edwin Land, the inventor who created the Polaroid film, astounded the world when he first demonstrated the Polaroid camera. Camera owners had to buy film, put the film in the camera, take pictures, and then bring the film to a drugstore to be developed. Film development generally took a week, and the resulting images were often blurry or out of focus. When Land demonstrated the Polaroid film, reporters rushed to the stage, astounded by the ability to see a developed picture within a minute.

Today, we take pictures effortlessly, often storing thousands of images on our phones. As visual creatures, we rely heavily on sight to navigate and interpret the world. The saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words' holds true for both good and bad images.

Here at Aaron, we see hundreds of thousands of pictures of equipment each year. Using the lessons below and understanding the power of visual communication will help you capture high-quality photos of your surplus equipment, ensuring you present your products as well as possible.

Background & Foreground Tips

Present a nice clean background that draws the eyes to your equipment

Don't distract the viewer with the background. Your goal is to highlight the equipment. Avoid showing weeds, grass, or extraneous elements like trees or buildings.

Pro Tip: A neat, clean background draws the eye to your equipment. Equipment dealers often use a canvas backdrop for this reason. Similarly, don’t clutter the foreground with tarps, packing crates, or materials.

Cluttered Backgrounds Distract

Don’t distract the viewer with a cluttered background or foreground

A perfect picture speaks volumes. To capture the best shot, eliminate any distractions that could detract from the image. Make sure to remove debris or unnecessary items from the scene, such as empty wood pallets, cardboard boxes, plastic buckets, and other clutter. Keeping the focus on the subject will help ensure your photo represents it in the best possible way.

Pro Tip: Don’t distract the viewer with a cluttered background or foreground. Avoid cluttering the picture with tarps, packing crates or materials.

Pro Tip

Take 360-Degree Pictures

Take pictures showing the equipment from the front, back, and sides. Prospects want to see all sides of the machine.

Pro Tip: Imagine you were considering buying the machine. What pictures would you like to see on each side of the machine?

As seen to the right, are pictures of a centrifuge machine properly showing the entire 360-degrees view of the machine.

Pro Tip

Photos of Key Attributes & Specifications

Take pictures of the manufacturer's tag, engine or motor tags, and any other tags containing information about the machine. Prospects want as much information as possible about the equipment, and the machine’s tags contain critical information, including:

  • The manufacturer's name
  • Year of manufacture
  • Necessary details about the machine's specifications

Pro Tip: make sure the tag is legible in your pictures. If it is too hard to read, you may lose a sale to a machine with legible tag pictures.

To the left you will view good examples of crisp, clear pictures of tags.

Pro Tip

Take Crisp, High-Res Photography - It Matters!

Low-resolution pictures should be avoided when taking pictures of equipment since they become blurry or pixelated when enlarged. A blurry picture can be as ineffective as no picture at all.

Pro Tip: Review each picture and ask yourself whether someone who has never seen the machine would see enough in the pictures to take the next step in buying the machine.

Pro Tip: take high-resolution pictures using a phone using the following steps:

  • Adjust your phone camera to the highest quality option
  • Use “Pro or Manual Mode” if available
  • Use “Maximize Resolution" option, which is available on some Pixel phones
  • Avoid using Zoom mode and instead bring your camera closer to the machine to take the pictures
  • Use proper lighting


Hi-Res Equipment Photography That Sells

Now You're Ready To Sell Your Equipment

By taking crisp, clear 360-degree pictures of your equipment, avoiding foreground and background clutter, and including pictures of all tags, you will increase the probability of selling your equipment in a timely and efficient manner.

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