Occasionally, we post items on Craigslist, and when we remodeled our kitchen recently, we had quite a few items. We weren’t hoping to get much money for them, of course — no one every is if they’re posting to Craigslist. If you’re selling something that’s actually worth a fair amount of money, Ebay is probably the better bet. What makes Craigslist worth our time is the relatively quick turn-around.

Good photographs can help aid in that process. Here are some tips to help you take better Craigslist photos.

Cut to the chase

Don’t bother trying to create a photographic masterpiece. People want to see what you’re selling and what condition it’s in. A straight, well-cropped picture (taken level with the item) that shows the item with few distractions is all you need.

Lighting

The only place you really need to spend time is with the lighting. Use defused fill flash to provide even lighting without any harsh reflection.

Crop, crop, crop

No one wants to see the condition of the room in which the item was photographed, especially if it’s not perfectly clean. Take the time to crop out any distractions.

Remember: you’re trying to get something out of your house and make a buck or two in the process — everything needs to work to that end.