I use a black background for most shots. Why? Cuts down a heck of a lot on editing time. It's much easier to make a black background look good! Getting a white background to look properly white without full control over the lighting is tricky - for example, artificial light from a regular household bulb is yellow. Black backgrounds also cut down on any shadows and/or creases that your backdrop may create.
Quick example of a black background:
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loginNot a fantastic photograph but it proves my point. This was taken in a photo tent against a black sheet using natural light.
Lighting-wise I just use natural light. There's a free light source in the sky, why not use it? If I had any lamps though I'd use bright artificial light as it's easier to get the lighting you want and cut out unsightly shadows.
If you're not looking to be super fancy about the photos you take then the basics are:
- Have a tidy background (no random stuff in the background, no busy colours, no pets or family members entering the frame, etc.)
- Try to have your light source behind you
- Get as close to your subject as you can
For photos of stuff you're trying to sell you really should put some effort in. On eBay I see a lot of items being listed with terrible photographs and all that says to me is "I don't care about what I'm selling, so why should you?" Even mobile phones these days will take a decent shot if you take your time and work with your equipment.
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