Before you take the picture

• Get it into good light. Outside in the shade is best, or right by an open shop door. Overhead shop lights alone make the wood look orange.
• Don't shoot into a window or the sun — the piece goes dark and the background goes white.
• Wipe it down first. Sawdust and fingerprints show up far more in a photo than in person.
• Get the whole piece in frame with a little room around it, and hold the phone level so the legs don't lean.
• Take two: one straight on, one from the corner so it looks solid rather than flat.
• Clear what's behind it if you can. A plain wall or the shop floor beats a cluttered bench.