How to Photograph Your Dice Collection for Trade and Sale

Quick answer

Shoot dice on a plain matte background with one large diffused light at about 45 degrees, a second dim fill light, and your camera at die height. For metal dice, swap to a black or dark gray background and angle the key light until the glare slides off the top face. Then shoot a full set of angles, including the worst face, so buyers know exactly what they are getting.

Dice sell on photos, not descriptions. A buyer scrolling a trade thread or a marketplace listing decides in about two seconds whether your set looks worth the asking price, and a blurry phone shot of seven dice on a kitchen table loses that decision every time. The good news is that dice photography does not require a studio. It requires controlled light, a clean background, and a consistent sequence you repeat for every set you list.

This guide walks through a five-step process you can run on a phone or a camera, with specific fixes for the two hardest subjects: reflective metal dice and translucent resin or gemstone dice. It also covers what to include in dice listing photos so buyers trust the listing, and where a single bad photo costs you a sale.

Set up a background and light that flatter every material

Start with a matte surface, not a glossy one. A sheet of dark gray or medium gray felt, a matte vinyl sheet, or a plain untextured cloth works because it absorbs stray light instead of bouncing it back into your lens. Avoid white paper for metal dice: the bright background reflects into polished faces and washes out the engraving. For acrylic, resin, and gemstone dice, a mid-gray or muted color background keeps the dice as the brightest object in the frame.

Light is the whole game. One large diffused source, such as a softbox, a window with a sheer curtain, or a lamp behind a sheet of tracing paper, gives you soft shadows and readable numbers. Place it about 45 degrees to one side and slightly above the dice. Add a weak fill on the opposite side, or a white card to bounce light back, so the shadow side does not go black. Never use your phone's built-in flash directly: it creates a hot spot on the top face and flattens the shape of the die.

• Checkpoint: if you can see the reflection of your own hand or phone in a die face, your light source is too small or too close.
• Turn off overhead room lights if they cast a second, differently colored shadow.

Choose angles that show shape, numbers, and scale

Shoot at die height, not from standing height. A camera looking straight down at dice makes them look flat and hides the bevels that signal quality. Lower the camera until the lens is roughly level with the center of the dice, then tilt down just slightly. For a full set, arrange the dice in a shallow arc rather than a tight grid so each die reads as a separate object and the D20 does not hide the D4.

Then shoot a consistent sequence for every listing: one hero shot of the full set, one close-up of the D20 face, one close-up of the smallest die, one shot of the dice in hand or next to a common object for scale, and one shot of the included packaging or bag. If a set is oversized, such as a 35mm D20, include a scale reference in the hero shot too, because buyers misjudge size more than any other attribute.

• Common mistake: shooting only the prettiest face. Buyers read that as hiding flaws.
• Keep the same order for every set you list so your trade posts look consistent and professional.

Control glare on metal dice

Polished metal is a mirror, so you are photographing the light source, not the die. The fix is to make the reflection land somewhere harmless. Use a dark background, keep the key light large and diffused, and rotate the die in small increments until the bright reflection slides off the face you want to show. A polarizing filter helps if you have one, but careful angling usually solves it without extra gear.

Battle-worn and brushed finishes are easier than mirror polish because the texture scatters light. Lean into that: angle the light to rake across the surface so the engraving and finish texture show as depth. For engraved fonts, a slight side angle makes the recessed numbers read as dark lines instead of flat shapes. If a set has a distinctive finish, one raking-light close-up is worth more than three straight-on shots.

• Checkpoint: the numbers should be readable at thumbnail size, not just when zoomed in.
• Do not stack metal dice in a pile for the hero shot; edges chip and the photo looks cluttered.

Handle translucent and gemstone dice differently

Resin, acrylic, and gemstone dice pass light through, which means a background light can make them glow but can also blow out the color. Put the main light slightly behind and to the side of the dice so light travels through the material, then use a small white card in front to bounce a little light back onto the near face. This keeps the color saturated while still showing internal patterns and inclusions.

For natural stone sets, the variation is the selling point. Shoot one close-up per die if the pattern is dramatic, and mention in the listing that no two sets are identical. For sharp-edged resin, get low and close to show the crisp edge and flat face, because that geometry is exactly what buyers are paying for and it disappears in a soft, distant shot.

• Common mistake: overexposing translucent dice until the color reads as pale or washed out.
• Shoot gemstone sets in the same light for every listing so buyers can compare color fairly.

Edit lightly and describe honestly

Crop tight, straighten the horizon, and correct white balance so the background is neutral. Raise shadows just enough to reveal detail, and stop there. Heavy saturation, sharpening, or contrast makes dice look different from what arrives in the mail, and that is how returns and bad trade feedback start. If a die has a scratch, a mismatched number color, or a small casting mark, photograph it and say so in the listing text.

Write the listing to match the photos: material, die count, finish, and any flaw. Buyers who feel informed leave better feedback and come back. A short line like 'shown under neutral light, colors may vary slightly on your screen' protects you without sounding defensive. Honest dice listing photos do not reduce your price; they reduce haggling and disputes.

• Checkpoint: view your final photo at phone thumbnail size before posting.
• Keep one unedited reference shot in case a buyer questions the color.

The five-step dice photography routine

1. Step 1: Build the set: Lay a matte gray or dark surface on a stable table, position one large diffused light about 45 degrees to the side and slightly above, and add a weak fill or white bounce card opposite it. Kill overhead lights that cast a second shadow. Checkpoint: no visible reflection of your hand or phone in any die face before you shoot.
2. Step 2: Lock your camera position: Set the camera at die height, brace it on a stack of books or a small tripod, and frame a shallow arc of dice. Use the same framing for every set so your listings look consistent. Common mistake: shooting from standing height, which flattens the dice and hides bevels.
3. Step 3: Run the standard shot list: Capture a full-set hero shot, a D20 close-up, a smallest-die close-up, a scale shot in hand or beside a common object, and a shot of the bag, tin, or packaging. Checkpoint: include one shot of the least flattering face so buyers know the set is not cherry-picked.
4. Step 4: Solve glare and translucency: For metal, rotate the die until the bright reflection slides off the face you are showing, and use raking light to reveal engraving. For resin and gemstone, move the key light slightly behind and to the side and bounce a little light onto the near face. Common mistake: direct flash, which blows out metal and washes out translucent color.
5. Step 5: Edit lightly and post honestly: Crop, straighten, correct white balance, and lift shadows slightly. Then write the listing to match the photos, naming the material, die count, finish, and any flaw you photographed. Checkpoint: view the final image at phone thumbnail size; if the numbers are unreadable, reshoot before posting.

Dice that photograph well and what to show

• Forest Mana Spindown Metal D20: Metal spindown D20 themed around Forest mana, sold with a lifetime warranty on all dice plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. A single metal die is the easiest listing to shoot well: one hero angle, one raking-light close-up of the engraved numbers, and one scale shot. Mention the warranty in the listing text because it is a real trust signal for buyers.
• Pre-Order || Scarlet and Crow Metal 35mm D20: An oversized 35mm metal D20 made from die-cast zinc alloy, with a lifetime warranty on all dice and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Size is the whole appeal here, so a scale reference in the hero shot is mandatory. Buyers cannot judge 35mm from a photo alone, and a missing scale shot is the most common reason oversized dice listings stall.
• PRE-ORDER || Elder Runes Battle-Worn Silver Metal Dice Set: Seven-piece metal set in a battle-worn silver finish with deeply engraved fonts, supplied with a foam-lined metal tin. The finish texture is the selling point, so use raking side light to make the wear pattern read as depth. Photograph the foam-lined tin as an included item, since buyers factor packaging into the value of a set.
• PRE-ORDER || Blood of the Lich Sharp-Edged Resin Dice Set: Seven-piece sharp-edged resin set with mathematically flat faces and hand-painted numerals, with color running deep through the resin. Sharp edges and flat faces vanish in soft, distant shots. Get low and close with backlight so the crisp geometry and the depth of color both show in the same frame.

Good dice photography is a repeatable routine, not a talent. Control one light, lock your camera at die height, run the same shot list every time, and shoot metal and translucent dice with the specific fixes above. Do that, and your dice listing photos will do the selling before anyone reads a word of your description.