Place two lights so holo cards show their surface without a white glare stripe, and products keep true colour on a phone camera in a Whatnot show.
Updated 6 October 2026
Before you start
Place two lights so holo cards show their surface without a white glare stripe, and products keep true colour on a phone camera in a Whatnot show.
Viewers on Whatnot judge a card from a phone screen. A glare stripe across a holo hides the centring, and a yellow cast from a ceiling bulb makes a white border look stained. A card that looks damaged on screen is harder to bid on.
Set up the lights for a desk-based show: where each one goes, the colour setting, and fixes for glare on sleeves and slabs. For the kit itself, see our ranking of the best lighting for Whatnot and product photos.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical UK prices.
Two LED video panels with stands
Holo cards, foiled boxes and glossy packaging reflect a ring light straight back at the camera. With two panels angled in from each side, the glare falls outside the frame.
Typical price£45 to £75
See on Amazon
Two softbox lights with stands
Softboxes spread light over a big area, so a whole outfit or a rail of stock gets even light with soft shadows. They take more floor space than panels and suit a spare room better than a desk.
Typical price£50 to £90
See on Amazon18 in ring light with stand
Daylight in a spare room shifts through the day. Set the ring light once and your items look the same in the evening show as in your photos.
Typical price£35 to £60
See on AmazonPocket LED video light
Clips to a phone mount or sits on the desk to lift the shadow side of a card or a piece of jewellery. It costs little as a first light and works as a fill once you add panels.
Typical price£15 to £25
See on AmazonThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Start with the room
Switch off the ceiling light and close the blind if the window faces the desk. Mixed daylight and warm bulbs give the camera two colours to balance, and it renders both wrong.
Put a plain, matte surface under the cards. A glossy desk throws your lights straight back into the lens.
Two lights at 45 degrees
Set a panel on each side of the desk, angled down at the card area from about 45 degrees. Light coming in from the sides skims across a sleeve and leaves the reflection out of the camera’s view.
Raise them higher than your head if you can. Low lights put a hot spot in every toploader and your hands cast shadows across the cards.
Kit for this step
Ring lights and glare
A ring light round the phone shines straight down the lens axis, so every glossy card bounces it back as a bright circle. It flatters your face on a chat stream, but it puts a bright circle on a slab.
If a ring light is what you own, tilt the card a few degrees away from the camera when you show it, or move the ring off to one side and use it as a fill.
Kit for this step
Colour and brightness
Set both lights to the same colour temperature, around daylight white, and lock the phone’s exposure on the card area. Matching lights stop one side of a card looking blue and the other orange.
Turn the brightness down before you turn it up. Too much light blows out white borders and silver foil. Aim for visible texture on a holo.
Kit for this step
Overhead shots and small items
An overhead phone arm looking straight down gives the cleanest card view, but your lights then need to sit wide and low enough to stay out of the reflection. Test with a sleeved card before the show.
A small clip-on LED fills shadows inside a sealed box or under a figure’s chin. Keep it dim and to one side so it adds detail without a second glare spot.
Kit for this step
Check it on a viewer's screen
Open your own test stream on a second phone and look at a holo, a slab and a white-bordered card. Fix anything you would not bid on.
Mark the light positions on the desk with a strip of tape once they work. The next show then takes a minute to set up instead of twenty.
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Turn off ceiling lights and block the window
- 2Use a matte surface under the cards
- 3Place two lights at about 45 degrees, above head height
- 4Match both lights to the same colour temperature
- 5Lock phone exposure on the card area
- 6Test a holo, a slab and a white border on a second phone
- 7Tape the light positions on the desk
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
What is the best lighting setup for Whatnot?
Use two soft lights either side of the desk, angled down at about 45 degrees, with room lights off. That setup shows card surfaces with the least glare.
Is a ring light good for Whatnot card shows?
It lights your face well but reflects off sleeves and slabs as a bright ring. Move it to the side or add two side lights for the cards.
How do I stop glare on toploaders and slabs?
Light from the sides, not from behind the camera, and tilt the card slightly when you show it. Lower the brightness if the foil turns white.
What colour temperature should I use?
Pick one setting near daylight white for every light in shot. Matching the lights counts for more than the exact number.
Do I need lights for a daytime show by a window?
Daylight changes through a show whenever a cloud passes. Fixed lights give the same picture from the first card to the last.
Can the same lights work for listing photos?
Yes. Keep the same positions and shoot from the overhead arm for flat items, then lower the angle for boxes and figures.