I have been getting a lot of great feedback in the forums but one of the most common compliments I get is not on the dolls themselves but on my photography. When I started out here I was so ignorant to how important taking really good photos was to being successful. It makes sense though... people can't see your items in person, so you need to show them off in the best light possible and make them really shine. Great photos are the only way to do this. I would look at sellers who were really selling large amounts and see their photos, crisp, clean, bright, and be so jealous because I didn't know how to do that. I asked though and my fellow crafters were quick to help me in the right direction. Number #1 way to get going towards good photos- a light box.
Do a little research and you can see how easy it is to make your own if you don't want to spend lots of money on a professional set up. (Just be careful to put it away if you have cats!) All you need is a box, a box cutter, tape, and some white tissue paper. Of course there are way more complex ways, but seriously, who has time for that?!
Once you have your light box it is time to play with the camera. PLEASE use the MACRO setting on your camera. That is really the whole key to non-blurry closeups. Try different angels, if you sell jewelry try different colored paper to compliment the pieces. And then once you have taken a lot of photos it is time to fix them digitally. Yes, even the best photographers digitally alter their photos to view them in the best light possible. See my before and after... off the top of my head I can tell you I cropped, fixed the tone and contrast, brightened it, and then removed a few highlights that I didn't like. But it pays off, I promise!
If you don't have a program like Photoshop on your computer there is a free one called Picnik that I have tried for some people and it is really nice and easy to use. It may not have all the bells and whistles of Photoshop, but at least your customers can see clearly what they are buying.
Good luck and if you want to see some great Etsy photos here are some of my favorite sellers who caught my eye because of their great item photos!
7 comments:
Great advice and great photos!
I have been revamping all of my photos as well =) Love your choices of photography inspiration photos!
i love picnik :). great before and after photos.
I've been meaning to buy a photo box to take pics, but I like your idea of just making one!
I've struggled with my photos too. I never would have guessed that I needed to be a photographer too in order to sell my jewelry! Thanks for the great tips.
it is so important like you say... in any kind of business people generally are attracted to what they see first and foremost, so it makes sense to make the best of your products. I have mentioned it before in my blog, its imperative to educate yourself on basic photography and a lightbox for crafters is what i'd recommend as being essential if they have poor lighting in their home nor the means to display products well. and it is so easy to make one! great example shots btw!
thanks for the advice about photos. i'm just getting started on etsy and was wondering about the whole light box thing. when you made yours, did you find a good set of instructions online? thanks, and love your dolls!
Larissa
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