image from Etsy
Over the past few months I have looked at many photographs on Etsy, Folksy, NOTHS and peoples websites to use in various blog posts. Good images make the difference between me featuring a product or not, which sometimes is a real shame as the product is great but the image is poor. Whilst many of us know that poor lighting can effect the quality of our photos there are other things to consider too. Props are great for creating an atmosphere or idea, when I made my clutch bags I wanted to evoke thoughts of old fashioned glamour so took shots of the bags with Martini glasses and leather gloves. Another example is if you are selling bunting make sure you take photos of the bunting in situ, whether this is outside on a tree or inside on a wall. Yet it is easy to over do it! Too many props and the potential customer will not be sure exactly what is for sale. Another important thing to consider is the surroundings, I am sure you don't really want people to see your washing drying on the airer!
Etsy has some great tutorials and advice about taking good photographs, in their Guide to Photography. To ensure your photos are at the correct size you can always resize them on Webresizer or Picnik. I use Picnik alot and have now paid to use their premium services as I put together alot of photo collages, however you can use a good selection of their services for free.
Another option you may consider is having your products photographed by a professional photographer. Whilst some of us are lucky enough to know a photographer, there are many of us that need to find a photgrapher to take professional images of our products. Shot By Lucy is a great photography agency that will provide you with a product photo shoot without the expensive fees often associated with using an agency. I have seen the results of their work and they are now the recommended photographers for Gift Wrapped & Gorgeous partners.
So if you were thinking of giving your shops or websites a spring clean be sure to read Etsy's Guide to Photography or even consider professional images from Shot By Lucy or another photographer.
3 comments:
Thank you for this post, I really struggle with my photos so this is a great source of info and ideas for me. Hannah xx
Hannah - I found the Etsy guide to Photography a huge help. The most important thing to remember is that the image draws the customer in. There's no point having a great product and description if the photo doesn't do it justice.
I agree that the product photo is what sells the item or the blog. I must admit that poor design/compostition/lighting in a photo or page really turns me off!
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