September 28, 2010

Photo Redo

So I whipped up some headpins over the weekend and photographed them. I was happy with the photos and listed them in my shop. And then I looked at my shop and realized that the photos were dull and not eye-catching at all. Blah. I quickly realized I didn't have enough light. So this afternoon I pulled out the camera and tried again. You can see the first photos on the left and the updated ones on the right. I took these photos in the same area with the same camera settings, the only difference? I took the better photos during the middle of the day and the other ones too late in the afternoon. It can make all the difference. Do some experiments during different times of the day and see if you can find better natural lighting.

So how important is that first photo in your Etsy shop? Which one would grab your attention and deserve a click through? Which ones are more likely to end up in a treasury or on the first page? Let the photos work for you!

And now for some props! Here you can see the original photo in the lower right-hand corner. The raven was okay as is, but I didn't feel the photograph captured this little guy clearly or with enough personality. With a few strategic props this listing is much more of an eye-grabber than before.

I also wanted to give this little guy more attention because I went crazy making them last week and have about a dozen more than usual in stock. So they are on sale in my Etsy shop, yep you can save a whole buck. And with that dollar you could buy yourself a little chocolate treat and celebrate Halloween 4 weeks early. Yep, that sounds like a plan!

6 comments:

Beverly Herman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Beverly Herman said...

What a difference the light of day makes in the pictures. They looks good I want one of everything!

SummersStudio said...

I find the photo part of this buisness vexing. It looks great when I edit and then I come back and well, not so much. These are great photos of some really wonderful designs.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I quite agree with your insights on iconic symbols/images. We all have our own vision, no?

Riki Schumacher said...

Hi Heather, love your ravens! The photos are wonderful. I agree, experiment, it sure helps. Take care, Riki

TesoriTrovati said...

Light is getting so fleeting here in Wisconsin. Overcast is better than sunny, but now there is so little of any light that it is a travesty. If I only had unlimited hours to work on this and a better handle on the wildly expensive light box I purchased I would be taking more shots. It is all I can do to crank it out.

I would like two of everything please (for earrings you know!)

Enjoy the day!
Erin

lunedreams said...

Light is limited in Montana too, and weirdly enough it seems like it's been a different color all summer. I used to take most of my photos with natural light but for the last year the color is always way too blue/green. Same settings on my camera. I've switched to full spectrum daylight bulbs in a light box. What gives I wonder?

The props with your little ravens are perfection! Context is powerful. Your work lends itself so well to botanical/natural props.