Working on Photography

We hear it over and over again from everyone giving advice on our Etsy shops - make sure your photography is eye-catching and clear. There are some wonderful posts on other blogs and in the Etsy forums about how to better your photos. I've read and read and read a lot. Now it's time to put those pieces of advice into action!

I've used many different props and backgrounds over the years, but have never really been satisfied until I started using a solid colored background. My items can have many busy patterns going on at once, so for me it's important that my items are not competing for attention from its backdrop. Even after starting to play with some ideas I wasn't happy with the one-dimensionality of it. My husband bought me a large square of plywood from the hardware store, and I painted it my favorite teal blue. I love how the grain of the plywood now comes through after painting it - it really adds some depth and texture even though I'm sticking with a solid colored background.

Next I had to work on the lighting. I have absolutely no photography training, so this was majorly uncharted territory for me. I used to just use my home's overhead lighting. Yuck - dark and drab! So I invested in a relatively inexpensive light box with some lamps. Even with these tools it's taken a bit of time to get things right. I've moved the lamps around to find where they work best in the space I use for shooting my items. I think for those of us without professional set ups, it makes sense that we each have different light entering our photography space. This is the part of the process that has taken the longest time to work through.

Finally, at present, I'd say I'm pretty happy with where I am, but I'm sure as I learn more I'll be tweaking my process again! What do you think? What tips and tricks have you found work well in your space? I'd love to hear.

Happy Monday! Amy