Selling my jewellery online means I have to take photos of it and I can honestly say that this is my least favourite part of the whole process! I just don't have the patience for all that fiddling about trying to get the perfect picture and I always look at the end result thinking it could be better.
I generally just switch on my camera in Auto mode and let it do it's thing, however the other day I actually switched it to manual and played around with the settings. I changed the white balance, (I think that's what it's called) and it has made a difference, the photos do seem brighter. Taking the photos in Manual mode however wasn't very successful, even though it was in Macro mode, the camera didn't want to focus every time, so I went back to Auto mode. I didn't need as much light as normal, meaning I didn't have to pull the curtains as far back as I normally do, so altering the white balance has improved things.
I normally use white as a background but recently have been thinking how boring my photos look! So this morning I took a trip to my local ESK where there's a brilliant craft section. I found some plain paper in various colours, green, grey, more green and then I spotted some bright orangey~browny~pinky~purple ( I said it was bright!) patterned paper that I thought might work. It's a bit vivid and colourful but I like it because it's very me and I hope fits with my style of jewellery. I gave it a try earlier and here's the results. Before and after!
Before
After
What do you think? I'd really appreciate some opinions! I'm planning on redoing all my photos, starting with my Etsy shop, but thought I'd do just one before I got carried away and wasted LOTS of time incase I didn't like the end result!
hey gorgeous! how's it going, good I hope!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the clean look the plain props give your jewellery BUT I also like the dimension the colour gives to it....so really I'm no use at all!!!!
hugs
hello gorgeous xxx
I think your photos are great anyway, but I must say I LOVE what you've done now. The colours of the background are so vibrant, but they really compliment those earrings. Gorgeous! x
ReplyDeleteI really like the coloured photos but you would have to be careful that it didn't detract from your item for sale! Not that it does in this case...the earrings are set off beautifully. x
ReplyDeleteI think that the neutral backgrounds work to show off the jewellery. If I used a colour I would probably try the complementary colour of the item to see whether it would make a good contrast, the colour of the earrings does seem to change with the orange colour background.
ReplyDeleteI too thought your "before" photo was good, really shows off the beads perfectly. I also like the new "after" shots too (especially the last one). In my opinion, you get a better idea of the jewellery from the first, plainer shot, but colour does look good. How about a paler colour under the stones, pastel blue perhaps, as a contrast to the red beads? Elaine
ReplyDeleteI love the bright paper, it looks very smart! Perhaps you could have Etsy and Folksy slightly different? i.e keep the old photos on one? Either way your photography is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHappy crafting x
Thanks for your comments :D
ReplyDeleteIt is really difficult. I do have some tamer colours that I might try as not everything is going to go with the vibrant orange!
I have an olive green leafy patterned sheet so will try that too. Oh God, more photos! :D
Tracy x
I love all your photos; you have really nailed photographing jewellery! Hmmm, I must admit, I love the way you use the stones as props, but do actually slightly prefer the neutral backdrop..... NikkiX
ReplyDeleteI do like the paper but I think the bead is lost on it. If you took a photo of that bead on blue or purple the bead would really stand out. Having said that, with a neutral background, nothing detracts from the beauty of your jewellery. It has to sit well with you though at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteHiya think i'm with the neutrals too, but the colour does look fab, and would really make the picture stand out. Your photos always look great!
ReplyDeleteThe patterned paper does look nice, but I think I prefer the white background as it shows off your jewellery more, making it appear a lot more clean and crisp. In my opinion, The red jewels are almost lost in the background as it is too similar in colour. Maybe if you used totally opposite colours - i.e. green background with red jewels, they would stand out more? But I still personally prefer the white. I would never have said your photos are boring, I've always thought how brilliant they are! I've yet to retake all my photos too, its annoying having to carry bulk loads of stuff in from the workshop in boxes though! I sometimes envy jewllery makers! hehe :)
ReplyDelete