Hey Hey!
Second post this week! I'm on a roll!
Got another DIYish type post for ya! With any home business that sells primarily online, product photography is a big deal. If people can't touch and hold your product, you've got to make them feel like they can with your photos!
It may seem like you need lots of fancy equipment for this. I thought so too, but I promise you don't! I'm no expert by a long stretch and I'm still on the learning curve myself. Really, I'm just making this up as I go along, but the results just keep getting better! I've done lots of research and read lots of articles and such and I'd like to pass on some of those tips to you! So if you don't have a swanky home studio with all those nifty gadgets, FEAR NOT! Awesome pics are still within reach!
One of the most exciting things I've learned so far is how to make my own light tent. These are great for small object photography but buying one retail can cost you some major bucks. To make this one, I think I spent a grand total of like $5 for the fabric and paper inside. I already had a suitable box and tape laying around the house. I also already had the lamp I use to light it.
And here's the result!
I was so excited when I was done I had to try it out! I grabbed the nearest object at hand (happened to be a pair of scissors) and my phone (who knows where the camera was hiding...). This is what I got. Like I said, quick snap with my phone cam and absolutely no editing and it already looks pretty amazing!
To show you the difference something like this can make in your product photography, here's an example. The photo on the left is how I started off shooting my product. Fairly simple background, so its not terrible... but the coloring was never quite right and there were often awkward shadows that were hard to get rid of. And, even though there's not much going on in the background, it still distracts some from the necklace.
Before.......................................AFTER! :D
You can also change out the background (paper) inside your box for different looks! Colors, patterns and textures galore! Experiment to see what makes your items POP!
Check out these articles on Etsy for more before and after shots, tips and ideas for product photography! Etsy Success: Product Photography for Beginners & Before and After with Etsy's Old Timers & Full-Timers & Shop Makeover Series: Feature Friendly Photos
A second really exciting thing I've come up with for my product photography is a "set" to photograph "models" wearing my jewelry. And by "set" I mean a couple curtains slung up between a couple doors. And by "models" I mean... me. Anyhoo, here's the basic set up below.
Pretty snazzy right!? Yeah, I know. Shut up. Really that's it though. It doesn't look like much but carving out this little spot in my "studio", like chopping up a cardboard box, made all the difference. And! BONUS! It was free. Everything you see in the picture were things I already had. Nothing new. No money spent. That's the truly amazing bit. The second most amazing bit?
Going from this..... ...................to this!
In the photo on the left I'm sitting in front of a blank wall literally holding the camera out in front of me. Profile pic, yo! And yes, this photo is still up on my site. Don't judge me. I'm working on replacements. Lol. Anyway, the photo on the right is from my latest photo sesh with my set. Again, both me and both taken with the same camera. Crazy, yes?! I'm slowly working my way to replacing all my old icky photos with awesome ones like these!
For more inspiration, here's a fun video about model photography which I found quite helpful: How to Take Photos Using Models
The Etsy Seller Handbook has tons of great articles and tips for all subjects related to small business online sales.
You can also cheek out these items and more at my etsy shop!
Thanks for reading!
-Lindsey :)
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