Photo Tips on a Budget

Etsy Storque has some wonderful tips on photography, (see http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-are-your-photos-frontpage-worthy-3178 and http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-feature-friendly-photos-3222 and http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/give-props-how-to-style-your-photos-1079)

I have a few tips to add.

Your photography should be front page worthy. There should be enough contrast between setting and product to distinguish between them. Not necessarily a white or black backdrop. It can be something with character, a vintage table top, an old love letter, a slab of stone or wood. See Examples of Good Photography

First tip is don't do it yourself. What? Yes really! If you are not a pro, you can often get a student or fledgling photographer to take pictures for the exposure. Try local schools or listing on craigslist. You can find photographers and models (clothing, jewelry) at modelmayhem

Second tip, if you must do it yourself - LIGHTING! Indirect, natural light is best. You can use your camera's flash, but it can wash out. Best light is outside on a cloudy day. You can shoot by a window, but sometimes it's hard to setup by a window. Next best option, Halogen shop lights. I have seen some wonderful pictures taken with them. You will need two to distribute the light source. They can be pretty inexpensive. Make sure you keep an eye on them while working as they can get pretty hot.

Now that you have your layout and your light. What do you do with your camera? You can get decent pictures with just about any digital camera as long as the light and setup is good. MY digital camera was bought on eBay for $120, was $400 new. It is a wonderful for the price.

Take time to play a little with the photography to get the right settings for your camera. You can easily get good pictures with automatic settings. Make sure your camera is set for the proper distance. A good trick for getting a bit of depth of field out of a less expensive camera is to focus on your merchandise, (this will usually be in the center of your item), move your camera so the focus is on the closest part of the item, then shoot.

Get a good picture and then on to photo editing. Tips on next blog!