Photographing Your Items

I am constantly trying to better my photos, as I know they can make or break your sales.  Also, it can be the difference between getting into treasuries or not.  As an example, I had a basic photo of a frog pendant.  I decided to zoom in on just the frog's face, and make that my lead shot.  You couldn't see what the item was, but the photo drew you in to take a look at what it was.  The day I made the change, it got put in two treasuries.

I recently purchased an inexpensive lightbox on ebay, but you can make your own.  A link was recently posted on the team facebook page - to a website that shows you how to make your own.

These are a few photos I pulled off of Etsy.  I think that it shows how much of a difference good photography can make.  I once saw a photo for a loaf of bread that someone shot the photo of the bread on their tile floor.  It isn't just how clear your photo is, but how you stage it as well. 

Etsy offers many articles on Photography.  I am continually going through these and trying new things.  If you go to Etsy, click on "community" then "storque blog".  Once there, type in "Seller's Handbook Photography" in the search box, and several articles will come up.  You can also find some tips in the forums.  It is definitely worth your while to take the time to read up on photography, and get to know your camera just a little bit better.  You don't have to have a fancy camera, just keep taking photos and seeing what works.  I always took my photos from above the item.  One day, I was out in the garden taking photos, and set my camera on a table.  I happened to look down at the display which was still on, and noticed how cool the shot looked on my table.  That was my aha moment to look at new angles.   Also, I am constantly on the lookout for various props to use.

I by no means think my photos are great, but I think it is worth saying that we can all improve our sales if we keep working on our photos.  Take the time to play around with your camera and see what you can do.