Background Inspirations

Someone recently inquired where I find inspiration for my backgrounds I use in my photos, so I thought it might make an interesting "behind the scenes" blog post.

This is the floor of my studio, next to the window where I get some lovely natural light. I was looking for a background that was somewhat neutral to compliment my books. I looked down and voila! I was standing on it!

However, that background didn't work for this book because the book is nearly the same color as the floor. And besides that, I got tired of laying in the floor to get good shots of my books!

You'll never guess what the background in the above shot really is! (Keep reading)

I was having trouble with an orange-yellowish cast reflecting off the floor, and the whitewashed background didn't work with this book, so I took a printer's tray and turned it upside down for this lovely aged wood background!

So here is the inspiration for the whitewashed background I used. I saw it in the Jan 2010 issue of Somerset Life magazine. I wondered what I had around the house to use and my thoughts immediately turned to a little table which recently resurfaced in the garage as my hubby was straightening up.

And here it is! The background for my Tea Stained Guest Book.

My great aunt made this herself, handy lady that she was. She had it in her dining room with a potted fern on it for as long as I can remember. When she died I inherited it. It's a wonderful little shabby chic piece and has been sadly neglected for many years...I never could find a place to put it in my house. Now it has a new home in my studio and gets almost daily use. (The printer's tray I use is behind it.)

Which background is your favorite? If you do much photography, do you have a favorite background you like to use in your photos?

Revamping My Shop

As the holidays draw near and I have a little time before things really get crazy, I thought I would take some time to examine my shop and perhaps change things up a bit.

This summer was a really busy time for me, both for my family and my shop. Due to time constraints, I let myself get into a rut of doing the same thing over and over.

Here are some of the things I critiqued in my shop:

1. I was making the same style of book, just in different colors.

2. I used the same shots for photographing the books. Again, all the same, just different colors. As a result, I think it made my shop look rather mass-produced and less handmade.
3. I had the same background in all my shots. This was a hard call for me because I've heard having the same background gives you some unity and cohesion to your shop, but for me it seemed to contribute to the mass-production effect.

Sooo....I set to work retaking photos of some of my books, trying different angles and backgrounds. This required me to break free of my little light box as it didn't allow me to get in there with the camera for special angles.

As a result of not using the light box I battled with glare and shadows. This photo of Autumn Paisley is actually more true to color than the original one. Next to it, the original looks washed out and overexposed.

Overall I'm pleased with the new photos until the time for my next critique comes around! But that's what it's all about--learning, growing, and changing for the better.

Good photographs sell!

One of the keys to successful selling online is having a good photo of your item. Since your customer cannot touch and see your item in person, you need an accurate representation of it.

Please don't think I am an expert photographer by any means, but here is what I've learned in my one year journey on Etsy...all mistakes revealed!

When I first started selling on Etsy, my photographs stunk! Just to prove it to you, here is one. I took the photo inside in a homemade lightbox. Not that there's anything wrong with a homemade lightbox--I had the box, just not the light! I was using an incandescent lamp and my picture turned out dull with yellow undertones. I know you can fix things like this with fancy software, but I barely know how to use the program that came with my camera.

A kind soul suggested I try using outdoor light, so I gathered up a bundle of fabrics to use as backdrops and headed outside. I tried photographing in the sun, but the bright light tended to wash out my pictures. I waited for the sun to move and tried again in the shade. The lighting was a major improvement over my previous picture, but the wrinkles in the blanket are just plain distracting!!

My next attempt was taken outdoors again in indirect light, using a pillow for a rich, neutral background. That took care of the wrinkles, but then I had a new problem. My challenge here was trying to get a decent shot without the deck, garden, and dog running around in the background. I draped a piece of brown fleece over the chair to block the distractions. I was quite pleased with the results, given what I started with! However, my camera was having difficulty with the contrast between the dark brown backdrop and the pale foreground, giving my photo a greyish tint.

Another important discovery was the macro button on my camera. If you're taking close shots of your work and have this feature, use it!! It makes a huge difference in the clarity of your photos.

I used a piece of decorative paper for my background and tried different camera angles to avoid getting my patio table and the dog in the picture. I cropped out whatever I couldn't avoid.

After much experimentation, I discovered the perfect time of day for taking my pictures, which of course changes with the seasons, so it's a never-ending process!!

For those who are curious, here is a shot before cropping. See my lovely table and all the journals stacked in the cue, waiting to be photographed?!

For further information and tutorials, check out Etsy's storque articles on this subject. Here is one Etsy published that is helpful. http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/howTos/article/shop-makeover-series-photographing-for-success/913/