Friday Fun Tips: Product Photography!

If you sell items online, you know just how important it is to capture your product in the best way for online viewing. Since a potential customer doesn't have the benefit of viewing your product in person, you want to give them as much visual information as possible, and in the most appealing way. You don't want them to take a split second glance at your item and move on. You want to invite them to take a longer look. Here are some tips for getting better product photography for your Etsy shop, eBay listings, website, etc!


Be accurate!
Learn how to utilize your EV balance on your camera, or make adjustments using photo editing software to make sure that your colors are accurate. Your home lighting will usually cast a yellow glow - learn how to use your white balance. Imagine a UT alum thinking they are getting a burnt orange scarf and it arrives maroon! No bueno!

De-clutter!
Be careful about your backgrounds. Remove distracting items and don't photograph your product atop a table with a busy pattern. You don't want to distract your customer with too much going on in your photo.

Be informative!
Help your customer get an idea of the real size of your product. Use mannequins and props when appropriate to help show how something hangs or lays. A snapshot of a scarf laying flat on a white counter top is pretty boring and not very informative. Photographing your product from multiple angles is also helpful. Using a macro lens can be helpful when shooting a closeup detail shot (another great view to include).



Let there be light!
One of the very most important parts of product photography is lighting. Whether you choose to use natural light or studio lights, you want to be sure your lighting does not wash out details or textures of your item. You generally want to steer clear of using your built-in flash, if possible. There are even many free/cheap options for making at-home lighting props, using items like cardboard and tin foil to reflect window light. Do a google search for homemade light boxes and reflectors and you will find a ton of options to work with.

Hold steady!
If you aren't using a tripod, let me encourage you now to do so. Even an inexpensive one will do just fine. Blurry images are just not acceptable for product photography. To get crystal clear closeups of your items, you can't beat the steady stability a tripod provides.

You don't need a pricey camera or expensive accessories to get good images. Need some trouble-shooting help for your images? Or if you'd rather hire a pro to make sure your products look their best online... Post here or drop me an email! jenn@jenniferjurek.com

Happy shooting and good luck with your sales!



{ check out Cordova Studios on Etsy for handspun and hand-dyed yarns, hand-painted rovings, and hand-carded artsy fiber batts }

Friday Fun Tips: Photographing Fireworks

As many of us will be heading out to 4th of July celebrations this weekend, I thought I would share a few tips on how to get better photographs of fireworks.

• Turn off your flash!
• Do most of your photography during the first part of the show. Smoke builds up from the fireworks, and can make pictures hazy as it gets later. Try to avoid being downwind of the display for the same reason.
• Consider your location before the show. Do you want the skyline as a backdrop? Or do you want to be close and shooting up toward the sky?
• Shoot frequently! It's the digital age and those shots don't cost you a dime. You never know what is coming next that might be dazzlingly awesome. And once you've seen it, it may be too late for your camera to catch it.
• Bring a tripod if you can. This will help with using slower shutter speeds to capture the nighttime color.
• Play with shutter speed. Try slowing it down and opening the shutter just before the firework explodes.
• Shoot in landscape or infinity focus mode. Some cameras will have difficulty auto focusing on fireworks and you may need to manually focus if you have the option.

Have fun, be safe, bring mosquito repellant!