Locked
Discussion interactions are currently paused.
Etsy Insights: taking photos on social media
Hi everyone! This is Sian. My Etsy shop is SianZeng, a wallpaper and design company, and winner of last year’s Grand Prize in the Etsy Design Awards. Our brand grew fairly fast over the past few years and this was partially due to the content we shared on Instagram. Our feed is a mix of beautiful photos taken by our customers, our own curated photography of our wall designs, and snapshots of our work in progress. Today, I would like to share a few tips and tricks on how to style and take photos using your phone camera to share on social media for maximum engagement:
Choose the right backdrop
Whether I’m photographing our finished wallpaper samples or my art in progress, the first thing I think about is what will surround the subject of my photo. The backdrop could either enhance or take away from what I want to capture. You can create a range of complimentary backdrops yourself with little need to splurge on new stuff. Check what you already have lying around your house or have a browse of your local charity shop. Keep an eye out for wooden planks, paint boards, and soft furnishings with the texture and colour to frame and highlight your work.
Make use of your phone’s gridlines feature
Your phone camera has lots of features to help you capture the perfect shot and one of my go-to’s is the gridlines tool. Based on the ‘rule of thirds’, this handy little companion places a series of horizontal and vertical lines across your screen as you’re taking your shot. For a more balanced, level and naturally interactive photograph, try placing points of interest across these lines of intersection. This is really useful if you’ve got a lot going on in your photo or you’re shooting a flatlay and want to create more depth.
Invest in a Gorilla Pod for your phone
This is one of the best investments I’ve made when it comes to photographing on my phone and it’s not too expensive either. By attaching your phone to a Gorilla pod you free yourself from the limitations of a hand held camera. This opens up the possibility of shooting from more angles, with more space. This tripod is super easy to use and can be secured onto all sorts of things, such as a tree trunk or an overhanging lamp. It will also give you the extra stability you want to take sharp and professional looking photos for your feed.
Lighting is key
Usually if you photograph your subject against a window the subject/object will look dark and the light streaming in from the windows behind it will be distracting. Unless that’s the mood you are going for, I always set up my shot so that my subjects are lit from the side or from above. And watch out for any shadows cast by your objects and this lighting set up. If something doesn’t look right (for example, a tall object casting too large a shadow on the smaller ones) play around with the lighting until you are happy with the composition.
Editing the photos
I use several different mobile apps to edit my photos after I’ve taken them, all for different reasons. If there are blemishes or my hand has accidentally entered the photo, I use the Snapseed app ‘s healing tool to remove these unwanted pixels. I then turn to the Lightroom app (there is a free version also) to change the exposure/colour or isolate (exposure/colour) of particular areas. I use it to crop my photos, alter the perspective and straighten any off angles too. I also have a preset template I bought online which I may apply, before making my own adjustments to suit each individual image. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play with photo editing apps. You can always revert back to your original version if you’ve gone too far. The photo editing apps available on smartphones have been a game changer for me, in taking good quality and quick photos to share across Instagram.
What do you think has helped you the most in making Insta-worthy images? Or can you share with us any challenges you’ve been facing in taking good photos that engage your followers?
MaverickWoodcarving
·5 years agoI think the biggest challenge we face is finding a suitable location (e.g. with the right background 'setting') for our photos. Being a small Etsy shop, we're limited to photographing in our home, and we try to position items in a favorable way, where the lighting is balanced and 'life' stuff doesn't factor into the backgrounds, but it can be hard to do. Our shop is focused on custom woodworking products, most focused on Montessori type items for kids and parents to use to help spur growth and development, so we've tried to incorporate candid shots of our little one using some of the products, but capturing those 'candid' shots with a little one can be a challenge at times. I am guessing we'll have to reach more into our 'creative' side to find ways to accentuate our products better, because its clear that photos tell a lot of the story of the products we are marketing! Much more trial and error will take place before we find the sweet spot, that I am sure of.
Luckycann
·5 years agoHi Sian,
Nice for the helpful tip.
I am selling Bags and dress and have a problem with color in each photo are different in the picture. Sometime the bags or clothes look darker or brighter than the real look or even look different shade. Do you have any suggestion?
Thanks Ann