AAA Cafe' Daily Chat 1/04/2014

[naturepoet]

Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to new members, welcome back to returning teammates! If this is your first time here - this is a place to ask questions, share your most embarrassing secrets, or just chat about the slow and boring bits of your day…we want to hear from you!!

Be sure to check out the discussion board. There are games to be played and threads to explore. The more you promote your fellow team mates, the more you get promoted, so be sure to participate on a daily basis. Check out our blog and our Facebook page, as well as the other links provided below.

IMPORTANT LINKS:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/301427606658253/
Etsy Calculatore: salecalc.com/etsy
Etsyology: www.etsyology.net/

How is your weather. Ours is cold. Hovering below zero. Right now it is minus 10F with the windchill. It was minus 17F yesterday. Colder with windchill.

We have quite a few newbies on the team, so let's talk about photos today. How do you get the clearest photos? What types of things do you have trouble photographing. Silver and clear glass are the hardest for me. I use a digital camera and keep the flash off and the close up feature on. That works for me and then I have to resize them to get the best fit for my listings. Please feel free to let us know how you get your best photos and if you have questions, please ask.

QUOTE of the Day:

While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best.
~ Tom Allen

[NaturalClocks]

Good morning Mary and everybody else!

Yesterday it turned out to be windy but dry at the end, today it looks like rain is set to stay. Parts of the coastal roads in this county got flooded (they are now shut) , high tide coupled with high winds made sure there was lots of sea water around. My friend and I kept well away from the coast during high tide and went inland on the hills for a pub lunch, but we still drove down to the nearest beach on the way back (once the tide lowered of course) to have a look and couldn't believe the debris and how far inland they were! Found a few bits of good driftwood though, yay! :)

Photos: I'm no expert, but I make sure my camera is set on "close up" mode, and I have as good a natural light as possible on the shelf by the window. No flash for me either. Then I use photoshop to crop (if needed), brighten up (especially the background, I really don't like that grey tinge) and sharpen the pictures a bit and that's it. My main concern is always that the item is shown as clearly and as detailed as possible, so that potential buyers can have the best possible view of it.

Have a great day!!

ps: edited to add: welcome to the new team members!

[Former_Member]

Good morning !!

Welcome to the new members !

Yesterday we had a very nice day as it was sunny, but today we've waken up with rain .

Regarding the photos, I'm not an expert. I always make them with natural light, without flash, and then I edit them using picmonkey and fotofuze, just to brighten the items.

Back now to my housework, and I expect to bead a little during the day.
Wish you all a very nice Saturday ! :)

[Former_Member]

Good Morning Everyone & welcome new members ;o)

It's cold here. Right now it's -7 with the windchill at -20....brrrrrrrrrrr!!! If you live in one of the areas that's having sub-zero temperatures, please remember to bring in your pets. We just had a news report of a dog found outside in his dog house that died from the cold, so it's on my mind right now.

Photos are the bane of my Etsy existence LOL. I take my pics on a white background with as much natural light as possible. I have such a hard time getting certain items to appear as soft and cozy as they really are (my poncho being one of them) and the color never seems to come out "right". It's frustrating. I have a digital camera and take my pics with several of the settings until I get the look that I want - sometimes I'll take dozens of pics of the same thing.

The hardest colors for me to capture are bright, neon colors and purples...they always come out muted and purples seem to want to turn blue on me. A friend I met here on Etsy is helping me with some photography tips so hopefully that'll help ;o)

My plan for the day is to finish up a custom order for elbow length gloves and then to do some housework and start de-Christmassing the house.

Have a safe and happy day!!

[Former_Member]

Good Morning all!

I too struggle with taking pictures. Though, they are much better, then before, I still am not 100% happy with them.

My hubby just bought me a new camera and a lighting set up that I will be playing with as soon as I finish the pieces I have been working on.

Here is a great link that Dona emailed me for taking jewelry pics.. It is super informative and has some great tips.

http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/jewelry_photography.htm

and another for white balance
http://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance

Okay, I have to get back to work. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

[suemako]

I agree that picture taking is something I stink at and don't seem to be improving on. I just got a new camera though, so once I can get outside
natural light that might help.

Good luck with sales everyone!

[Former_Member]

Hello everyone!

It's about 8 degrees here; don't know if there's any wind chill. Never did make it out yesterday for shopping, so that's been resceduled for today. I got four more totes embroidered yesterday. I hope to get a couple more done today.

Photos seem to be the bane of my existence. I have to use a flash, since I just can't get enough natural light in our apartment. I've been using my sister's Pentax digital SLR, but she just got a new point-and-shoot camera that we're going to try. Photographing the totes is going to be challenging, since the majority of them don't have a bottom gussett. I'll figure out something I'm sure.

But some of my activities will have to be curtailed today and tomorrow, because it's playoff time in the National Football League! Although my team (the Baltimore Ravens) aren't in the playoffs, I still enjoy watching them. Two games today and two tomorrow -- I'm going to be in football heaven!

[suemako]

Does anyone know online where to find public Valentine pics that can be used to make a banner? And how hard is it to make a simple Valentine banner? Any suggestions?

[CraftsByKeri]

Good morning everyone!
Our temperatures have warmed up a bit today.
As for pictures I'm always working on them! I think I have finally figured things out though! I use a DSLR set to the A setting with the aperture setting set to the lowest to get that blurred background. I also use a light box and tripod and for editing I use Adobe Lightroom. I want to redo everything again for a more Spring look although I do like the greenery in my backgrounds. I will see what I can come up with.
Jacqueline- Have you tried any rocks or books to lay your jewelry across? I have seen some very nice photos done this way.

[CraftsByKeri]

Sue-this site has a bunch of free banners you just have to edit them with your info in whatever program you have http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.ca/p/free-etsy-shop-banners.html
If you don't want any of these just search for Etsy banner maker and there are a bunch of programs you can use to make your own.

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Hello everyone

A bit late today, because - having finally sussed how to use Pinterest (thanks Sarah!) - I've spent the whole morning creating a Board in which I can display the Stuffed Animals I've restored over recent months. (www.pinterest.com/IsobelM.)

Having re-pinned lots of members' pins to the AAA Fantastic Finds Board, thought it was high time that I uploaded something of my own there - so apologies if I've over-loaded the site, but I'd got some catching up to do. By the way, thanks to all those from here who've pinned and re-pinned my stuff already (still haven't worked out when or which happens first!).

Have to say, am delighted to be able to show off the restoration work I've been able to do - as the Etsy Listing #79124185 (some of you have already found and faved it, for which many thanks) really doesn't allow one to show off one's attempts. Also, next Friday (Jan 10) a letter I sent to a UK weekly ladies mag before Christmas is supposed to be publishing it in their Letters Column. They have said they will forward any expressions of interest - which, apparently, often occurs! So, hope the fact that I can direct folks to the Pinterest Board will aid in boosting potential new business as well. Intend to do a blog post about it too - and if all that doesn't work, think I'll give up trying!!

As for photographs, I still am from the "point and shoot" camp of picture-taking. Haven't the patience to be anything else! Sometimes they work, often times they don't! However, I'm finding if I have a coloured foreground against a white or cream background in daylight, I'm beginning to get some results worth using. At night, with the electric light on, I find having it on auto flash - so it works if it needs to - seems to work for me too. Not very professional or scientific, I fear. I then crop the resulting choices and get a close-up effect that way.

It's been pouring all day here, and on top of all the rain we've had hereabouts since Christmas Eve (almost without a break), it's getting "interesting". This morning, going to get my daily paper, I just happened to glance at the roadside drains as I went by (not normal behaviour, I hasten to add). There was just about 1-1/2" between the top of the drain and the water level in the drain. Our small village river has long disappeared into the surrounding flood plain, and it's one big lake vista at the moment. Where I live in the village, the water drains into the main street drains (see above) so while we may be OK, not sure how one gets to and from the village store - if it carries on raining. We've been promised at least another 1" tonight and tomorrow - although there MAY be some hope later next week! Flippers are definitely going to be needed, methinks.

Still it's better than the snow you folks on the eastern seaboard of US and Canada have been given. Take care of yourselves and watch your footing(s).

[Former_Member]

Good morning-

Mary- good morning and thank you for this topic on photos. I hope to learn from what is talked about as it is not my best thing.

Welcome to all new members!

Still brutally cold here with a lake effect snow warning of anywhere upto 10 plus in. of more snow and high winds. We have not even gotten to the negative temps yet as they come tonight through weds. Very much not looking forward to it.

As for photos, I use my iPhone for that. I also have a digital camera too but find the iPhone works better. I try very hard to get natural light which is hard since it is rarely sunny here. I also use photo editing software to brighten them. I do have to re-do my photos soon though as some are darker than I want them to be.

Have a good day!

[naturepoet]

Val, your method is the same as mine. I do put my photos into a photo program to brighten them and sharpen them as well.

Nuria, natural light is important, which reminds me I should take some while the sun is shining.

Jeannie, there is an online photo program that works well to soften photos

and everyone can probably benefit from it if they don't have a photo program. Just put a photo in their and tinker with it. It's not hard to learn. Here is the link:
http://fotoflexer.com/app/index.php?integration=upload

Jaqueline, have a great day.

Sue, you will improve in time. Try following the tips above and then try Photo Flexer.

Alanna, put some goodies in the totes to photograph them. That will hold them upright possibly and give the customer an idea of how to use them.

Sue, I have Valentine's in my shop and you can make a banner with them if you'd like. If you can't find what you'd like, let me know what it is and I will see what I have.

Keri, sounds like you have photos under control.

Isobel, Pinterest is fun to use. I will follow you.

John, if you have questions, please ask. I'm glad you are finding your way. It's difficult taking photos on a phone but sounds like you have it under control. Try using Photo Flexer to adjust them. It works great.
http://fotoflexer.com/app/index.php?integration=upload

[suemako]

Thanks for the help Keri!

Thanks Mary for posting that info.

[4my4creations]

I have learned Photo's are so so important when I took the time and got my photo's redone and did them well I started to sell many many more.

I use a light box that I made out of a cardboard box and some tissue paper. I use the flash semi close up. I don't use a white background I use light grey as most of my stuff is white.

I am hoping to get live models for my hats this year that is my major goal and I think I would sell more hats which I love love to make.

Another thing that I learned is making sure the first photo is intriguing. With my blankets I had a close up picture at first showing the whole little blanket and hardly any views, but then I put a picture on the little rocker by the bush as my first picture and all of a sudden views and sales came pouring in....close-up and all of that is important, but making sure the first one is great and intriguing is of up most.

[Former_Member]

Thank you Mary. I will definitely check out that site as soon as I can get the kinks back out of my computer.

[naturepoet]

Great information, everyone. Thanks for sharing.

[DoorCountyVintage]

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTU5NzE4Njd8MjcyMjkxMjMxNw/for-the-ladies

Ladies I have specially crafted a treasury in your honor :)