Yikes...help with my photos?

[Former_Member]

Okay, so, it's no secret. My photos are bad.

VERY bad.

I try using white posterboard for a good, clean backround, but the pictures still look yucky (to me, anyway). I don't have a lightbox and I really can't invest in one now.

I used to use picnik.com to edit my photos, but now they're closing April 19th. I have heard of picmonkey.com, but a little unsure of using it since I don't have the "flash" program needed. What photo editing method do you use?

Any suggestions for my photos? Thank you SO much!!

[Former_Member]

Another etsy seller suggested this http://fotofuze.com. Really helped me sort the backgrounds out for my photos :)

[Former_Member]

i use fotofuze.com
i have heard many great things about pikasa

[Former_Member]

Thanks Amy and Jenni :) I'll check those out.

[HausofAriella]

Have you tried using fotofuze.com? It doesn't work for all photos, but I use it for most of my items. As for free photo editing software, I think that Picassa is a good choice. I've never used picmokey, so I can't really comment on that.

I also think that you should crop your photos more. I can hardly tell anything about the earrings, especially from the thumbnail.

[Former_Member]

Ariella Kirtley from HausofAriella says

I also think that you should crop your photos more. I can hardly tell anything about the earrings, especially from the thumbnail.

^^^^^^^^^

Definitely try cropping your photos. It's really hard to see what the earrings look like. Once you find a program to edit your photos, play with the exposure and sharpness settings. Those 2 settings really helped me with my photos.

[Former_Member]

Try fotofuze.com to make your photos have a %100 white background :) Oh, and, use both hands on the camera in a comfortable position when taking pictures etc.

Brann :)

[TheDarkFen]

photofuze is only good w/ white or black backgrounds. i would honestly focus more on taking better lit, more detailed photos. but that's what i would suggest based on your shop's current photos. also ditch the heart logo, it will prevent you from getting into almost any treasuries. try photofuze and see if it works for you. but i would first test taking your photos in a better lit area w/ a more pleasing background such as a soft white, versus harsh.

also. if you have GIMP or photoshop or photoshop elements (or other photo editing software) you can easily adjust your curves and light balance to make your photos look a million times better with no effort. photofuze will not do that for you, at least not that i can see where it looks proper.

[Former_Member]

If you want the stark white backgrounds, start with you photos by a window with blinds. The blinds will help you adjust the amount of light and the direction coming into the window. Next use a foam board to take you pictures against.
Picnic is closing but Pixlr express has a similar platform. Next after you've edited it in plixlr go ahead and upload photos to fotofuz and do your final editing there.

Good luck!

[threestonebirds]

I made a light box - two, actually - out of random, cheap elements. One is a small shipping box and the other was a printer box. They cost me nothing except the poster board and tissue paper to go on the sides, and they've served me pretty well.

Looking at a pair of your earrings, I'd say zoom in. You want to get detail shots. Do you have a camera with a macro setting? It's the little flower and allows you to get very close while still being able to focus. You don't have to aim for an overhead shot, either; sometimes angles work better, and as long as the buyer gets a sense of what it'll look like it should be fine.

I use GIMP, a free program, to lighten my pictures up. No matter how much light I have available, I have to mess with the levels to get rid of the shadows. Takes fives seconds, makes them look much better. I'd recommend it to anyone.

[Former_Member]

I followed this: http://www.handmadeology.com/studio-quality-product-photography-with-a-12-set-up/

I also use Picasa!

[Former_Member]

I have not tried any photo editing software, but my suggestion would be to take photos that have a bit more visual interest. I just use things around the house to hang my items from (my teacups are featured in almost all of my photos just because I can get different angles to show the details of my items, earrings especially, this way), and I use photos that I take off my walls to use as a background sometimes. Interestingly enough, my item with the worst photo recently sold (glad to have it gone from the shop just because the picture was throwing off the entire look).

[SilverLilyJewelry]

I use the edit software that came with my camera it does the basic's I need crop and lighten ! I like your card pic's but would try to crop some of the jewelry pic's specially the earring's

[Former_Member]

I see you have a heart on every single picture. I assume you are doing this to keep your pictures from being copied but really it's not necessary as anyone can crop it out and it will keep your items from making it into most people's treasuries. So if you dont want to remove it from every picture at least remove it from the lead off one.

[Former_Member]

I also made a homemade light box, it's so easy. Just search the web for "how to make a light box" and you'll find tons of resources...

[Former_Member]

Thank you so much!! Everyone's comments were helpful.

No, my camera has no macro setting.

Thanks again to everyone :)

[Former_Member]

Your camera has no macro setting?
What type of camera are you using, Katie?

[Sassydoodlebaby]

HI,

Display your necklaces on black neck jewelry holders. Be sure and use a lint remover on them first because up close every spec shows. Make an interesting back round out of a solid material that can be scrunched up. Go to a big department store and check out their jewelry counters, see how items are displayed. I like to shoot in 3's, the piece you are selling, the holder for the piece and something else, like a silk flower or what ever you think adds interest. Look in fashion magazines too for how jewelry is displayed. I just use my macro setting on my camera to get good pics of jewelry, no light box. It all seems to come out fine. Good luck.