On photographing your work!

[Former_Member]

Hello team,

I am new to Etsy and have been busy taking shots of my work, posting them, and perusing everyone's amazing work and have had a great time so far.

I thought i would open a thread so we can discuss what works and what doesn't when photographing work. I have been shooting my work inside of a sunbox, a small portable studio with 3 white acrylic walls and a double sided satin sheet that hangs from the back. It gets the job done fairly nicely, however I was wondering what you guys think about including other objects in the photos, like coffee beans, or vines with little berries, etc. creating a still life of sorts with the obvious focal point being the item for sale. While I have not learned a huge amount about photographing work, everyone seems to think that including other objects is a big NO NO. What do you guys think? Most of the treasuries I see have other objects included in the photos other than the main attraction and it seems to work on Etsy. It seems to lure people in more. Is this an accurate theory?
I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts, especially as potters.

Thanks for your thoughts in advance.

Jason.

[LennyMud]

Hi Jason-
Your work is so lovely! Really gorgeous. My thoughts on photography here on Etsy are just my thoughts---so take what you want from my response and please discard the rest. I know you didn't ask for any kind of photo critique so forgive me for giving you this unsolicited advice. I started out like you did with a colored background but soon learned that it limited me in terms of being selected for treasuries. Start studying the front page and "hot" treasuries and you'll see that the majority of photos have a more neutral or white background when it is an object or gallery shot. The fact that your background appears purple will really limit you in terms of being selected for treasuries-which are a great way to get views.

Also- I love the close up shots of your work and how they show the amazing details on each item. There is a richness and depth in every shot that makes you want to just hold the objects in them. But I really think you could benefit from an additional shot that shows the entire form--many of your thumbnails are so close that you lose the overall shape of your piece. It's great to have a shot that lets the customer get an idea of overall size--which is one reason you do see some sellers putting props into their photos. It gives perspective.

Mostly, small props like berries and coffee beans can help you fit in with the merchandising theme for the month which is announced on the Etsy blog. If your photography speaks to merchandsing themes and hot trends you might get selected for an Etsy email which will mean A LOT of views! So for example, if you make a seafoam green mug and photograph it on a white background but add a few seashells all of a sudden you've positioned it with a nautical vibe, which is really on trend in the summer months here.

If you go to craftcount.com and look at the top sellers in the pottery & ceramic category and you'll see some interesting photos that will inspire. Lately many potters are showing their work with people holding it--you'll see some great shots of that.

Best of luck,
Lorrie (lenny is the name of my studio cat.)

[Former_Member]

Some excellent and very useful thoughts you have indeed! Thank you for your insight, it is much appreciated, Lorrie. Critique is always welcome.
The white backgrounds do seem to be the thing to do, I will try to focus on that more, as well as trying for different themes with some light emphasis with objects. I have also noted that if the image is not predominantly square to begin with, the thumbnail generated can cut off the top and bottom of the image. I will have to keep that in mind for future postings. This photography business is a full time job aside from making ceramics, I'm discovering hahah. But with encouragement and tips like the ones you've generously shared, I hope to soon have some really worthwhile shots.
Thanks again.

[Former_Member]

Hi Jason,
I am also new to Etsy and just learning the ropes of online selling. In my previous years of experience of designing brochures and catalogs, I have always found that #1: Keep the object you are selling as your largest focal point, and #2 make your photo interesting enough to lure the buyer's eye. That can be tricky, but I do think that adding a small touch of interest to the photo helps. I need to follow my own advice sometimes! Good luck with your Etsy sells!
Di

[HurricanePottery]

Lorrie, thanks for the post. What a great resource that craftcount is!
Jason, here's a link from another successful potter, Michael Coffee, that you might find helpful - he's on etsy as ShyRabbit if you want to see samples of his technique. We had a commercial light box and lights, but this set up works much, much better.

[HurricanePottery]

OOps. left out the link! http://dmichaelcoffee.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/shots-of-pots-on-the-cheap-and-low-tech/

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the tips, Di. I hope to experiment with my photos more. I think I need to have a little more fun with taking shots, rather than be anxious and stressed about them. haha. I will definitely keep your tips running through my mind as shoot.

[Former_Member]

Yes indeed, the craftcount website looks like a tremendous resource for ideas and inspiration. Thanks again, Lorri. There seems to be a lot of Etsy support websites around that help support it from behind the scenes. I guess the trick is just finding them. I think I might start building a collection of them and once I have several I will share them with everyone here, we ceramic artists gotta stick together :D

Sharon, the link you posted as well seems invaluable. I would love to set up a permanent space to shoot work. I may just do that if my wife wont mind. hahah. That is way cool that the set up is made available for people to see. There are many out there who would rather keep such a thing a trade secret. Thanks so much for your input and for the link. I will certainly be favoring that website and using it as an instruction manual for my photography studio. The quality of photos are just incredible! The work is also amazing.

[Former_Member]

I still consider myself relatively new to etsy and online selling in general. I'll definitely be checking out that craftcount link!

My most recent purchase was a photo box I found new on ebay for $36 with free shipping. I'll be updating my profile pic soon with it. I spent all day rephotographing my work with my new light box. During this process I sold 2 mugs that I had just edited with new images! Wow!

I began on etsy with jewelry with handmade clay pendants, but there's far too much jewelry out there. I started adding pottery, and I've had a few sales here and there...You're right about the photography portion! It's a full time job. I know my images still need work, but I'm thrilled at my progress.

As for the props, I use them for items like toothbrush caddies and sponge holders and spoon rests. I haven't tried anything else except at art festivals. I have seen some really great images of work with props though.

Hey, good luck here, and don't get frustrated. You can never predict sales. If I ignore etsy for a week, I'll sell something. If I'm on it 24/7 I rarely do!

[Former_Member]

By the way, Jason, you have gorgeous work! It shouldn't take long for you to rack up a bunch of sales!!!

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the kind words, Lauren, and also you your input about etsy and shooting work. Im going to re-shoot all of my work as well, and am hoping to include more goodies soon to be out of the kiln. Craft count is quite interesting to browse. Im going to give Michael Coffee's technique Sharon posted a build and see if I can get the lush type of photos hes getting. They are juicy!