This is such a fun, encouraging post for me to write because the topic is something that will help a handmade business *almost* instantly — yeow! I’m taking about product photography ~ great photos are pretty easy to achieve and can do wonders for your handmade business. Running an online shop is an exceptionally convenient way to sell your wares as it’s always “open”, your website can work for you, and it’s effortless for others to share the link to your store — no longer do visitors need to be local to see your wares.
Below are 5 tips to consider as you prepare to photograph your products. Grab a cup of tea and read on!
Tip #1: Show your product in-use
Capture your audience by helping them envision your product on them. It’s amazing how easily this helps upgrade them to “customer” status {yeow!}. When you photograph your products in-use you add a layer of personalization. You also show them a realistic size of your product. Customers can’t hold your products – they can only see them. Be sure you answer any potential questions they may have through product photos. I {heart} this two-toned floral headband below ~ this is a great example of showing your product in-use.
Tip #2: Get up close & personal
When you sell your wares online, customers heavily rely on your photographs and descriptions to help them decide if they’ll make a purchase. Give them the peek-a-boo they want by using the macro setting on your camera, or by cropping your photo for a crisp, tight view of the product. It’s all about the details, baby! If you’re working with fabric, customers want to see the thread’s texture. If you’re making jewelry, give them detail pics. And if you’re baking, well… they need to be drooling! ;]
Tip #3: Let your product do the work
Some times products are just so darn cute that they don’t need anything next to them. Keep it simple in at least one photo by focusing solely on your product. Orange Thyme does a great job using depth-of-field to keep the focus on their lip shimmer ~ certainly makes me want to buy a few tubes!
Tip #4: Show your product in it’s element
This one ties in well with tip #1: show your product in-use. When I look at the below photo I can’t help but see myself sitting in that well-lit room with that big mug of tea that’s enveloped by a darling [knit] mug cozy. Some times showing your product “in-use” means showing it it’s it’s element.. Don’t be afraid to set the stage for how your product is to be used or worn.
Tip #5: Use natural lighting
I know I’m not alone when I say that if the below photo was shot using poor, yucky, overhead lighting, the Macarons wouldn’t look tasty. Not. at. all. Take some time to watch the way the sun comes into your home or studio during the day. This is something I struggle with every time we move. I get so frustrated because I can’t find “the spot” any more ~ the spot where the sun is slightly diffused and the shadows are gone and my photos look amazing. With our most-recent move I tried half a dozen times to figure this out. But, it was so worth it. Natural lighting is a MUST when shooting. A necessity. Take a minute to think about your favorite photos or websites. What is the lighting like? Find inspiration in these photos and turn your feelings into positive energy to apply this to your own product photos.
Share with us: which tip do you need to use more // which tip is your favorite {the one you use most often} ?
![{I’m so thankful that I’m here… [Long Beach, CA]}](https://maggiewhitley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_0820.jpg)
this is awesome… not really even as a handmade shop owner but someone who shops on etsy all the time! there are times i go and fall in love with something but then when reading the description i see that it’s either way smaller or way larger then i thought or i just dont have enough info on the item. if i see it on a model then i am ten times more likely to buy it. (or see it in use!) awesome post:)
those are all great tips and great photos to represent! natural light is always the way to go. i trying to improve my skills. great tips!!
need tip 1 to use! but i dont have anyone who could help me make photos. and my room isn’t a very good place to make pics.. ehh
i use the self-timer a lot ;)
Great tips! These will really help me out!
Great post! I use and love using natural light when taking photos if my desserts to showcase them on the blog :)
if you have extras i’ll give you my address ;)
Great post! I sew children’s clothing and I find that people love to see the clothes on children instead of a dress form. It’s just finding enough models can be difficult! My granddaughter is 9 months old now so I love dressing her up. Waiting for the weather to cooperate to go outdoors for the best lighting, though.
Thanks for sharing…and what great examples! I feel like photography is one aspect that I can always improve on and I am constantly reworking and trying new techniques.
awesome tips as usual! Thanks so much! :)
It is so hard to find natural light in our house, so I always use the lighten tool on picnik. Thank you for these tips girl!! xo
i seriously SERIOUSLY struggled with this when we moved. i mean, i thought for sure i would just have to settle with yucky pictures. but i finally figured it out — my window of good lighting may be just 2 hours, but at least i know it exists.
Thanks for sharing!
Even as a buyer on Etsy/Big Cartel, I find sometimes that I’m not willing to try a product because I don’t feel like I have the complete view of the product. If you’re in a store, you can pick it up and inspect it from all angles. An online shop should provide the same experience!
What tips would you have for digitally created items? Should those be printed, framed and then pictured or would there be a good way to display it?
i think that would be great! if you use your products for art, show them on the wall or on a table. if you offer DIY printable stationary, for example, you can always show them “in use” by laying them out on a table… if you offer printable birthday cards, show a few designs next to a table of presents. or cupcake toppers — bake a batch of cupcakes and show them “in use” that way ;]
then eat one!
I need to use macro more, I just asked fellow indie bizzers to critique my products on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/sew.indy …and thye told me to crop my pictures and that there was too much white space. My favorite thing to use is natural light! I am so thankful for that tip I see people who don’t use natural light and I feel bad for them :( If they just used that simple tecnique their products would look waaaay better!
Great post. I think many crafters are so scared of photographing their items. With these few simple steps, it can be easy and it makes a dramatic difference in the appearance of their online shop. Pictures really do sell the products. My fave tips are to use natural light and simple backgrounds. This can dramatically improve the quality and professionalism of a photo.
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing these awesome tips! I am definitely lacking in photography skills, but these are simple tips that even the photography inept can master!
Oh, this is so true(and so hard, too!)!! It is hard to move & then find your sweet spot. My dificulty is that I work full time during the day, so my window of opportunity is so short-lived, especially during the winter! I work hard to produce good photos for my shop, though, and I’ve heard compliments from others on my photos that make the hard work & effort worth it. Let’s be honest though, there really IS a lot of effort that goes into the staging, photographing, and editing, and it’s certainly not something I had fully considered before opening my online shop!
[nodding my head in agreement] — thanks for your input mandie!!
OMGee~zee!
That cup of tea love mug cozy…is UH~DOOOOOR~UH~Bul.
Gonna pop back over when I have time to read these tips!
You are sooooo SWEET to share!
xo
Thanks for the tips Gussy! I’m always trying new ways to improve my product photos. It is a lot of work, but I know it is critical to have good photos when running an online shop. All of those products look incredible! #2, #3, and #4 are my faves!
Awesome tips!!! I definitely live by the “get up close” tip. I try and use natural light, but I usually get done with projects late at night, and I get too impatient to wait until morning time to photograph them. Patience is a virtue!! Thanx for the post!!!! So useful!!
Love this! These kinds of posts are soooo helpful to me and my little shop!
Great tips! I recently purchased a tripod and camera remote and LOVE it! Okay, now I’m really wanting some of that lip shimmer! So pretty for summer.
I have a really hard time with the natural lighting. It’s so hard to find in my house and especially with all of the gloomy days in Michigan!
Great post! Something I am still trying to work on – I really wish our house had more lighting! The room that gets the best light is Josiah’s nursery… luckily, we are moving him to the basement next month so I can make it my new craft room! haha And I love that you shared Rayna Jaye – she’s my cousin and the gorgeous girl modeling her headband is also my cousin, Mandy! Made me so happy to see that! :)
i know she was related to you ;]
and LOL that your moving Josiah to the basement — is that legal? jk ;]
Thanks for sharing these Gussy! I’m about to launch a new etsy store soon, so this came at the perfect time for me! Thanks as always for the great inspiration!
i love that you are so helpful to others!! really, it’s a rare quality and I really do thank you!
Maggie, I just opened up your blog and Bauer pops up – my little Sprout says, “I wuv you doggie”…so cute!! Totally off topic from this post but had to share Bauer has one more fan!
Trish ~ you are amazing :]
Give your sprout a hug from Bauer! xoxo
Great post! I think you’ve hit it spot on, great photography really makes a difference! I for one, think tea cozies are silly…but then after looking at that one on that mug? Omg! How could I have not thought they were cute before?!
I don’t have a shop or products to photograph, but NATURAL LIGHT is the key to me getting pics of my kids that I love!
Great tips. Lighting is what I struggle with the most. My home is at a weird angle, on a pie shaped lot, facing SW/NE so it never gets direct sunlight. :( I use photoshop a lot to “fix” this. Is that bad?
Super helpful post, as always. I finally found *the place* to take photos in natural light and am working on reshooting all my products.
What I struggle most is the showing in use/in its element. My products are meant to hang on the wall or refrigerator, which is where I used to photograph them, but they looked terrible because of the light and you couldn’t even tell that’s where it was anyway. I’ve yet to find a good way to show scale without looking unnatural (like sticking a quarter next to it. LOL)