Handmade is big business these days, in large part due to sites like Etsy , Amazon Marketplace, and Ebay. If you’re a handmade crafter selling your work online, you know that one of your most important selling tools is great photography. If you’re struggling to get the shots you want, check out these helpful tips.

1.         Place and Light

Choose the location of your shots carefully. Pick clean backgrounds that won’t compete with your item, even better, find a location that adds to the story, beauty, or feel of your piece.

Natural light is always preferable, so if you can, locate your shots near a window or outside. You can always use reflectors to boost indoor light.

2.         More on Light

Small items and intricate details benefit from more light, which is when a light box (or light tent) really comes in handy. It’s just a box with translucent material sides, one open side, and a solid material on the floor and the back, allowing very bright light to be focused on the item inside without shadows as the translucent material diffuses the light.

3.         Tripods are Great

When you use a slow shutter speed to photograph something, you probably won’t be able to hold the camera steady enough to take a sharp picture. You need a tripod.

4.         Date Stamps aren’t Cool

Turn off the date stamp function of your camera to avoid the unprofessional goof of having the date and time show up in the corner of your image.

5.         Image Size

You don’t want images files to be too big when you upload them to your site or page because it may make loading so slow for viewers that they give up on you. Reduce file sizes to 72dpi and 500 pixels on the longest side for online use.

Give us a call when you’re getting ready for a craft show and you need great print design. We can help you sell your handmade work by bringing your imagery to life with bold color and crisp detail.