Smashing Darling Blog

I came across this blog post today and wanted to share it with you. It is from Stone Soup Jewelry. A designer on Smashing Darling. This post came from her blog of the same name.

One of the keys to online sales is product photography. It makes sense to invest time and money in good equipment and good photos - you don’t need to go spend thousands of dollars on a high end digital SLR and studio lighting equipment, but a good light box (homemade is fine) and, most important, the right light bulbs, are essential. Here’s an example of how lighting affects photos. This picture was taken in my homemade light box (corrugated cardboard, with white tissue paper sides), using two nvision 27 watt daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs from a big box hardware store.

The next photo, of the same piece, was taken in a light tent purchased from TableTop Studio, using two 30w trumpet top daylight balanced bulbs. The green background is a piece of cardstock. The white to black sweep background, which real photographers can achieve with good lighting and experience, is a paper background that I purchased.

The difference is, I think, dramatic, and the lights were the single most critical piece of equipment. I find that customers respond much better to high quality, professional-looking photos. Good clear photographs are also critical for applications to juried shows.

One of my goals for next year (yes, I’m planning for the slow time in the midst of the holiday rush) is to continue to work towards improving my photos. I’m even considering sending a few pieces to a professional who specializes in craft photography to see what happens.

In the mean time, I’m going to finish my holiday shopping - and continue buying handmade!