When producing item photographs for your online store, photo editing tools become essential to ensuring your potential customers accurately size-up your items.  “One of the best ways to market your products on Etsy.com is to have more professional product photos,” says John of FotoFuze.com, a professional 3D product photography and 2D image washing service.  “When a consumer is faced with the choice of buying from a shop with good photos and buying from a shop with worse photos, the consumer always picks the better photos. Even if the product with the worse photos is a better product!“

With so many photo editing options available for handmade sellers, our HandmadeMarketing.org team looked into what sellers recommend.

Etsy seller Vidalbuttons recently shared some tips with another Etsy seller in the Etsy.com forums.

“Use a program similar to Photoshop. This programs helps a lot!! If you don’t have the money to buy it, use picnik.com or site like this. It’s a site where you can edit your pics with the editing tools similar to Photoshop.”

Picnik prides itself on being a photo editing tool that is easy to use, yet powerful enough to get the job done.   Sellers can even get creative with a wide range of available effects, fonts, shapes, and frames.  Users can use the free version of Picnik, or upgrade to a premium version if they need more options.

In another forum post, Etsy seller SecretSafeBooks shares thoughts on using Picasa for photo editing.  “I love staging my product photos, and I can’t live without Picasa to enhance my pics. With it I can put in a watermark with my shop name, pump the contrast and crop,” the seller tells others.

Picasa is an image organizer and image viewer for organizing and editing digital photos.  The site also includes an integrated photo-sharing website.  Picasa has been owned by Google since 2004.  Picasa is free to download, and Picasa Web Albums provides 1 gigabyte of free storage, which ends up being enough space for 4,000 wallpaper-size photos.

John, from FotoFuze.com, tells our team that the website is a new technology which enables online sellers to increase their attention and profit by providing high quality 360-view pictures on their sites.

FotoFuze gives users access to technology to help automate the photography process, using methods to clean up photos.  That way, handmade sellers don’t have to learn the ins and outs of a photo editing program to get great photographs for their online shop.  “On average, you will sell more products with FotoFuze’s images than without,” the company says.

“To help keep your business looking fresh and up to date,” John tells HandmadeMarketing.org, “you can add sets of photos to our website and our software will process those photos into professional looking product photography for a reasonable price or for free, which you can access from any computer, any time when you Join FotoFuze (also free!).”

Which photo editing tool or software do you use for your photos?  Which programs do you recommend?  Which tools would you tell other sellers to skip?

Share your tips for optimizing your photographs for your ArtFire, Etsy, or other handmade shop site!

Why share? Our team publishes ideas from handmade sellers, artisans, and crafters.  Don’t forget to include links to your social media sites or handmade shop site in your article.  Sellers receive free press for lending their knowledge, and both new and experienced sellers alike get new ideas.  Share with HandmadeMarketing.org here.

Many artisans selling online will acknowledge item photography is one of the biggest challenges they face.

“Great photographs are extremely important to both the buyer and seller of jewelry that is sold online,” photographer Jim Juris recently told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Unlike shopping in a brick and mortar store the potential buyer of the jewelry cannot see and touch the actual item when they shop for jewelry online. You decrease the chances of making a sale when your jewelry photographs are not good because a photograph is all that the buyer has to go by when making a buying decision.”

When taking photographs of your craft items, backgrounds can be as important as your subject matter.  In a recent article on her blog Haptree and me, handmade seller Hilary tells readers, “Backgrounds are important because, if you are not careful, they can completely out stage your subject resulting in a confused and weak image.”

“Can you imagine a bride and groom being happy to have their photos taken round the back of the church by the wheely bins just because that’s where the light was best? I’m not suggesting that the photos you use on your blog or for your craft photography are quite so important as wedding pictures, but they do deserve a little time and effort to make sure they attract rather than detract from the subject, especially if they are advertising your hard work,” Hilary explains.

When photographing any area, whether it is your garden, kids or a finished craft item you are ready to sell, Hilary suggests taking the time to consider the photograph’s background.  “Giving some extra thought to the background can make a huge difference to the final image,” she says.  “Sometimes just changing position is all you need to do but when you are photographing crafts for sale it may need a bit more thought as the background you choose can affect the exposure, color intensity and the general feel of the piece you are selling.”

When photographing items for her ArtFire Studio or Etsy shop, Hilary uses a white background for the pieces.  “This is because my wristlets and bead kits are really colorful and brightly patterned,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “I think anything other than white would make the image too busy. I also want my shop to have consistent, branded look, so I chose white and I have stuck with it, I also use white as the background for my blog, to try and continue the theme of bright colors on a white background. As you can see I don’t use a studio, just a tripod, natural diffused light, a white board and a reflector made of tin foil! Below is one of the images from this mini session, showing you don’t need expensive equipment to achieve good results.”

“I would actively encourage a new seller to try out as many backgrounds as possible to find one that suits their products best, but I would also add that you need to think about the extra time you might have to spend styling the background, if it’s your gorgeous country kitchen – is it always immaculate, does it get great light in the winter aswell? In my opinion consistency is key to making your online shop gallery look professional,” she says.

Hilary explains that even the most eclectic items can look like part of a “family of items” if they are photographed with consistency.  “Equally, you can add character to a set of similar items by adjusting the background.”

Hilary recommends thinking outside the box when picking a background for your craft photos.  “It may be that the background forms the “story” of the piece or that it adds another complimentary dimension for the viewer to unconsiously take in. For example using slate or rocks as a background can imbue us with the notion of natural strength and durability. Or using the fragile pages from an antique book gives us the feeling of great value and age. The choice of background maybe purely to contrast with your object, making it stand out.  For example, shiny metals seem to look great against driftwood,” she says.  For more ideas about how a photo background can tell a story, or tell potential buyers how the item can be used in their lifestyle, read recommendations from Etsy item photo guru Renaissance Austin.

“If you chose to use a plain background, you may need to include something to give scale,” Hilary tells artisans.  “It can be done surreptitiously without detracting from the image, a ruler shot isn’t always necessary! I use coins with my coin purses, they show it’s function but they also add scale. Likewise with something such as a knitting bag, it would be nice to see it with needles nearby.  The ideas are limitless for small objects but things get a lot trickier with larger objects or indeed oddly shaped objects. Try and use the same principles as with small objects but if the background itself can’t be consistent then try to keep the style consistent. For online selling you could always use cropped in pictures of important details thus eliminating the background for the first gallery image and then full frame pictures in the remaining slots. Using a large aperture to blur backgrounds can also help, allowing your subject to really pop out, especially if you are forced to use a particularly busy backdrop, see my post about depth of field for advice on this.”

Hilary finishes her blog piece with a few final points to consider when choosing your background:

1. “A plain white backgrounds is great in most situations, but can make dark objects recede from the viewer and can affect your exposure if you are not careful with metering,” she says.  “In most cases any issues can be remedied when editing your images.”
2. Hilary tells craft photographers that black backgrounds absorb light.  “You will get rid of unwanted reflections,” she says.  “Sometimes this can make very shiny objects appear to merge with the background. However it can also add drama and make bright colours look very intense.”
3. She tells artisans to beware to using too many intense and bright colors.  “These can really make a shot zing but beware that the subject is still visible and not drowned out by all that color!” she says.
4. “Colors all have an effect on each other, so experiment with different colored backgrounds and colored objects on a small scale before investing in anything large or expensive,” Hilary told us.
5. Hilary thinks that a graduated background can work really well for craft photographers.  “Having the subject sitting in the lighter area in the forground with the background seeming to dissapear as it gets gradually darker works well,” she explains.  “I have managed to achieve this affect with natural light, but I would like to make this more consistent with my photography so I am looking to buy a graduated background. I will be sure to make a post about my discoveries!”

Thank you for the photography tips Hilary!  You can connect with Hilary via her blog’s photo tips or on Twitter.

What tips do you have for taking outstanding craft photos?  Do you have a photo that turned out well that you would like to share with HandmadeMarketing.org?  What do you think of Hilary’s suggestions?

Share your ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Post a comment to this article, or write a craft article of your own and submit it under our “Join” tab.  If we publish your article, we’ll link to your shop, blog, and social media links as the source of the great information!

If you are having trouble photographing crafts for your online shop, HandmadeMarketing.org reader Hilary is back with some great tips.  Previously, Hilary told us why blogging is essential to “creating the scene” of your handmade shop.  Now, Hilary shares how taking great craft photos can lead to more sales, increase buyer confidence, and a better looking online handmade shop.

“The macro function on your digital camera, denoted by a little flower, allows you to get really close to your subject, showing off all it’s details at larger than life size,” Hilary writes on her blog, Haptree and Me.  “This can be extremely useful when taking pictures of hand made craft to increase buyer confidence, as well as getting some great looking images.”

“I access my macro functions through the menu but many cameras will have it available on a dial or by pressing a button on the rear as it is such a popular function,” she explains.

Hilary writes that she feels a potential buyer should be allowed to clearly see close details of the handmade items a seller is selling online.

“In my case, the quality of stitching and fabric is important.  But, it could easily be the connections on a pair of earrings, or an immaculately finished mortis and tenon joint on a wooden stool,” she said. To see an example of Hilary’s macro photography technique at work, see this item from her Etsy.com shop below.

Hilary compares the “need to see” to an offline example – a restaurant.  “Just like when you’re in a restaurant that has the kitchen on display they are giving you confidence in their product, you can see it’s clean and hygenic. With an online craft store a buyer may not have touched or felt the product but they can rest assured that it looks well made and they will be much more inclined to buy from your shop,” she writes.

Hilary then shows her blog readers three photographs, which were taken using “super macro”, “macro” and “normal” camera settings respectively.  These images below show how close she was able to get to the pink geranium with each setting, while keeping the flower in focus.

“The shot taken using the normal setting is not close enough and way too busy,” Hilary writes.  “Of the other two photographs, I prefer the macro shot.”

“When you are getting in close to the subject, keep in mind that you will cast shadows over the subject as in the case of my photograph taken using the super macro setting,” she writes.

“It was such a bright day, that I was struggling to be able to see the results in the LCD display,” Hilary explained.  “The whole color tone of the picture has changed, ideally I should have used the tripod with a macro extension arm to get you right in there with minimum disturbance, but hey who has time for that?  Not me!“

Other Etsy sellers think using a tripod is essential.  “Using a tripod helps with macro setting,” one Etsy seller wrote in the Etsy.com forums.  As an added tip, the seller mentioned that jewelry sellers should avoid using a flash when photographing jewelry items.

“A tabletop tripod will help very much. Also, time delay the actual shot,” another seller wrote in the same forum thread.

Hilary notes that using the macro function greatly limits the depth of field.  Essentially, Hilary explains the depth of field is the distance in front of and behind the point of focus that is acceptably sharp and it is controlled by varying the aperture, which is an opening in the lens that narrows and widens to allow more or less light in.  You can read more about the depth of field by reading Hilary’s blog article “Depth of Field“.

“This makes careful focusing vital,” Hilary writes.  “If your camera is struggling, whirring back and forth unable to focus then it may be there is not enough light on the subject, you are too close or that there is insufficient contrast for the camera to be able to find something to focus on.  Don’t just blindly keep pressing down the shutter as you will end up with lots of very fuzzy images.

Instead, Hilary explains handmade sellers should simply half depress the shutter, allowing the camera to find its focus before finally taking the shot.

“A lot of cameras signify they are happy by a green circle on the LCD, and some will not take the picture unless they are able to focus,” she writes.  “Check in your cameras instruction manual or find out by searching for your camera model online how close you should be able to get with the macro and super macro functions, some are almost point blank.”

Hilary shared another interesting tip for craft photographers.  “I heard once that placing a section of newspaper print into the area to enable the camera to set it’s focus more easily while you have the shutter half depressed can help, obviously whipping it away before taking the final shot!” she writes.

Hilary thinks using the macro function may change the way you take your photos in the future.  “There are so many subjects available when you start to think in close up,” Hilary writes.  “If you can get the focus just right you’ll be amazed at some of the stunning pictures you can take, instead of the usual advice to stand back I recommend sticking your nose right in!”

Thank you for the great craft photography tips Hilary!

Interested in Hilary’s work? Her handmade items can be found at Folksy, Etsy, and ArtFire.

Do you have photography tips to share with other handmade sellers?  Submit your craft photography tips to HandmadeMarketing.org!  If we feature your ideas in a future article, we’ll link to your shop, site, or blog as the source of the valuable information.

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Andi Beard, found at ParticlesofStone at Etsy.com and on her blog, recently told usher tips for selling on Etsy.com – including the importance of photographs for jewelry sellers.

To start, we asked Andi why she loves to sell handmade on Etsy.com.  “I originally picked Etsy because I liked that it focuses on handmade items, and the fees are extremely reasonable,” Andi said.  “I also like the layout of the shop pages.”

Andi’s favorite aspect of Etsy is the community.  “I like the community feel,” she told us.  “It’s a place people clearly enjoy “hanging around,” and there is a real feeling of support and communication site-wide.”

The best tip Andi gave was regarding who to market to when selling on Etsy.com.  “Marketing to folks who don’t hang around Etsy!” Andi shared.  “Most of the people I know have never heard of it, and most of my sales have been through my own direct marketing to people I already knew, not from Etsy buyers. It’s too easy to get lost in the shuffle, especially if you don’t have a “unique” product.  Etsy apparently doesn’t have “Google cache,” since many Etsy sellers don’t come up high in the search results, too.”

“It’s a shame,” Andi added. “We should be beating ebay on handmade stuff!”

Andi also shared her thoughts on the role item photographs play when selling online.  “They are the “advertisement.” Just like print ads, the photo has to draw someone in, to make their eyes linger long enough to put the image into someone’s brain–and hopefully get them to really explore more,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Looking for tips for taking better photographs?  “Show it close up, even if you have to cut most of it out of the picture!” Andi suggests.  “I need to know the sizes of things, especially earrings. Every jewelry seller should strive to convey size either through description or photos. And many people forget to photograph the whole necklace! I love seeing closeups of the parts, but I need at least one shot of the whole.”

“Always, always, ALWAYS tell me the size of an item,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Or, give me a photo with a clear reference point (like a coin or ruler). I’m baffled by jewelry designers who sell earrings and don’t tell me how long they are. That’s pretty important if I can’t see the item in person!”

Andi also suggests sellers explain what materials are used to create the handmade items.  “I’m surprised by how many sellers forget to even mention the findings,” she says.

Thank you for the tips Andi!

What tips do you have for those selling handmade online?  How do you take great photos?  Are there any experiences you can share as a seller or buyer about why photographs matter?

Tell HandmadeMarketing.org your tips for taking winning photos for your Etsy, 1000 Markets, or ArtFire shop.  Comment on this post, or send us more detail about how to sell handmade.  If our editors publish your ideas, we will link to your shop, website, or blog as the source of the great tips!

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Jim Juris, who recently shared his handmade item photography tips, told us about an e-book he wrote on jewelry and craft photography. The e-book is available for download at Jim’s website.

Jim Juris moved to Englewood, Colorado in October 2000 from the San Fransisco Bay Area.  “I have been taking photographs since I was a teenager,” Jim told us.  “I have always loved photography because I can’t draw or paint. Another reason that I love photography is because photography allows me a way to show other people a different way of looking at something.”

“I focus my attention on jewelry and craft photography because when I started making jewelry, I joined a jewelry making forum,” Jim said.  “I soon found out by participating on that forum that, although jewelry artisans can create beautiful jewelry, they don’t know how to take great photos of their fabulous creations.”

Jim said he started giving tips to members of the jewelry forum that needed assistance with their jewelry photography.  “Because I was helping so many artisans with their jewelry photography, I felt that I found a need for information on how to photograph jewelry,” he said.  “I decided to fill this need by writing a ebook on jewelry photography.”

“On my website I provide lots of useful and free information to help my viewers with their jewelry and craft photography,” Jim told us.  “Great photographs are extremely important to both the buyer and seller of jewelry that is sold online.  Unlike shopping in a brick and mortar store the potential buyer of the jewelry cannot see and touch the actual item when they shop for jewelry online. You decrease the chances of making a sale when your jewelry photographs are not good because a photograph is all that the buyer has to go by when making a buying decision,” he said.

What stops a seller from taking a great photograph?  Jim outlined on of the biggest challenges he thinks handmade sellers face.

“I would say that one of the biggest challenges that most artisans face when taking great jewelry photograph is knowing how to use their digital camera properly. It is not the camera that makes you a great photographer, it is knowing how to use the camera properly,” Jim told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “A big no-no when photographing jewelry is using the camera’s flash. I recommend using halogen desk lamps or indirect sunlight (light coming in from a South facing window or going outside on an overcast day) when photographing jewelry.”

“In my ebook,” Jim tells us, “I talk about techniques that artisans can use to aid them in obtaining properly focused images. Having sharply focused jewelry images is crucial to selling jewelry online.”

“I give away about 1/3 of my ebook for free to visitors of my website so that they can judge the quality of the content and the quality of the writing before they purchase my ebook,” Jim said.  “I offer free help to people on Etsy and several forums. My ebook is written in PDF format so that it can be read on any computer. Buyers of my ebook have access to a link for immediate download of the PDF file.”

Jim shared three photography tips for jewelry artisans that are trying to sell their jewelry online:

1. “The most important tip that I have for artisans is to read the camera’s owner’s manual from cover to cover in order to become familiar with all of the features of the camera,” Jim shared.
2. Always use a tripod when photographing jewelry.
3. Always use the camera’s self-timer when photographing jewelry.

Why use a tripod and the self-timer?  “Using a tripod and the camera’s self-timer will eliminate the possibility of movement and prevent blurry jewelry images,” Jim told us.

Jim has a blog which allows him to write about different aspects of photography.  “I love helping people with their jewelry or craft photography. The best way for someone to ask for my help with their photography is to go to my CameramanJim blog at  and find the section of my blog where I ask if anyone has any questions for me about jewelry or craft photography. Post your question in the comment area of that section of my blog and I will get back with an answer as soon as possible.”

Thank you for the great information Jim!

After receiving selling tips from Renaissance Austin, an artist with a presence on both MySpace and Etsy.com, our HandmadeMarketing.org team stopped by her shop.  This sellers item photographs were some of the best we had ever seen.

We begged Renaissance to share her photography tips for handmade sellers selling online.  We were happy to hear back from this Etsy seller – and excited to share these tips with HandmadeMarketing.org readers!

“Photography is one of the most important elements on Etsy,” Renaissance told us.  “Some buyers really need to see the product from every angle possible to determine if they will purchase. Then there are more experienced online shoppers who can look at a product and get it right off without a lot of photos to explain.”

Renaissance is a professional photographer, “still growing and learning of course“.   She has been shooting for 8 years.

“When I first signed on to Etsy.com,” Renaissance tells us, “I just had a vision for how I wanted my Etsy shop to look.  I really wanted a diverse group of people representing Raghouse International. And not only that, Chico’s catalog was my favorite catalog, so I really wanted to shot in that rustic style with an online catalog feel.”

“I spent most of my teen years, or really since I could remember, looking through Vogue magazine,” Renaissance continues.  “I ended up developing a 10 year collection with magazines dating back to 1995. I would look at picture, after picture, not realizing that one day I would actually be shooting professionally.”

With studying photos, and different types of photography, Renaissance learned what work for online shopping.

“I did switch up the look of my Etsy shop about two time so far just to try things out, because I was influenced by other Etsy shops.  I recently made a decision to go back to my orginal plan of shooting and displaying my work.”

Renaissance says trying out different looks for your online shop is good. “You really learn that way,” she told our team at HandmadeMarketing.org.

She says that, in general, photographs of a seller’s items work if they have life, creativity, and emotions while still showing what the items looks like.  At the end of the day, online sellers must remember showing what the item looks like isn’t just important, it’s vital to sales.

“Your product should be shown how it will be used,” she tells us.  “It should be “put into its lifestyle”, shown how it “will live” with the life of the person who buys it.”

Renaissance shared pointers for shooting handmade products, especially jewelry:

1. Be Very Creative.  “Your photos will become the branded look of your shop. Creative, and clear photos make it into Etsy Treasuries a lot,” Renaissance said.
2. Go Natural. As other photography pros have told HandmadeMarketing.org, natural light is best.  “Use natural light as much as possible,” she said.  “Light is the key element to all photos. The normal consumer that has a point and shoot camera may not know how to use light bouncing off of a wall. Shooting by a windows is best and creating a scene for you product is best because the light is soft.”
3. No Lightbox. Interestingly, Renaissance recommends to stay away from lightboxes.  Other HandmadeMarketing.org reader articles have said to utilize a lightbox.  What are Renaissances reasons?  “Use a lightbox only if you really, really, know what it’s all about and how it operates,” she said.  “My thing with lightboxes is that usually it’s just an object that ends up on an all white background with no mood. The photo comes out fuzzy and details are not clear if you are not a professional product photographer.”
4. Watch Out For The Sun! “Do not shoot in directly sunlight. The light is way too hard and unflattering and often times you lose details in the product. If you are shooting jewelry or small objects or even a model, shoot in the shade just off the direct light. You don’t want to shoot in the darkest part of the shades, just where the shade and sunlight meet.”

Renaissance recommends editing your handmade item photographs in a photo editing program.  “I do have Photoshop CS3,” she says, “but for what I do on Etsy, I just use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. It’s really great and basic, more of a consumer brand Adobe product.”

“Lighten photos a little more so that when you upload your photos they don’t look dull. There are settings for saving your images for web, but I just like to over expose like 1 or 2%, so that it is vibrant when I upload it to the web. Really take some time and learn your photo editing programs. That’s usually the fun part where you can get really creative with your photos. Sometimes you can saturate colors a little more so that those colors can grab the attention of the buyer or Etsy Treasury curator.”

As for her camera choice, Renaissance uses a professional digital SLR camera.  “If you can afford to get something expensive, then do so,” she recommends.  “It’s worth it in the end.”

However, if a professional camera is not in your price range, Renaissance suggests finding a point-and-shot that has image stabalizer.  “I lot of people mention the Canon Powershot. It is one of the least expensive point and shoots, but I would say go a couple of steps above that. It will definitely be worth the extra cost. Really do your research before purchasing. Go to the retailer and look at it up close, ask questions,” she says.

Renaissance shared another great tip for online handmade sellers in the market for a new camera.  “A great way to learn the real deal about products is Youtube!!” she says.  “The funny thing is when I want to learn more about photography equipment that is the first place I go because there are experts that do product reviews all the time and they will give you the pros and cons of that particular product. Youtube is definitely the place to began.”  Great tip Renaissance!

In the end, Renaissance admits it’s true that learning about photography can take many years.  Also, most cameras purchased by consumers are programmed to do all the thinking for the consumer. However, she offers advice to the stuggling item photographer.

“If you just don’t have the patience for all of the photography stuff, think about your local community college. Visit the photography or visual arts department for photography students. Many of them are very good and will shot just to build their book or for a small fee,” she says.

But why look beyond Etsy.com?  “There are many photographers on Etsy that may barter with you. They can shoot your product for a free items. Just look around as much as possible for a photographer that can interpret what you really want,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Then if you the resources to hire and great photographer and finances are not and issue, go for it! It will be better in the end!“

Thank you for the great tips Renaissance!  Visit her Etsy shop to see more of her above and beyond photography skills!

More than half of all beaders are entrepreneurs according to “The State of Beading-2004 Industry Survey” from Interweave Press.  Many of these entrepreneurs turn to the Internet to help grow their business.

However, those who come to Etsy or other online selling platforms may be discouraged by the competition online.  “[In] a saturated jewelry market, you need to promote your butt of,” as one Etsian said on the Etsy forums.

If you are struggling with selling your handmade jewelry online, “Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry: The Complete Guide to Turning Your Passion into Profit” is a great resource to walk you through the process.

The book is written by Viki Lareau, co-owner of The Bead Factory in Tacoma, Washington and co-founder of the Puget Sound Bead Festival.  She also worked for Nordstrom as well as a chain of bead stores across the United States and Canada.  Lareau has mentored hundreds of beaders and jewelry-makers on their way to success.  “Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry” is look into her knowledge and experience with making a small jewelry business work.

Many who take up beading as a hobby end up selling their handmade items in numerous communities.  From at home parties and craft fairs, to Etsy or eBay, a jewelry seller can think their on their way to big profits.  This jewelry-business mentor shows an average jewelry artist how to take their passion to the next level.

“Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry” is a easy read (96 pages) full of practical advice and encouragement to increase your sales.  Lareau outlines case studies as well as personally stories in her book – making this book entertaining and a fun read.

Like many articles on HandmadeMarketing.org, the book begins with matching your style with the best target market.  Finding the best target market for your handmade items is essential for any shop, but is especially important when selling jewelry online.  Etsy, ArtFire, and other selling platforms are full of talented jewelry sellers – each competing for the best price point, market, and effective marketing techniques.  “Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry” tells sellers to take into account their time committment as well as their style to ensure sellers aren’t getting in over their heads.

The book also talks about how to create unique branding for your jewelry.  Jewelry sellers may forget a distinctive look can be the easiest way to set a handmade jewelry shop apart from other stores.  More than looking at online focused marketing ideas, “Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry” looks at the branding of brochures, hang tags for craft shows, and ideas for unique signage.

Confused about how to run a home-based business?  Lareau outlines business licenses and tax ID numbers to help a new business owner sort through how to set up a business.

In the end, the pricing of your handmade jewelry may be what puts you far ahead of your compeitions.  “Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry” shows readers real-life sucess stories of crafters that made a substantial profit.

Want to know more about the topics covered in “Marketing and Selling Handmade Jewelry”?  Check out the outline of the chapters:

Preface: My Story
Introduction: How It All Begins
One: First Steps
Two: Building Your Portfolio
Three: Pricing Your Work
Four: Selling Your Jewelry at Craft Fairs
Five: Selling Wholesale
Six: Marketing
Seven: Managing the Business

The appendix also includes some note-worthy topics for how to sell jewelry online and in your community:

Craft Fairs and Festivals
D isplay and Packaging Resources
Small Business Resources
Promotional Printers and Resources
Publications
Helpful Miscellaneous Websites

Etsy item photography can be a challenge for many sellers.  The importance of great photography is often underestimated.   We went straight to the Etsy.com forums and our friends on Twitter to ask sellers to point us in the direction of their item photography that may have fallen short.

The mother-daughter duo behind Etsy’s BelleBeads told us they would like some help with her item photos.  When our “Photography Tips on Etsy.com” team looked at the Etsy item photo to enhance, we immediately thought the pale purple color of the piece was washed out.  The beautiful piece was being underminded by the detailed background.

Our team prefers to use Adobe Photoshop when editing images.  Sellers can find other great software online – and many times the photo editing tools are free!

When using Photoshop, the first thing we need to do is adjust the tone.  To adjust tone,  you need to adjust three other settings: “Brightness”, “Levels”, and “Curves”.

We find nearly all photos can use a boost in both brightness and contrast.  In Photoshop, this setting can be found under  Image> Adjustments> Brightness.  The two sliders will adjust the brightness and contrast of your Etsy item photo up or down.

Our team suggests playing with this tool.  You will see that your image will show the kind shadows studio lighting would produce.  They are deeper in contrast to focal point of the image. This tool is especially useful when enhancing BelleBead’s image because the color of the Etsy item is on it’s way to being much clearer to the potential buyer.

Next, our team suggests using a tool found uner Image> Adjustments> Levels.  The “levels” command can be used to improve a tonal range and color balance.  This is achieved by adjusting the output levels of shadows, midtones, and highlights.  In short, the tool is useful for increasing color contrast.

BelleBead’s image is a great example of why color contrast is important.  Our team hopes to use this Photoshop color correction tool to show potential buyer’s the beautiful color of this Etsy item.

When using this Photoshop setting, always move the sliders down from where there is little to no information.  The feature allows you to see a part of the spectrum not found in the image.  Using this tool, you can make the difference between the colors more dramatic.

One of the most important keys to making this tool work for your Etsy photo is to read the levels histogram correctly.  This histogram shows your image’s tonal range.  Here are the basics:  if you see a large concentration in the left region of the histogram, this tells you the image has a lot of details in the shadows.  This means the image is underexposed.  However, if you see a large concentration in the right of the histogram, you know there are a lot of details in the highlights.   This means the image could be overexposed.  Using this tool, our goal is to have the tonal range spread across the histogram, or balance the image.

Finally, take a look at the tool found under Image> Adjustments> Curves.  Using this bar, slightly touch up the image.  This is done by mimicking the curve of the grey shaded area.  Some Photoshop users think the “Curves” tool is used specifically for more complex graphic design projects.  It is a surprise to some that this tool can be used for basic photography editing as well!

Here is our final image:

As many handmade sellers already know, great item photography can make succeeding online much easier.  Because your interaction with potential customers is limited, the way your items appear online in your photos matters a great deal.  Think of it this way:  A well-shot photograph can do the work of a detailed, thousand word item description for your latest handmade item.  Save yourself unnecessary pain by taking the time need to make your photos shine!

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Jim Juris agrees.  “Taking good photographs of your handmade products is essential for selling products online,” said Jim of Inexpensive Jewelry Photography.  “Your visitors cannot see and hold your product in their hand like they can when they are shopping in a brick and mortar store. All they have to look at when they shop online is your photographs.”

Jim shared seven great ideas to use when taking photographs of handmade products.

1. Read Up About Your Camera. Although this may seem basic, many Etsy sellers may forget the fabulous features of their personal camera.  A feature that had no use at the soccer field may be great for your favorite Etsy item.  “Take out your camera’s owner’s manual and read it from cover to cover so that you can become familiar with all of the features of your digital camera,” Jim suggests. “While you are reading your camera’s owner’s manual have your digital camera near you so you can find all of the knobs and settings on your camera that are mentioned in the manual.”
2. Try A Tripod. “Always use a tripod and the camera’s self-timer when you take photographs of your handmade craft items,” suggests Jim.  “Using these two items will keep your images from being blurry by minimizing the camera movement when depressing the shutter button.”
3. Lightbox. This is a tip we hear time and time again from Etsy sellers with great item photography.  “Use a light box to photography your fantastic creations. You can make one or buy one,” said Jim.  If you are seeking a quick way to improve your photos, a lightbox may be your answer!
4. The Best Light. “Indirect sunlight is the best light source for photography,” Jim tells us.  “Never use flash when photographing jewelry. The light from the flash will be too harsh.”
5. Setting Up. Jim suggests using the “macro setting” (which is the flower icon).   “Place your camera as close to your product as possible,” he says.  “Fill up the entire LCD viewing screen with your subject in order to show the greatest amount of detail about your product in your photographs.”
6. Editing. Some Etsy sellers skip the editing process when taking their item photographs.  Jim warns against bypassing edits.  “Learn how to enhance your images in order to make your product look its best,” Jim suggests.  “Too many sellers only crop and resize their images without enhancing the colors of their images.”
7. Try Again. Don’t settle on your first round of Etsy item photos.  “Take as many photographs as needed in order to get the desired results. Don’t be afraid to shoot again your product if your first attempt at photographing your product doesn’t produce the desired results,” Jim said.  “Evaluate your results and figure out a way to improve the quality of your photographs.”

Thank you Jim!

What do you think of Jim’s photography ideas?  What is missing?  What have you learned from having great item photographs on your Etsy shop or other online selling platform?

Share your suggestions by commenting on this article, or tell us more at Join HandmadeMarketing.org.  If our editors like your idea, we will feature them in an HandmadeMarketing.org article and link back to your shop or blog as the source.

The Etsy.com forums are filled with sellers on the look out for how to enhance their item photos.  Because competition is everywhere, jewelry is often the items that need the most photography work.

We were happy to hear from an HandmadeMarketing.org reader with some simple and inexpensive ideas!  Tango Karnitz, from Etsy shop TangoKDesign, shared her Etsy jewelry photography tips with our “Photography on Etsy.com” team.

Below are the items you need before shooting your Etsy jewelry:

• Camera. “I use a Cannon Cool Pix 4800 camera,” Tango said, “but any camera with a macro setting and an adjustable white balance will work.  The camera seller would be able to direct you.”
• Background. “For background I use a piece of white foam core board (the $2 kind you can get anywhere),” Tango told us.  “To show earrings dangling down, I have used a clear wine glass hanging the hooks over the edge. Another method is to balance a paint brush or chop stick between two coffee mugs and have the earrings dangle from that prop. For rings, a little bit of poster tack on your white board will hold your ring upright and 3-D for an really clear shot of the focal point of the piece. I don’t use additional props, I want the focus of the picture to be the jewelry. Uncluttered pictures are the best.”

Now that you have your camera and proper background, it’s time to set you camera settings.  “Be sure to set your camera on the macro setting (flower icon) and turn off the flash!” suggests Tango.  “Then adjust your white balance to your lighting situation. I take my pictures on a sunny day on my dining room table (on the white board) next to a big picture window. I set the white balance to the appropriate setting (daylight, cloudy,incandescant bulb, flourescent bulb) and snap away.”

Tango’s biggest tip is to have stability when taking Etsy jewelry photos.  “I drink a lot of coffee, so I always make sure to have both hands resting on a table,” Tango said.  “If I need to shoot down on a piece (like a necklace) I will stack three thick books, and shoot off the edge, balancing my hands on the books. I will even rest the lens on the table or book in order to get a clear shot.”

Want a better shot at making the front page of Etsy?  Tango says look no further than the angle of your item photo.  “We have all seen the front page of Etsy and know what kind well detailed photos make the front page,” Tango told us.  “You may have to take 10 pictures of each piece in order to get your five best. A full on shot, a shot of the main focal piece, a detail shot of the gems-wrapping-detail.”

Now that you have your photos, pull the images up on your computer for editing.  “For photo editing, I use Picassa,” Tango said.  “Simple and easy. You can lighten the picture, adjust the balance, and crop your photo.  You can also tweek the color, but not too much – you want the picture to show the real color of the piece.”

Thank you for the awesome tips Tango.  With these background, lighting, and editing suggestions, our HandmadeMarketing.org team hopes sellers are able to take great jewelry photographs for their online shop!