Macro Photography Tips – Increase Buyer Confidence

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.