Board No. 94 - Crack Snap Shot

I just got a new camera for my birthday (thanks Dave!) and it takes some pretty awesome photos, which I'm pretty excited about for my store listings. The last item I listed was photographed with my old camera and I was almost hesitant to post it because the photos were shaky (though the bowls were cute). For those Etsy sellers who want some photographic advice, The Storque has written many posts about it. (UPDATE: Ha! Right after I posted this, I checked my e-mail to see that Etsy' success tip today was about photography, too. We all just think alike...) So, I have been randomly searching through Etsy noticing some of the most amazing photography — and all for item listings, not for photo prints, though I would think about buying some of them...

These mustache glasses by BreadandBadger I'm featuring because the photographs showcase the product perfectly: in use in a funny way (the girl); the glasses full, so that the design can be better seem; and the product being made. Great example of how to sell a product through photography!

I love when a fashion piece (or, really, any item that can be used in different ways) is modeled or displayed in numerous styles so that you can visualize various ways to wear it. This convertible scarf by fray is a great example because if it was just laying folded on a table, you'd see the pretty colors but not realize the utility and function of the buttons in creating different looks.

Here some other exemplary examples*:

Corelle Open Handle Cups from Troop2Libb
It's just a little funny without being silly and the dog makes the shot without distracting from the object itself. And by the seller using the dog in most of the store's product shots, it gives it consistency and branding; the dog automatically becomes recognizable to the store and is the mascot of sorts!

Lovely Little Chocolate Diamond Ring from BloomStudios
I just think the background here adds so much to the photo. By it being the same color family but being out of focus, it draws out the best qualities of what is in focus. Too many sellers have busy backgrounds that distract from the product image, especially when it's in small preview/list mode.

Vintage Martinez Valero Leather Modern High Heels from yesterdaysnew
I featured these shoes on a previous board and every time I see them they catch my eye. Now, I don't usually recommend playing around with a photo too much because it can take away from the sincerity of the product, but in this case it showcases it very nicely — plus, it makes it look like it came out of a magazine.

Personalized Giant Fleece Ball from handmadepretties
For this one and the next one, it's all about showing relative size. You can give the dimensions of a product, but what does 52" mean when you are picturing something in your mind. By putting an object that is either a common size (like a penny) or the intended user (like a baby) in the same frame, your eye can see relative size of the object. Plus, babies are really cute!

Monogrammed Organic Baby Blanket from organicblankees

* I didn't include bead photos even though there are some awesome micro shots, but there's just too many sellers who do a good job in this category. Also, I didn't make this into a "board" because it would have cutoff some of the photo composition, compromising some of the integrity of the shot and making it harder to prove my point - but do keep in mind that Etsy automatically crops everything into those horrid little squares and you want to make sure that the focus of your photo is your product.