Congrats to the Winner of my necklace giveaway. Please email me your address so I can send you your beautiful Silver Lining Necklace!
Let's just say that taking photos for my Etsy store was an adventure...
Setting up an Etsy store is a lot of work. Not only do you have to make great products, you have to take great photographs of your products. Then you have to get the word out, update products regularly, and mail out items constantly. I ran an Etsy store in the past with my cool friend Becky and now am launching my very own store! I wanted cute pictures of my girls wearing my necklaces, but anyone who does photo shoots of children knows it's hard to take pictures of kids!!! So I put together some great photo tips. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and successes and get that perfect picture to sell your product.
Tip #1
Show the whole look!
Since I will be selling bows and necklaces in my store. I made sure to have my girls modeling both. Even though this picture was just to show the necklace, I'm showing the whole look. Use all the accessories you have. Want to complete the outfit? Buy the bow too!!
Tip #2
Look at the accessory you are selling.
When your model looks at the item it will automatically draw attention to it. When there is a face looking at the camera, your eye will always look at the face first. When there isn't a face competing for the jewelry's attention, your eye will look at the necklace first.
Tip #3
Have fun with it!
The more fun you are having while taking pictures, the more fun your subject will have and it will show in your pictures. A little attitude is a good thing.
Tip #4
Zoom in close for great background textures.
I found this dead grass. Some people might have thought it was ugly, but it makes a beautiful backdrop for this picture. Also since I was zoomed in, you can't tell we're in the middle of a neighborhood with an ugly street behind us. You just need a little bit of subtle texture. You could also use grass, a wood fence, a playground, wood chips, river rock, trees, siding, bricks, leaves, and even the street!! All of these could be a great background texture.
Tip #5
Go outside.
Natural light is always the best. However, when I was taking these pictures, it was the middle of winter!! I kept thinking I couldn't go outside, but when I did, the real beauty happened. I had everything ready and we did this quick photo session in 5 minutes flat because it was really cold, but we got some great shots!
Tip #6
Don't be afraid to get into the picture yourself.
I wanted to show that these necklaces can be worn by adults, babies and kids, so I took shots of each. Don't have another adult to take the picture? I run into this problem a lot. Set up the shot and use a tripod or a smart kid. I often will have my six year old take pictures, as long as she's close I can always edit and crop the picture to be just what I want.
Tip #7
Do small photo shoots.
I have a ton of product. However, there is no way I could get my kids to pose for picture after picture all day long. Kids will loose interest and there is noting worst then a grumpy model. To get all these shots I did small mini sessions every couple of days. That way I didn't end up with pictures like this. lol.
Tip #8
Make sure your items are PERFECT!
I didn't realize that in this necklace the hearts were upside down until I was going through all the pictures! I then had to remake the necklace and do the photo shoot all over again. Make sure your products are perfect the first time!
Tip #9
Get a great close up.
Tip #10
Show the whole product on a plain background.
This will give people the chance to see exactly what they are getting and what the colors are.
Tip #11
Use fun props.
When taking pictures of kids, I love to include toys! Use flowers, holiday themed items or anything that helps tell the story. It makes the picture more real and have more personality. You want to have your stuffed dog in the picture with you? Sure.
Tip #12
Take time for breaks. Here we took a break for twirling in this beautiful dress.
Tip #13
Get a natural smile.
I often tell my girls to look at a distant point or look at the necklace. Or simply wait until they are playing and in a more natural state. Going- "Say cheese" will almost always result in smiles like this!
Tip #14
Go for simplicity so your products shine.
My girls have lots of fun shirts and dresses with fun prints and patterns. However all that business would have detracted from the necklace and made the beads hard to see. Going for a neutral shirt made the necklaces pop. Also harding a pop of color in her hair tied it all together.
Tip #15
Sometimes grumpy works. lol
I hope these tips help with your Etsy store. If you have some additional tips on Etsy stores or taking pictures I would love to hear. Comment below or email me! Best of Luck!
