I LOVED reading the thoughtful comments you left on my “Some Thoughts on Blogging” post. Thank you! And as I mentioned in that post, here are some thoughts on how to take photos of crafty objects, such as earrings.
Sometimes Photos are More Important Than Reality
One of the hard truths about this internet age is that you’re only as good as your photographs. If your blog or website is your calling card, then most people will only ever see the photographed version of your artwork. This means that how your work looks in a photo is (almost) more important than how it looks in real life. Crazy!
I am always studying how other artists I admire photograph their art. It’s hard to do it well. I struggle with it constantly. I ran into this recently with the pair of earrings from yesterday’s post.
Earrings: A Photography Case Study
I try to take most of my photos outside on the theory that natural light makes a huge difference. It’s only recently that I’ve even had an apartment with a balcony that made this possible. And luckily my balcony has some nice backgrounds (brick wall, white shutters, red clay, etc.) for shooting. However it has been raining for three days now and there’s no way to go outside and photograph. So I set up some lights (OTT lights do a great job) and some pretty paper backgrounds.
My first attempt:
I like the vintage look, but you can hardly see the earrings.
Next attempt:
Better, but the yellow and blue is not great and I don’t think the earrings pop.
How about this:
Again, I’m digging the vintage feel, but I think that all I see is that striped paper.
Perhaps something plainer….
Ew! Ew! Ew! Hate it!
I feel like I need something dark so that that big square base disappears.
Black is a great choice! Though the brocade-ish paper seems to dominate a little too much. It feels sort of old-ladyish and that makes the earrings feel stuffy.
Maybe a different paper and some props?
I like the printed paper in the back, but the props are just not working.
Maybe a different prop?
Yep, the props are just not working.
One last try:
Ah, that’s it. All you really notice is the earrings!
My Analysis of Why It Works
I think that the purpose of any photograph of your art is to show it off. In this final picture your eye immediately goes to the earrings. There are no distractions. The stand fades away. And the vintage newsprint style patterned paper in the background – subtly – makes it feel a little bit vintage, while the brocade style paper on the bottom matches the feeling of the lace components of the earring. But neither paper pulls focus. You simply see the earrings and they look delicate and lovely and ready-to-wear. Perfect.
Wrap-Up
So, what do you think? Do have any tips or tricks for taking gorgeous photographs of your artwork? Or are there bloggers whose photography of their art is just amazing? Link me up! I’d love to see it all!
ETA: This post was written FOURTEEN years ago! I have learned a lot since writing this post. I put together a comprehensive step-by-step lesson on taking good photographs of your artwork (2D and 3D) for monthly members.
Thanks for stopping by!
Julie,
I LOVE your artwork and GORGEOUS blog! I visit your blog EVERYDAY! I am guilty of not posting comments as often as I should. It’s just that words cannot express the joy you bring to us daily.
Your work is BEAUTIFUL! Although many of us may view silently, rest assured that we LOVE and APPRECIATE what you do!
I am every grateful for your hard work and colorful blog. THANK YOU!!! XOXO!!!
Wow! What a difference the different papers made! The background of photos is so important! Thanks for showing these photos!
Julie, it’s not only the paper and I agree that the last option is the best. But if I may add my 2 cts: in my opinion the “standard” is too dominant for those fine earrings. When I look at the picture I don’t see earrings but some sort of sculpture….
Photos are very important and definitely catch our attention, and when you put them all together like this, I realize how you made them pop with the right background. But the thing that keeps me coming back to your blog every day is that you are an exceptional writer and just super fun to read.
I agree with you Julie. Online, in print, and in promotional materials, you ARE your photos. But do you have any advice for learning to LIKE shooting photos? I know that seasoned and creative photogs are saying, “Whaaaat?” But truly, that’s my problem. You can’t like it all, and I really, really hate shooting pics. It not the technology that scares me off, I simply don’t enjoy it. But I do work at it, I have a better than reasonable track record in PhotoShop, and I don’t need to spend all day with it. It comes together rather quickly. So, seriously, no jokes, anyone here who can give me some hints….hypnosis maybe?? (OK, that was a joke…)….as to how to enjoy this, I’d appreciate it more than you can imagine!!!
Adorable earrings, Julie! Crop just above the black stand and see what you think… in my mind’s eye I saw a piece of sculpture holding another piece of art.
I take my pics always in the morning in the bedroom… I have the best light there with a big window and in the morning there’s no full sunshine on that side of the house (so there’s no weird shadows). I put my work on an ‘off white’ table. I always cut the page/work out in Photoshop so I can give it my own shadow or, if I want, a special background. I do make photo’s with a micro-lens too sometimes, to highlight special details.
What I love about your post is that you showed the process, not only a “do this and that and get this beautiful picture”.
About the comments on the black stand… I’d keep it. This is you, not only a final product to be “sold”, but an expression. The whole picture is another piece of art.
Have a lovely summer day (this morning is gorgeous!)
It is amazing how the last photo does highlight the earrings the best.
oh god…what a difference between your trial…I reconize the last is the best…not too much details on the background to distract the eye from the earing jewels…
I always take my photo in the morning, sometimes completely in the sun or completely in the shadow…and after I work with photoshop…and actions to highlight or not..
I don’t like so much take photos of my creation, but it is the only way to show it and I agree completly, our photo will make all the difference on the blog…
I watch for the best result…
Wonderful post, Julie! I think everything depends on your purpose in photographing your artwork. If you just wanted to sell the earrings, you might want to crop the base and use the least distracting background (the “ew, hate it” one….), but if you are using the photo as a piece of art in its own right, your final solution was perfect. Then there is the whole question of taking pictures of 2-D objects like journal pages…. I think lighting and cropping are the keys there. Do you have any other tips?
Julie, I want to thank you for all that you share on here. Your blog is one of my very favourite right now. I’m learning a lot from you. Thanks for your generosity and mostly thank you for being YOU 🙂
I tend to scan flatwork and then use Photoshop to edit, crop, etc. Anything 3D has to be photographed, and depending how many things I have to photograph, it can be quite enjoyable. I tend to use hessian or plain cloth as a backdrop and outdoors is preferable to inddors for the natural light… But it isn’t always an option, so well done on writing a very interesting post (yet again), Julie! =)
I loved hearing your voice come through as you considered each of your backdrops in turn. (The earrings are beautiful, by the way.) Photography is definitely a weak point with me…I always keep everything very close up and basic. But I admire what I see on many other sites, and am hoping to soak up some technique in the process. It’s like anything else: once it becomes a priority for me, I’ll put the time in needed to improve! And I know, based on how I respond to others’ photos, that it’s about time to make it a priority!
Thats a hard question, Barbara. Thinking about it, Im not sure that I particularly like shooting photos. I dont hate it either. Im pretty sure the reason I do it is because I like having the photos and the taking of them is the necessary evil to get there, kwim?
You are so very right, Kathleen! Purpose means a lot. As for 2-D objects I also agree with you wholeheartedly! Lighting and cropping are key. I avoid direct sunlight like the plague. I prefer filtered sunlight in a shady area and then I adjust the brightness in Photoshop. And for journal pages I try to crop very close to the page, because my pages are quite busy and a background can get distracting. But I think its totally personal. What do you do?
I missed yesterday’s post, so I will definitely have to check that out. I’m a total novice to photography but a do appreciate good pictures.
I will say that I did like the one with the background that wasn’t so distracting, the one that you said “Eww” to. I also liked the last one as well. One thing that I did notice between the two is that the first one, I concentrated more on the earrings and didn’t really notice the base. The last one, while I did focus on the earrings, I also focused on the base as well – and picked up on the dust between the two pieces of wire that hold your earrings. Maybe it’s my subconscious telling me I need to dust my house…uggghh.
I always look forward to your posts, your thoughts, and your smiling face!
Thanks for your reply, Julie. I do like having the photos more than I hate the process, I just wish there was a way to make myself fall in love with shooting pics. I probably need to take a good photography course. I know a lot about Photoshop, not so much about the camera. Whenever possible, I shoot in open shade, which eliminates the graininess. I have a white patio table that works well for this, and when I use it, there isn’t much manipulation necessary afterward.
I am so glad you posted about this. It’s something I need to consider and take more seriously, so thanks for getting me thinking!