Thursday, May 10, 2012

Will a Better Camera Make You a Better Photographer?

I get this question all the time during my small object photography sessions and it's one of my favorites!

Before I answer, I'd like to give you a little pop quiz:

Which photo was taken with a standard point-and-shoot camera and which was taken with an entry-level DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera?



If you've been wondering if you *must* buy an expensive, big, fancy, complicated DSLR to replace your vacation point-and-shoot camera in order to take great photos of your work for your online shop, I'm pretty sure I'm about to make your day.

Buying a new camera won't guarantee that you will take better photos! In fact, many point-and-shoot cameras available on the market today are capable of taking wonderful product photos IF they have the right settings available.

After all, taking great photos is about much more than just the kind of camera you have. Great photos happen when you know the functional limits of your camera and how to use them to your advantage.

So, before you rush out and spend hundreds of dollars on a new fancy camera with more features than you might ever use, please break out the manual for your current camera (or find it online) and look for the following settings in the index:

 
Macro capability (tulip icon)  
This is the setting that takes your photos from blurry 
to sharp in one push of a button.

 
EV / exposure value compensation (+ / -)
This setting helps you brighten (or darken) your photos instantly

Custom white balance
An optional setting, but valuable especially
if you will be shooting at night under artificial light sources

If your camera already has these three settings, it is likely that you will be able to take better, sharper photos than you imagined with that camera you already own. Use the macro function, increase the exposure value to +1 to brighten your photos and set a custom white balance to tell your camera what you want it to consider "absolute white" in any lighting condition and you'll be well on your way to better photos with practice!

If you'd like to know more about product photography, be sure to check out the archive at SmallObjectPhotography.com and stay tuned: I'll be talking about these settings in depth in future product photography posts!

Have questions? Keep in touch with me on my Facebook page: IMakeCuteStuff on Facebook

Oh yes. I bet you're wondering about those photos...

The photo on the LEFT:
Entry level DSLR: Canon Rebel XSi DSLR with a 60mm macro lens attached

Photo on the RIGHT:

Really old point-and-shoot: Samsung S630 with the macro setting enabled
Pretty amazing, right?

Just to be clear here: I'm not saying point-and-shoots are better or even comparable to the photo quality of a DSLR. They are two different camera types for two different types of camera users.

What I am saying is that if you have been wondering if buying a DSLR would instantly make you better product photographer, the answer is NO. The only way to take better photos is to get to know the limits of the camera you own...and practice. LOTS of practice!

What kind of camera do you have? 
Leave a comment below and let us know!



Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Get Ready to Wholesale Workshop - 4/28/12

Get Ready to Wholesale Workshop
Saturday April 28, 2012
Phinney Neighborhood Center
Presented by Andrea of School House Craft and
Marlo M. of IMakeCuteStuff.com

(Buyers Market of American Craft - a wholesale trade show, Philadelphia PA)

When it comes the things you make, does this sound like you?
  • Your friends are always telling you that you should sell your work to “this store” or “that store”.
  • When wearing your work around town, people stop to ask, “Where did you get that amazing piece?”
  • You want to quit your day job and know that wholesaling is one way to do it but have no idea how to set up your business for wholesale or what to do next.
  • Perhaps you’ve even considered applying for the upcoming Handmade Happy Hour Seattle Wholesale event and decided that you’re not quite ready to participate.
So what do you do to get your business ready for wholesale?

Come to the Get Ready to Wholesale Workshop and we’ll help you get there!

Date: Saturday April 28, 2012
Location: Phinney Neighborhood Center
6532 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103
Time: 1pm – 3pm
Cost: $45.00 general public and etsyRAIN basic members / $40.00 etsyRAIN Premium Members

Space is limited. Register via the online form below to reserve your space today!
>> http://etsyrain.wufoo.com/forms/get-ready-to-wholesale-workshop/ <<

Marlo M., organizer of etsyRAIN and arts business consultant at IMakeCuteStuff.com and Andrea Porter, former owner of Blue Bottle Gallery and current co-organizer of the upcoming craft conference, SchoolHouseCraft.com will help you navigate the final steps you need to take to be really ready to wholesale your work.

In the first part of class, we’ll talk about the important stuff including creating a great line sheet, the benefits of online catalogs, pricing your work, doing trade shows as well as finding and working with buyers. The last half of class will be dedicated to reviewing your products, answering your questions and giving you direct advice about your line and how to move it toward wholesaling.

Bring with you to class:
  • A few samples of your work
  • Any marketing materials you already have prepared
  • Business cards to share
  • A list of questions to ask the experts
  • A notebook to take lots of notes!
Our goal is to give you the information, support and confidence to make the move toward wholesaling your work. We hope you’ll join us!

Space is limited. Register via the online form below to reserve your space today!
>> http://etsyrain.wufoo.com/forms/get-ready-to-wholesale-workshop/ <<


Questions? Reply to this email or contact Marlo at marlo{at}imakecutestuff.com

Presented by:
Marlo M. of IMakeCuteStuff.com and CreativeArtsConsulting.com
Andrea P. of School House Craft – September 21 – 23, 2012 at the Phinney Community Center. Register for your early bird discount at http://schoolhousecraft.com

Are you already ready to wholesale your work?
Apply to be a part of the first ever Handmade Happy Hour Seattle today! Deadline April 25, 2012 more info at http://handmadehappyhourseattle.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Change the Way You Think About Small Object Photography - Part 2 of 3

Part 2: Change the Way You See Your Work (composition)
original post from my guest blogger series on Meylah.com
 

Woot! pendant by Marlo M. at imakecutestuff.etsy.com

To continue the improvement of your small object photographs, let’s talk about taking a completely different approach to the composition of your photos.

Have you ever really looked at a great photo? Not just the featured object, but the way things are placed within the frame? The ones that really catch our eye generally have certain things in common:
  • ·        The background does not compete with the item(s)
  • ·         Objects are placed at an angle or off-center, not in the center of the frame
  • ·         The main focal point is close to one of the corners of the photo
  • ·         The object(s) fill the frame
While there are definitely exceptions to these rules, one of the easiest ways to create interest in your photos is to simply place your object(s) at an angle or just off of center.  By doing this you create visual “movement” and depth within the frame which allows the viewer’s eye to focus on the main subject after following an easy, natural pattern around the image.

Why does this work? Let’s look at the “Rule of Thirds”:

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