Product Photography Tip

As an online seller, one of the most difficult things is getting good photos of the things you are selling.  It's also one of the most important things, because one can't just stop in your store and pick up and examine your item.  So they need to be able to see it well in the photograph.  One of the things that I have had trouble with is that my photos turn out too dark.   Did I mention what a total photography dweeb I am?  I just know how to aim and push the button.  I have learned a thing or two in the last couple of years.  But for now I am going to give you a tip about exposure compensation.  I take my pictures in the daytime in my laundry room because there is a window on each side of the (very small) room, so plenty of natural light.  Even though it is very light in my chosen spot I was still getting a grey background when I was actually shooting on white posterboard.  Anyway I have been playing around with my camera menu and decided to try adjusting the exposure compensation.  The difference this makes is pretty amazing. (If you are a photography guru who just happened to be stopping by my blog please ignore my ignorance.)  So on my camera (which is nothing fancy) at the bottom of the screen there is a little 0.0.  That is where I can adjust exposure compensation.  Mine is usually 0.0 which doesn't give me the brightest photos.  All you need to do is play around with where it looks good.  Take a few pictures at different levels and see where it looks the most normal.   I notice that some things I am photographing need a different setting than others even in the same place with the same background.  Below is the difference I get when adjusting my exposure compensation. I also use Picnik to edit my photos. Although these photos have not been edited .  Another place I have found great product photography articles is Handmadeology.com  So there you have it.  You don't have to be a pro to get better pictures.  It's a matter of trying different things and a little work.  You can be a complete photography dweeb and get brighter pictures.    

A New Sewing Machine

I am back to sewing.  A couple of weeks ago I posted that my sewing machine broke.  Well, I got a brand new sewing machine.  It's my first ever that I actually got new and for myself.  It's not expensive or fancy, but it does more than any previous machine I have had.  I haven't got to use it as much as I've wanted to yet, but I did manage to get a couple of these writslets sewn and in my Etsy shop. 
The weather has also warmed up around here a bit, so it's got me thinking of spring and gardening.  I am going to work on some new projects in line with spring and gardening.  Of course, I'll share them when I get them ready. 

Finally Friday!

It's finally Friday. It has been a long, icy week here in Indy. And apparently it's not getting better anytime soon. My sewing machine also broke this week, so I will be resorting to using an I don't know how old machine that was given to me years ago. It has one stitch. Straight. No zippers, no button holes. So I guess I will just sew some things that require no special stitches until I get a new machine, hopefully in the next two weeks.
I also wanted to let you know about a giveaway I'm sponsoring over on Facebook. I am giving away this cute little wristlet. There are other sponsors giving away some goodies too. Just go to the first photo in her first album to find the entry requirements.  I will have these wristlets in various sizes in my Etsy shop after I get a new machine.