Creativity In A Nutshell

I've been at it again! Today was a photography kind of day - I figured I would shake off the dissapointment blues. I am really pleased with some of these new pictures! Check them out for yourself and let me know what you think!

Ok, so you've taken some great shots of your jewelry using some of the tips I mentioned in my earlier blog post, Photographing Your Jewelry but even the best pictures can use some extra help with photo editing software.

First of all, I would advise against any computer editing that makes your jewelry look different than it actually is. Don't alter the color any more than necessary to make the photograph accurate to life. Remember that your photographs will look different on a different computer, particular if your computer is a mac and the photo is viewed on a pc.

That being said, there are some basic corrections you can make to your photographs to make them look better and more professional, without giving your viewers a false sense of what your work is like. My editing process generally uses two programs and goes in three steps.

Step One: I upload all of my photographs (I like to photograph my jewelry in one lump to get it all done at once) and organize them into folders. Once this is done I do an innitial swipe to delete all of the blurry pictures, poorly composed or poorly lit pictures. As you become more comfortable and familiar with taking pictures of your jewelry there should be fewer of the these.
Step Two: I open the remaining pictures in Window Life Photo Gallery - formerly Windows Photo Editor. It's a nifty program with a lot of new accessories since it came out with Windows Vista. If you have Windows 7, this program will not have come automatically with your computer, however, you can download it for free at via Windows Live. It's seriously worth it. I do my basic editing - adjust lighting, heighten contrast, and cropping. At this stage I'm mostly concerned with composition and cutting down my photos. You don't need a million pictures of one pair of earrings. Be really selective and chose your best 5 or 6.
Step Three: Once I've narrowed it down to 5 or 6 photos, I edit them in GIMP. I like to refer to GIMP as Photoshop on steroids. It's completely free and easy to use. I use GIMP to fine tune the pictures, check color accuracy and tweaking brightness/contrast until I am 100% satisfied. Then I just re-name the pictures to match the piece of jewelry and tada! I'm done!

Today it is snowing. Again. And since I've been house-bound for the past couple of days I've been powering through my massive to-do list. What's on today's agenda? Photographing all the jewelry I've made but haven't listed on Etsy. Chances are, if you're making your own jewelry, you're going to want to take pictures of it, to blog about, to sell online, or just to commemorate some kick-ass work.Taking good pictures of your jewelry isn't easy, so I figured today's blog would be all about tips and tools for taking some fantabulous pictures.
Tools of the Trade:

• Ultimately, your pictures are only going to be as good as the equipment you're using will allow. The higher your resolution and the greater your ability to manually focus your camera, the better your pictures are going to be. No matter what kind of camera you are working with, I strongly suggesting investing in a tripod. Sadly, I have left mine at my dorm room, so I'll be working solo for this photo session.
• If you have a good camera, it should have a macro setting. This will pre-set the camera to focus very close up - perfect for photographing jewelry.

• Tip Number One: Try making your own lightbox. A basic way to photograph your jewelry is on a black or white background. The challenge then becomes getting good light. You don't want dark shadows and you don't want to bleach out your beautiful piece. Try taking a shallow cardboard box, lining it with white paper or fabric and using one or two desk lamps to create the perfect mini photostudio for photographing your jewelry. Check out this blog for an interesting example.
• Tip Number Two: The background you chose to display your jewelry on is going to impact the way your jewelry looks to the viewer. So, you should consider this choice carefully. Do you want it to contrast or compliment? Should it follow a theme of your piece, or simply work as a backdrop? These are all choices you should consider every time you take a picture of your work. There are lots of ways to create backdrops for your work. Here are a few suggestions:
• Scrapbook paper is a great resource, and pretty cheap. I keep a nice supply of it for photographing and using in my hand-crafted beads. Sadly, like many things, I've left my scrapbooking paper in my dorm room, so I wasn't able to take a sample picture. Check out some pictures I've taken using scrapbooking paper for my etsy shop:

• Fabric is also an excellent choice for any backdrop. I have a bunch of fabric around anyways, but it's not a bad idea to get a supply going. Peruse sale fabric as JoAnn's or even the $1 yards at walmart. Start out with the basics- black and white, then add some cool stuff. It doesn't take much fabric to make a background. A fat quarter would suffice, but a yard or two certainly gives you more room to play with. Be creative with fabric. You might have a great pattern on a dress that you could snag for a few seconds to become the new backdrop for your jewelry photos.

• Tip Number Three:  You can also use accessories to show off your jewelry. These can range from your typcial bust, to carefully placed stones. Whatever accessories you use should reflect the image you're trying to create around this particular piece.

• 
  
  Although it can be easier to photograph a pair of earrings on a flat surface, people are going to want to see what the earrings look like when they're dangling as they would when you're wearing them. If you're going to keep them, then it's ok if you do just that - take a picture of you or someone else wearing them. However, if you're selling your earrings DO NOT wear them! It's not hygenic or professional.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Try hanging your earrings from a branch, an earring tree, a pretty glass bowl, a ribbon, a metal container... There are lots of funky things out there you can hang your earrings from that will make them look neat, but still totally hygenic :)