Here, you'll find a curated list of budget-friendly Instagram photo prop ideas and backdrops. Make your Instagram feed shine!
Selling on Etsy involves lots of moving parts, but one of the biggest ones might be the quality and style of your product photography. You can have the best Etsy SEO and the most awesome
Product photography is essential for any eCommerce business, but not all entrepreneurs can afford professional product photography right away. That is why we have compiled a step-by-step guide on how to take a quality product shot for your business.
Are you in love with action shots in food photography, but struggle with catching the right moment and perfect timing? I can help you!
A modern and chic website for a freelance photographer or studio. With two navigation menus and featuring many ways to showcase your work and services. Includes 3 different homepages, 3 about pages, 3 contact pages, a blog page and portfolio pages.
Uncover the secrets to an exceptional photography portfolio that will bring in trusted, high-quality clients and leave you confident AF.
Are you tired of using the rule of thirds? Instead, try these 6 handy composition guides (aka my secret to perfect cropping).
- Travel Blog, Food Blog, Home Blog, Travel Information, Travel Advice, Travel Inspiration, Home Inspiration, Home Decor, Food Inspiration, Food Porn, Recipes, Photography
I have had a few REALLY fun product shoots lately which have reminded me how inspiring and creative these types of projects can be. Way too often, people resort to photographing their products on boring, white backdrops– which is fine for Amazon but, personally, I want to see something a bit more aspirational when I am shopping online....amiright??Here are my 3 top tips for taking your product photography from bland to brilliant:1. Create a story around your product. A friend recently told me about another Vermont business called Red House Bags because she thought I would like their products (she was right.) When I went to the website, I was immediately captivated by the gorgeous photos, the warm light, the beautiful landscape– I wanted to be IN those photos, holding one of those bags.That website is the PERFECT example of storytelling with products.Obviously, for a variety of reasons, we often can’t hire models and orchestrate elaborate photo shoots for our products. Instead, we are working in our home or studio, and need to convey a story through a tabletop photograph. We do that through our lighting, the use of props, and the colors we choose.As an example of what I mean, check out these shots I did for Forest & Field Collective, a Vermont based company that creates gift boxes filled with the most beautiful products. Jessamyn, the owner, already had images on her website that showed the items included in each box so, instead, she wanted me to create photos that showed the items in a lifestyle setting.For each shot, I staged a little “scene” and incorporated the products within it: the gardening scissors with beautiful flowers, the lit candle in a calming environment, the baking items on a kitchen counter with some ingredients. The point of telling a story is to elicit emotion from your audience- to get them to picture themselves in that moment and really feel it. The product is almost secondary to the story and yet it’s the STORY that sells the product. 2. Use light like a prop.I have the great honor of doing regular photoshoots with the amazing Laura Zindel, (another incredible Vermont artisan….we have a lot of them here!) Before each shoot, Laura chooses a color palette and creates a mood board of what she wants to accomplish. For this recent Spring 2023 shoot, Laura wanted to veer away from the traditional light, Spring colors and go with a darker palette paired with dramatic lighting. All three of us working on the shoot (myself, Laura and Gretchen– the amazing food stylist who regularly works with me) are former art school nerds so we decided to emulate a chiaroscuro effect, with deep, dark shadows and defined highlights.To create this look, we used a dark surface on the table top (Bruno) a dark backdrop on the wall, (Coal) and a single light source coming from the side. I used a strobe for these shots but you could just as easily use natural light. The key is guiding the light to fall onto your subject (the product), which involves blocking light on the areas you want to be darker. I use black foam core for this purpose. Additionally, I didn’t use a bounce card to fill in any shadows– instead I let the shadows fall where they may. The effect is almost ethereal – the photos practically glow– and, because the product is the lightest thing in the image, the viewer’s eyes go right to it. Below are another few examples from shoots with Chemex and Real Pickles. Again, in both scenarios, one light source was used, coupled with darker props and blocking of light in strategic areas so that the product stood out. You can see an example of how to do this HERE.3. Create layers and texture. In those images of Laura Zindel's products above, did we NEED the wooden boxes in those shots? After all, we already had a backdrop on the wall and fun props around the product. The boxes weren’t necessary. However, the addition of them adds a ton of warmth, texture and visual interest and really takes the photos to the next level. This is the magic of layering. The key to adding layers to your photos is to do so in a way that doesn't compete with the impact of your product. If, for example, the boxes in the photos had been the same color and/or same level of brightness as the ceramics, they would have been a fail. The viewer’s eyes wouldn’t know what to focus on in the images. Instead, you want to add layers that fade into the background a bit so that the focus is still on the product. You can use fabric, paper, (I love old music sheets or faded book pages), wooden boards, boxes, items from nature, (driftwood, moss, rocks and tree bark can all work beautifully) and basically anything else that adds depth and texture to your photo without detracting from your subject. For example, in the image below for Farmers Body, we wanted to keep the image simple but include some natural elements with the sugar scrub. By adding the wooden board and the greenery, we created a frame around the product, which is much more impactful than if we had placed the product directly on the surface. Additionally, we left some space on the side of the image for text, (which is always a good idea when shooting for a website!) In the below photo for Satya and Sage, the addition of the wooden board under the candle has a dual purpose; it elevates the product, making it more important in the photo, and it adds warmth. Also, the shadows on the backdrop provide yet another layer to the photo by creating a sense of place. To learn how to create shadows in your shoot, read THIS. I hope this was helpful and you are inspired for your next photo shoot. Let's all just say NO to boring product shots, shall we?Until next time... xx
There’s a myth about blog photos – – those bright, crisp images on non-distracting backgrounds (you know the ones). The myth goes that those blog photos are shot in professional studios with expensive lighting equipment and fancy backdrops. Oh, and the bloggers behind the cameras have about 20 different lenses to choose from for different effects and compositions....
Headed to Krakow? Don't miss out on my list of the best Krakow traditional food to eat your way through Poland. Get ready to get hungry!
In its most literal sense, the word zine is short for "magazine". At its core, however, the zine is much more than some reduced version of another
Product photography is one of the most important aspects in getting your products to stand out and sell. Here are 7 simple tips that you can use to improve your product photography and use in your Etsy shops, Amazon Handmade, eBay and more!
Product photography lighting setup guide for beginners - Take great photos with 3 lighting techniques you can set up in any simple home studio.
Cotswolds villages you cannot miss because of their cultural significance and Instagram potential + useful tips for planning your itinerary.
Phoenix Area Family Photography
Background and backdrop ideas to use in product photography in your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut Explore small business.
My husband built me a camera closet! We used the coat closet near our front door (which never really housed any coats…) and converted it into a storage closet for my gear. First he installed …
We love a bit of lens talk here on the blog, so today we are going to be answering this question: what's the best lens for newborn photography? If you are just getting started with newborn photography, you might be wondering what lenses you need to get started, and which you can do wit
In the world of jewellery, it's all about the details. Every intricate design, every delicate curve, and every sparkling gemstone is carefully crafted to create a beautiful piece of art that people can wear and cherish. But in order to showcase these details and attract potential customers, good product photography is key. Smartphone Jewellery Photography Course.A study by the e-commerce platform BigCommerce found that product photography was even more important than product information and cust
Learn how to avoid some of the most common mistakes photographers make when chatting fashion with their clients.
Maternity photos are such a beautiful way to capture and remember the excitement and anticipation before your little bundle arrives. There are many different ways to style your maternity session,…
Creative, unique ideas for nature photographers so you can explore the world of macro photography from right outside your doorstep.
We are visual beings and Etsy certainly realizes that. We also have other senses that we essentially lose when we are shopping online. Our sense of smell and our sense of touch are out the window. But with good photography and with the help of some well written descriptors we can bring back the sense […]
Here, you'll find a curated list of budget-friendly Instagram photo prop ideas and backdrops. Make your Instagram feed shine!
No need to spend big bucks on photo backdrops when you can make your own for pennies! 20 clever DIY backdrops you can make at home. DIY photo backdrops.
Photography Class (Digital) Here is a lesson for students to practice COMPOSITION. Zip File containing a PowerPoint (editable) and a PDF (ready to print) 3 Slides: - Cover page - Contents page - Printable Student handout with directions for Composition. ----------------------- TERMS OF USE: The purchase of this product is for one license and is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. © Copyright 2017 Art Ready to Teach / Janel Murphy ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by original purchaser or licensee. The reproduction of any part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and/or placing it on the internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Purchase extra licenses for others to use this resource at 50% off.
Our Wavy Border backdrop features a block colour backdrop with a contrasting wavy border roughly 5cm from the edge, creating a fun & unique boundary around your subject
No one ever tells you when you start renovating a place just how long it will take. Or that there may be minor set-backs, like when you choose the same shade of white for the walls as the floor and it turns out that it actually isn't the same after all (let's call it cream). So you then you compla
If you want to know how to look good in pictures, these tips will teach you how to pose for full-length portraits and how to take the perfect selfie!
The lush blue of cyanotypes will be familiar to experimental photographers. To step up and challenge our printing game, today we look at a simple yet rewarding technique, wet cyanotype, as well as a color tinting with organic substances.
