Jewelry-Making Articles

Selling Beads and Jewelry-Making Supplies Through Professional-Looking Photography



As a beading business owner, you'll want to make sure that you're doing everything you can to market and sell your products. Right from the start, you should ideally have a marketing strategy embedded into your business plan--but did you address photography? Although it seems like an unrelated concept, photography has a lot to do with how you market any type of jewelry or beading supplies, whether it's gemstones or findings.

If you haven't had much experience when it comes to taking photos in the past, it can be difficult to make your pictures look professional. However, there are a few tips that can be taken into consideration to help you market your beading business in an effective manner, whether it's in-store or online. If you've used a standard digital camera before for family pictures, tweaking your method can make a big difference.

First, TableTopStudio.com states that it's important to make focus a priority. This means holding the camera steady when you're shooting a photo of your jewelry for your website or an advertisement. If your picture is blurred, people will instantly recognize that the photo was not professionally taken. Although you're putting your amateur skills to work, the goal is to make it look like an expert piece. Some digital cameras have a MicroFocus setting that can help you capture those fine details and make your job a little easier.

One way that you can make sure your camera is steady when it comes time to shoot is to use a tripod. This item is an investment worth making, especially if you plan on regularly taking pictures of your items to showcase them to consumers. By setting your camera on a tripod, you can make sure that it is completely still when you hit the button to snap the photo.

While you might be inclined to use flash, this source of lighting that comes standard with digital cameras is typically one of the worst ways to illuminate an item or person. Often, a hard source of light can add too much illumination and discolor the subject.

When people see a picture that has too much flash, it becomes obvious that it was taken by an amateur and it is far from professional. To avoid making this mistake, acquaint yourself with soft lighting. This means using natural light from the sun, whether it be outdoors or through a window. Try to take pictures of your jewelry during the day to make the most of the opportunity. You'll notice a stark difference between photos taken with flash and the ones taken under soft lighting.

If it's difficult for you to find a viable source of soft light, PhotoJojo.com recommends looking for the white balance function on your camera. This allows you to change your settings to accommodate the lighting in your space, whether it be fluorescent or incandescent. Although this method may not yield results as good as natural lighting, it's one way to make do with what you've got.

PhotoJojo.com also reminds photographers to make sure that the background in the pictures is as simple as possible. Because you're trying to focus on the item at hand, there's no need to put an ample amount of preparation and detail into what's in the background. Try to go with a neutral color or pattern to make sure the attention is on the piece of jewelry.

There are a number of reasons why you should take pictures of your beading, whether you operate your business from home online or at a storefront. First, customers want to know what they're buying before they pay you, especially when it comes to jewelry. Even if it's not the most glistening piece you have, jewelry enthusiasts make pictures a priority when shopping and spending their money.

Your photos will be available for use on your company website, as well as any advertisements you wish to push. Having a collection of pictures is a great way to make sure you're never out of content when it comes to promotion in-store and online.

Think about ways that you can uniquely showcase your jewelry as well. For instance, you might want to recruit a model to wear a necklace or bracelet for a photo--this person can even simply be a member of your staff.

By taking the art of photography seriously when it comes to your beading business, you can increase your chances of making additional sales and improving customer retention. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it couldn't be more true when it comes to commerce.


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