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The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos: The Best Techniques for Showcasing Your Handmade Creations
Sell more of your handmade items with better photographs!
Amidst the sea of handmade jewelry, apparel, housewares, art, and other crafts that populate blogs, websites, and online marketplaces, how do you make your items stand out? The key is great photography.
Beautiful handmade items can be undermined by poor or uninspired images that fail to represent the detail and craftsmanship. With The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos you'll learn that you don't need expensive, professional equipment to get quality results. Get simple, practical advice presented with the crafter in mind. Learn to make a lightbox, how to use natural lighting, and how to capture the detail in your work. Broken down into specific craft areas, you'll find tips on how to best generate eye-catching images that will help sell your items.
Boost your online crafting business with The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos .
Amidst the sea of handmade jewelry, apparel, housewares, art, and other crafts that populate blogs, websites, and online marketplaces, how do you make your items stand out? The key is great photography.
Beautiful handmade items can be undermined by poor or uninspired images that fail to represent the detail and craftsmanship. With The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos you'll learn that you don't need expensive, professional equipment to get quality results. Get simple, practical advice presented with the crafter in mind. Learn to make a lightbox, how to use natural lighting, and how to capture the detail in your work. Broken down into specific craft areas, you'll find tips on how to best generate eye-catching images that will help sell your items.
Boost your online crafting business with The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos .
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 20, 2011
5 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 8, 2012
Great advice for the point and shoot camera as well as the more "complicated" DSLR to get the best photographs of your homemade creations. The author gives great definitions for light, aperture, depth of field, shutter, exposure, etc. She not only tells what each camera basic is but explains how to use them in simple, easy terms.
There are great chapters on the basics of using Photoshop Elements as well. Simple, useful instructions!
I appreciated the chapters on the best ways to photograph various types of creations from fabric to jewelry to toys to home accessories. There were great instructions on how to make a light tent and light box as well as simple inexpensive light reflectors. I loved the diy attitude! No expensive equipment necessary! She does discuss a few of the expensive options but I thought she did everything she could to give options so that you could avoid any unnecessary expenses.
The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was my disappointment that none of the chapters covered quilts specifically. There is a chapter on fabrics and fashion and the information given could apply to photographing large quilts to some extent but I really felt that a chapter on photographing quilts was needed. When this book is reprinted I hope the author will consider a quilt chapter.
Other than this flaw I thought this was a great book on how to photograph your art work for blogs and publication.
There are great chapters on the basics of using Photoshop Elements as well. Simple, useful instructions!
I appreciated the chapters on the best ways to photograph various types of creations from fabric to jewelry to toys to home accessories. There were great instructions on how to make a light tent and light box as well as simple inexpensive light reflectors. I loved the diy attitude! No expensive equipment necessary! She does discuss a few of the expensive options but I thought she did everything she could to give options so that you could avoid any unnecessary expenses.
The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was my disappointment that none of the chapters covered quilts specifically. There is a chapter on fabrics and fashion and the information given could apply to photographing large quilts to some extent but I really felt that a chapter on photographing quilts was needed. When this book is reprinted I hope the author will consider a quilt chapter.
Other than this flaw I thought this was a great book on how to photograph your art work for blogs and publication.
August 15, 2013
Like many crafters, I've read enough photography tutorials to have a general idea about how to take great photos (natural lighting, know your camera, etc.). My knowledge is rarely a match for expediency when deadlines are looming, though. I thought this book would be full of lots of tips I already knew but would be a good read nonetheless.
Instead, I must admit that the Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos far exceeded my expectations. Although it is clearly targeted at crafters who sell their wares (primarily online), it would also be a great book for a crafter who just wants fabulous photos to share on Ravelry, Craftsy, Facebook, Instagram, a blog, etc.
The book begins by defining terms and talking about important elements in photography. The opening section, Camera Basics, is definitely a bit dry and technical (but necessary). How to Tell Your Story addresses things like background and composition. Heidi frequently mentions have there are no right or wrong answers in photography, but encourages consistency in technique, background, and/or composition to help establish your visual brand. DIY Accessories Tutorials includes 6 tutorials for simple, inexpensive solutions for photography supplies (such as a light box).
The next section, Photo Fundamentals, is divided into 8 chapters highlighting different types of crafts. Each chapter explores planning, composition, and common problems/FAQs, and then ends with a practitioner spotlight. Although some crafters may choose just to read the sections applying to their favorite crafts, there are goodies sprinkled throughout that may be helpful.
The final section, Finishing Up & Getting It Out There, includes four chapters covering digital editing/post-production, image handling, workflow, troubleshooting, and general business advice on marketing, branding, and social networking. The book closes with a glossary of photographic terms and several excellent indexes. I should also mention that the cross-referencing in this book is fantastic, so if don't read it in order, you can still find the necessary tutorials and tips.
I definitely came across quite a few ideas that I hadn't found elsewhere, and the troubleshooting notes are really helpful. There are beautiful photos throughout, credited to the maker and with information about the camera and settings used. The general business advice was quite solid, too, so I would even recommend this as a general business book for an early stage DIY entrepreneur.
If you are already an accomplished product photographer, I'm guessing this book might be a bit basic for you. However, there are still a plenty of crafter case studies that you might find interesting. This is a definite read for the crafty entrepreneur who knows their photography is not at its best.
Instead, I must admit that the Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos far exceeded my expectations. Although it is clearly targeted at crafters who sell their wares (primarily online), it would also be a great book for a crafter who just wants fabulous photos to share on Ravelry, Craftsy, Facebook, Instagram, a blog, etc.
The book begins by defining terms and talking about important elements in photography. The opening section, Camera Basics, is definitely a bit dry and technical (but necessary). How to Tell Your Story addresses things like background and composition. Heidi frequently mentions have there are no right or wrong answers in photography, but encourages consistency in technique, background, and/or composition to help establish your visual brand. DIY Accessories Tutorials includes 6 tutorials for simple, inexpensive solutions for photography supplies (such as a light box).
The next section, Photo Fundamentals, is divided into 8 chapters highlighting different types of crafts. Each chapter explores planning, composition, and common problems/FAQs, and then ends with a practitioner spotlight. Although some crafters may choose just to read the sections applying to their favorite crafts, there are goodies sprinkled throughout that may be helpful.
The final section, Finishing Up & Getting It Out There, includes four chapters covering digital editing/post-production, image handling, workflow, troubleshooting, and general business advice on marketing, branding, and social networking. The book closes with a glossary of photographic terms and several excellent indexes. I should also mention that the cross-referencing in this book is fantastic, so if don't read it in order, you can still find the necessary tutorials and tips.
I definitely came across quite a few ideas that I hadn't found elsewhere, and the troubleshooting notes are really helpful. There are beautiful photos throughout, credited to the maker and with information about the camera and settings used. The general business advice was quite solid, too, so I would even recommend this as a general business book for an early stage DIY entrepreneur.
If you are already an accomplished product photographer, I'm guessing this book might be a bit basic for you. However, there are still a plenty of crafter case studies that you might find interesting. This is a definite read for the crafty entrepreneur who knows their photography is not at its best.
March 7, 2012
I was so excited when I saw this book on one of the many craft blogs that I read, but ended up feeling it was pretty basic. Maybe I've just been reading too many crafty blogs for too long, but most of the advice seemed pretty obvious (keep it simple, clean white backgrounds are always a reliably good choice, etc.) and not that different for each different product type. I enjoyed the interviews sprinkled throughout as well as the tutorials that had good before/after comparisons of using one technique or another. The book should have had more of those, but it's not bad for someone who might be starting out on learning photography in order to start an online craft business.
September 23, 2012
A great guide to photography for beginners (like me) with helpful tips and tricks.
Section by section how-to photography according to what you are trying to capture (fabrics, crafts, jewelry, art piece, pottery, etc.). Another useful info are the tutorials on how to make your own lighting equipment.
Nicely designed book!
Section by section how-to photography according to what you are trying to capture (fabrics, crafts, jewelry, art piece, pottery, etc.). Another useful info are the tutorials on how to make your own lighting equipment.
Nicely designed book!
July 30, 2014
I was very surprised by this book. Not only does it offer wonderful inspiration for photographing crafts, it also gives one of the best short introductions to digital photography and composition than I have seen. I think it does a better job than many of the digital photography books on the market now. I'd recommend it both to crafters and to beginning photographers.
October 14, 2014
I think this was very well organized. It starts out with general photography information and tips on making some of your own equipment like light boxes. Then it breaks down into chapters which focus on different types of crafts and the difficulties specific to photographing those materials. Finished up with suggestions for workflow in processing and editing your photos.
February 14, 2013
Smart and practical, this book is a great step-by-step for crafters (and others) new to the arts of photography, promotion, and marketing. I appreciate the combination of practical application, best practices, and theory.
February 28, 2012
Beautiful book, lots of great advice and wonderful photographs enclosed. More for the proffesional seller than the amature I think, may need good photography equipment to re-create some of the shots.
September 29, 2013
The key to making your crafted items stand out online is great photographs. The author teaches how to make that happen, even with the most basic of camera. Divided into crafting categories, the author delves into the specifics of getting the best shot.
May 8, 2012
Read my review here: http://halfasleepstudio.com/2012/05/0...
May 2, 2012
Great read for a newbie photographer like myself. For the more experienced photographer this book might be too elementary.
August 14, 2012
loved it - going to buy this one!
September 25, 2012
Great starter book for Crafters!
February 1, 2013
A useful book for beginners who want to understand he basics.
February 15, 2013
Great book! Simple breakdowns of how to photograph a wide variety of items! Very helpful even to those who need to make a professional presentation!
May 8, 2012
Good tips- not really new info. Basic photography.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews