Welcome to the very first installment of our brand new EtsyKids Photo Makeover Series! I’m so excited about this series because improving shop photos is a constant challenge for me just as it is for other EtsyKids shop owners. High quality product photos lead to more Etsy sales and more features in shop promoting treasuries. The EtsyKids Treasury Team (EKTT) has been working hard to create visually stunning treasuries every month. Curators would love to include your photos in their front page worthy treasuries. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to make noticeable changes in the quality of your pictures. Following a few simple rules, and making a few meaningful changes can make a world of difference.
I want this to not only be an informative series, but also a fun, interactive series. It’s a chance for us to learn and share ideas. So, we will be holding monthly challenges for the best shop photo makeovers based on each month’s topic. We will also choose a grand prize winner at the end of the series.
Prizes will include:
1. Features within this series including a link to your shop!
2. Feature of your new and improved shop photos in an Etsy mini on the sidebar of the EKTT blog!
Each month I will be assigning a challenge. Your job will be to take that month’s challenge, along with the photo makeover tips for the month, and use them to make changes to your current shop listing photos.
Ready to get started? Then let's jump right in by taking a look at ten common product photo mistakes.
Top Ten Product Photo Mistakes to Avoid:
- Cluttered or distracting backgrounds
- Photos taken with your products on floors, carpets, bedspreads, and other common household surfaces.
- Photos taken with your products on wrinkled fabric or fabric/backgrounds with distracting colors and patterns.
- Out of focus photos.
- Dark underexposed photos.
- Flash photography. Focus on using natural light whenever possible.
- Borders or decorative editing added to photos.
- Use of large, distracting logos and text on your photos.
- Photos that portray your items as looking wrinkled, smashed, dirty, or otherwise not their best.
- Date and time stamps in the corner of photos.
We’ll be exploring all of these 10 recommendations in more detail throughout the series. Change takes time and no one is expected to have the time to instantly make changes to their photographs. This is not an exercise in getting you to abandon your creative spirit when it comes to taking product photos either. Be true to yourself, but also be willing to think outside of the box. As with anything in life, take from this series what works for you and leave the rest behind. Only you know what is best for your business!
Here’s This Week’s Homework:
1. Do a visual inventory of your shop photos. Start taking note of pictures that you would like to improve.
2. Browse any category on Etsy. What thumbnails make you want to click? What thumbnails do you scroll right past? Why? Look to Etsy’s front page, the Time Machine 2 sold items, or the Gift Guides for inspiration.
3. Join our EtsyKids Photo Makeover Series Facebook page. This is where we will be posting photos for all of the challenges. It will also be a place where we will share additional tips and encouragement.
4. Mark your calendars for the first Photo Makeover Series challenge to be posted on February 21st!
4. Mark your calendars for the first Photo Makeover Series challenge to be posted on February 21st!
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