I've been collecting seashells for as long as I can remember. From east to west, coast to coast, and shore to shore, I always find a treasure to keep, and adore.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Baaaad, Better, Best

A friend recently mentioned to me how good my pics are, and how nice my listings in my shop are.

I take this as a great compliment!

It wasn't always so, and I hate to admit what a horrible photographer I was. I'm sure I could still use some improvement, and I strive for perfection with every click.

Let's go back in time, to 2009, when I first began taking pics of my creations.

Oh boy!

Here goes...this is so embarrassing :P

The first seashell necklace I made, and it's still my favorite.
It's really plain, no bling at all, and not the nice pearls I buy now. I  still love this necklace.
But what utterly horrible pics!

Let's see some more of my fails!
UGH! This was just before Etsy by the way...

Let's move on!
And then there were props!
Oh yes, yes I did...on my mermaid. I LOVE this last piece...I called it Neptune's Bride... LOL! I sent it to a friend. This was beginning Etsy days, maybe about 9 months in. A few more months and I nearly gave up. I'm so glad I stuck with it, and started reading everything I could about how to improve my shop.
Oh Look! Here's me with blonde and purple hair! Yes, I did that, too! (more than once actually! I've had it 1 inch long, blonde with purple tips! What FUN!)

Okay back to the subject.
Vast improvement here!
and then the white backgrounds.
Not too bad.
And then I decided to try "natural" backgrounds.
That was a mistake!
Those were so bad I've deleted 98% of them!

It was because of the determination to have good pics that I kept trying different things.
And then I discovered scrapbook paper.
I've been doing this for about a year, and still have just a few I'd like to change in my shop.

I think this does make a world of difference, and I use an OTT light now.

So many crappy pictures, but what a valuable learning experience it has been.

I'm so glad I can look back, see the improvement, and laugh at myself!

7 comments:

Simone @ Doberman's by the Sea said...

We all live and learn don't we? Your pics now are wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha! I think I went through the same steps! My first attempt ever was actually "scanning" my jewelry on the flatbed scanner. OMG! Talk about high definition!

Cheryl said...

Oh, I didn't mean to become "Anonymous" (above)

Migrainista said...

You have indeed come a long way. All your hard work has really paid off. Well done!

Completely Coastal said...

Wow. What a difference. The scrapbook paper really works!! You're like me... start, then learn while doing. That's how I began blogging..., then after a year I deleted most of the earlier posts..., and kept changing the design a few times, each time it was a little bit of an improvement. And now I'm really happy with it. You go girl!! Have a great weekend!

Roxanne Reinhart said...

Thanks for the tips on the photo shoots. As you can see from my seahorse shots, I took the pictures outside on my dining set.

I imagne there are several of us with close to the same taste in items that make us happy. All of us beach loving, shell loving, Florida loving sistahs!!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Did one of your girls do your hair? I love it! I've always wanted a streak in mine! lol Of course I wanted to dye it dark red, too...but now we really are changing the subject! I do love your latest jewelry photos. Although...those with the natural background of rock or slate are gorgeous to me. Your latest photos really show the detail and true colors of the shells though and that's what you want. Seeing it is person is even more dramatic! You were wearing a turquoise set when I met you and I never imagined how beautiful that could be until I saw it in person! Hugs!

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