Teams and Guilds, Guilds and Teams. These seem to be an awesome idea. We try to help ourselves by helping each other. And my Sunday posts have been full of wonderful artists from my friends at Etsy, in the Handmade Artist's Forum Team. I've chosen my favorite item from the shop recommended for promotion each day.
And, while this is certainly an excellent way to make sure this gets done, my heart's not been in it every week. It's just boring.
For a while now, Mina and I have been disputing Artfire vs. Etsy. We have our shops on each, and Etsy is certainly the biggest marketplace and the most well known, but we're kind of small fish in this huge pond of the internet. Artfire is simply smaller and a little bit more to our liking.
The end result of this decision is this: We'll be focusing our attention on the Intentional Stones Artfire Studio.
We Love Artfire. We are already members of the guild by that name. I'll probably just help my guild members in my favorite way each Sunday.
Macro Photography
Going through the gallery for the guild, I've chosen my favorite up-close photos of small objects. (Many of these artists have other wonderful photos, click the links to go to their shops) I'll try to put into words what it is about the photo that caught my attention.
KatsAllThat
This
photo showcases the colors of this piece. The pale antique writing on
the background paper provides interest without distracting from subtle
shades of pink and brown in the gemstones. The leaves brighten the image. The posing of the necklace draws the eye to all its different features.
The artist has also provided a wide variety of photos of the piece and labels on each photo so you know the materials used, even while you're taking a closer look.
Pinkymonkey
provided this image for these dangly wire wrap earrings. The shallow
depth of field accentuates the embellishment on the bead. I guess I'd
like to see the focal point of the picture in the center of the image,
but viewed in it's thumbnail size, it caught my eye. I count this as
effective, because a shopper is viewing items, this is the first
impression they get.
Earrings have been my biggest challenge in photography, because getting the proper focus on a dangling piece can be tricky.
novadesigns
Here the neutral background and slight spotlighting make the carefully accomplished color jump right out. The shape of the earring provides the motion of the photo and promises even more interest in the piece when it's hanging.
Grahtoestudio
I enjoy the different designs of the snowflakes displayed together. The fur in the background complements the smoothness of the wood of these pieces. The neutral grey brightens the natural golden colors. The lighting shows the polish of the pieces and provides shadows to display the intricacy of the carving.
I guess this post encapsulates my goal in taking photos and preparing them for a listing. I'd like it if my photos were the ones that stand out.
I know when I'm shopping online it's the images that make me click as I browse.
Could you comment and link to examples of items you've found while shopping online? Why did that one pleased your eye enough that you wanted to see more?
-Simbelmynë
