a birthday gift and the importance of good photography
She finally got it. She asked for it on her 18th birthday and it slipped away. On her 21st birthday she asked again and even provided a photo. (see below)
This was made (and sold) a very long time ago. (Does it belong to you?)
As an online seller, I truly believe that you can make a fantastic product and if it's not photographed well, your chance of selling is nil. I've blogged about the importance of product photography in previous posts and can assure you that I struggle and rephotograph constantly to get the best possible image.
Why am I saying this? Because my model (a.k.a. my daughter) ran off to school and I have struggled to get great photos. It's my nemesis. So. When said model came for the bag today, I grabbed her and reshot some really crappy pics.
model doing a great job
my sad, sad attempt. (and this was one of the better ones!)
Do you believe that photos are the most important aspect selling online?
If you're an artisan, do you hire out or take it on yourself?
What a lovely young lady, and she sure does look thrilled to have that bag, Lori!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Adorable girl! I know the pain of losing out on one of your fab bags. Imagine the horror of being the daughter and not getting it! I believe in good photos too. I take my own and have been praised for them at times. But I know they could be so much better. I think finding a cohesive look that is all your own is key. And you have certainly done that with The Model. I struggle with that all the time, but I am learning! Enjoy the day! Erin
ReplyDeleteOh no! I kinda feel guilty..... I have the 18th birthday bag! And I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteI think your photos are fabulous. I understand missing your daughter/model, though! I think it is especially difficult when you make unique items that you have to constantly photograph - in your case, to sell - in my case, to give another example of custom work. I am usually in such a hurry to ship that photographing is usually quick. I try to find the angles that work best. For you, I suppose, it's a matter of scale. I suppose if you have bags that are similar in size and scale you can use the last photo as a modeled shot of a similar bag.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am different, but if I am going to spend a bunch on an item, I want to see it from all sides. I really can't see much difference in the two modeled pictures of the last bag, except the one with your daughter has the light shining off of the bag in a beautiful way to accent it. If I were buying the bag, I would want to see all three of the photos that you presented, especially the last one, since it shows more of the concept of the size of the bag. If I wanted to see just one great posed photo of an item, I would buy from a big retailer--That is all they show in their catalogs. I think they expect you to buy based on the hype of the photo. I prefer lots of shots to really get a feel for the item. Just my opinion.
ReplyDelete