Be your own personal photographer - Tips for taking amazing photos for your online shop

My guess is that if you have an Etsy shop, one of your biggest concerns is about professional looking photos of your products - right?

And it is clear to understand why. The way that your products are showcased and displayed is a number one factor! A potential customer will first and foremost see the pictures, then the price, then the description, then everything else. So it is of utmost importance that you have excellent photos.

By using professional looking photography you are also sending a message to your present and future clients that you are serious about your business. Of course not everyone can afford to hire a professional photographer, but with some research and more know-how, you can easily take amazing pictures.

These are a few basic tips to get you started in the right direction:

1 - Go outdoors

We are so lucky to live in a country with regular sunshine! Choose the background that fits most with your products and take all your product photos outside, during the day - but never in direct sunshine as this creates dark shadows. 

2 - Be consistent

Keep a similar background. Your shop will appear much more neat if all your products are displayed on the same kind of background throughout. For example, you can choose a plain white background, or a leafy patch, or a tree branch. It is also good to have a combination of two backgrounds if you have a different range of products, but ideally not more than two.

3 - Sharpen & Focus

You want to showcase your products in the best possible way, so make sure that the photos are not blurred or out of focus. This will largely depend on what camera you are using, however the general trick is to take several photos with little distances of difference, and then choose the most sharpened and focused.

4 - Think perspectives

Etsy gives you the opportunity to display up to 5 photos for each product, and so you should! There are many ways you can take 5 different photos for each product: back, front, sides, angle, close-up, worn, laid out flat, hanging, etc etc.. depending on the item. If you are really truly out of ideas, try to include a photo of your process, or your work space, or a behind the scenes.

5 - Edit your photos

There are several photo-editing programs that you can download and use for free! I personally use Photo Scape, but there are many others that are very user friendly. Take some time to experiment until you get used to it, learn its features and understand how to edit your photos in the best possible way.

Conclusive thought

If you have the budget or decide that your business needs this kind of investment, then go ahead and buy a professional camera. When you go to the shop, make sure to explain to the sales person what you are planning to use it for, so that you can be properly guided as to what kind of camera will be most useful to you, together with the rest of the equipment: lens, flash, etc. 

Taking good photos takes a lot of time and concentration. Many times you may prefer to use your time and effort in creating new products, and you think to yourself that after all you are an artist, not a photographer.

But remember this is the world of Etsy!
If you want to succeed, you need to be good not only in your artistry, but in all aspects of running an online business.

Remember that the client's first impression of your products will be through your photography. And if they already like what they see, then you are more likely to make sales!