New Camera/Old Camera and Soapmaking

I just got a new camera! I've been using a little, cheap old point and shoot to take all my jewelry pictures for years. I've maxed out its few capabilities and need to move on. I admit I don't enjoy photography and don't understand it very well. I've been playing with my new Samsung NX100 and have just barely begun to understand what all those little icons are for in the menu. This is probably not the go-to camera for the "Photography for Dummies" crowd, but I'll see what I can do. The manual claims to be in English, but I don't believe it.

These are some before and after photos using my old and new cameras and taking photos of the handmade soap that I just made for my family. Photographing small sparkly objects like jewelry is gonna take some more study. All of these are completely unedited and taken on automatic without a tripod in somewhat dim light during a rainstorm . . . and . . . I don't think I held the camera very steady.

Old

New. The new camera can be set for square format

Old

New. Much truer color--same type of soap as above.

Old. All the soaps look kind of grey.

New. You can see the subtle color differences in the soap.

New. My soaps curing on the windowsill.

New

About the soap:
For more information on how I make my homemade soap, read this blog post I did a while back. My soaps aren't particularly colorful or pretty. I like a big, chunky, hand-cut, rustic bar with natural ingredients.

These are the types of soaps that I just finished making. These should last us a while:

* honey oatmeal (last photo)
* lavender with bentonite clay marbled (photo 5&6)
* sandalwood/patchouli with red Morrocan clay marbled (second photo)
* cedarwood/lime leaf with green French clay marbled (second photo)
* Caleb's sensitive skin shampoo bar with neem, green tea and calendula (top photo)
* grapefruit/hybiscus with poppyseeds (photo 5&6)
* vanilla bean spice swirled (photos 3&4)

Featured Artist: Laura Evans of levansphotography

laura

love. laugh. believe

laura evans/photography - capturing life

That line is the first thing you'll see when you visit the Etsy shop of Laura Evans and it is fitting. I've so enjoyed watching Laura's shop truly blossom over the past months. Browse for a few moments and you'll soon feel like you are walking through a gallery and appreciating the world through Laura's eyes.

vintage shutters

Laura currently lives in Germany and travels around taking photos of some amazing places. She manages to capture those allusive atmospheric qualities of each place.

a moody view of the Eiffel Tower

She also playfully captures the charms of every day items like clotheslines, road signs or a blade of grass. Take a deep breath. You can almost smell the oranges, the sea air and the snow.

blade of grass

all the fun of the fair

winter's dew

Laura's Etsy Shop

Laura's Blog
Laura's Facebook
Laura's Twitter

What is the fashionable dress form wearing this autumn?

Well, not much as it turns out . . .

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a new dress form, which I named Esme, to use for modeling necklaces in order to show scale more accurately. I had a poll on my blog for people to vote on how she should be dressed and what type of backdrop to use.

Most people voted for a plainish, dark backdrop and for Esme to remain unclothed for the most part. Yes, shocking, I know, but people felt clothing or draping her was too distracting. Thanks so much to all who voted. I really appreciate it!

Here are my first post-poll photos. I need more lights and a better camera I think. I'm still getting used to photographing Esme, but she's very patient.

Poppies cloisonne triple strand necklace set

This shows my set-up. I had this tonal, brown, colorwash, leaf-print fabric that seems to work well with other backdrops I use. I covered a sheet of foam core with it and hung it as a backdrop.

Multi gemstone and brass necklace

Dragon and phoenix necklace set

I needed some contrast behind the pendant on this necklace so I pinned on this brocade, but the color is too close to the color of the backdrop. I'll use something else next time.

Autumn black agate triple strand necklace set

This one seems too plain. I think I'll have to re-take it with some clothing. Unfortunately, I'm a size 6/8 and Esme is a size 8/10. Most of my clothes don't fit her very well. But, since the average dress size for women in the U.S. is 14 I thought I shouldn't get a dress form that was too skinny.

I'd love to hear your input. Leave me a comment!

Thanks, Sue

Jewelry Photos: Before & After

When I started making jewelry, friends and family wanted to see it. So I took some photos with my cheap little point and shoot camera. It didn't take me long to realize that there is a real art to photographing small shiny objects close up. One of these days I may know enough about it to write a tutorial, but for now I thought I'd show how I've improved over the last two years and share a few things I've learned. NOTE: I'm still using the exact same camera. Thanks to Gary for the photography tips!

BEFORE

This is actually a lovely set with a carved carnelian dragon pendant and green lace agate and carnelian beads. It's very hard to tell from this photo! I heard that natural light was best so I took this on my balcony when we lived in South Korea and yet it's still dark and fuzzy, the angle doesn't let you appreciate the piece and the composition is static.

AFTER

This is a new set that uses the same type of carnelian dragon bead in the pendant. I've learned to adjust the camera for better light and crispness, to photograph from a low angle, get really close-up and then crop the shot afterwards, to use an intriguing background and props to style the shots, and that I don't need to show the entire set in the first product shot on my website.

BEFORE

Believe it or not, this was a beautiful set using a black lip shell pendant that had Japanese wildflowers decoupaged on it's surface and garnet beads with black pearls. This was my attempt at a detail photo.

AFTER

My new attempt at a detail photo of a different set with a beautiful red jasper pendant--much better results!

BEFORE

This was a beautiful set. It even looks pretty good in this dreary photo. I wish I had gotten a better shot of it.

AFTER

This shot has none of the darkness and cast shadows of the previous shot, you can see every detail so that it looks like you can reach right out an touch it--a necessity when selling on-line where people cannot touch or try things on. Styling the shot outdoors in a natural setting with a touch of greenery makes it more appealing.

I'm searching for a new camera and hope my shots continue to improve.

My first (and likely last) modeling attempt ☺

I don't normally model my own jewelry or even like to take publicity photos for my business, but when Lucy of mummumscrafts, who is a fellow Etsy.com seller and makes the most wonderful mineral makeup, asked for entries of real women wearing her products, I submitted a few photos of me in her 3-in-1 "coral flush" mineral face color. I am wearing it on my cheeks and lips in the photos.

I wish the photos (and the model) were better. Photography is not my best thing and it was a glaringly hot and bright day so I photographed these in my courtyard in the shade. They turned out a little grey and don't show how truly pretty the coral flush color is.

I'm holding the camera at arm's length to take these--not the most conducive pose for natural looking shots . . .

The earrings I am modeling are available here.

Take a look at Lucy's shop:

Pinecone

My son and his friends were playing in our backyard collecting pinecones out of the mulch. We recently finished the desert landscaping in the backyard with a lot of small river rocks.

This is what they came up with. I think it is very beautiful.

New Photos

The other day I was on Facebook chatting with my best friend when she mentioned that she really liked the earrings photos I took this spring of earrings hanging on a branch of our blossoming purple leaf plum tree. That got me thinking. This past year we planted a nice apricot tree and the fruit is nearly ripe. It's the perfect time to get some new earring photos. Here are the first few:

The first pair of earrings are in my Etsy.com store, the others are on my website.

Some of my Etsy Favorites

Here are some of my favorite photographs and fine art prints on Etsy.com:

Vibrantly Pink CrabApple Blossoms - 5x5 Square Fine Art Photography

by Robin at CreationsAnew

close proximity

by Margie at knitalatte

Pink Rose Abstract - 8 x 10 Fine Art Print

and

Dancing Butterflies - 8x10 Fine Art Print

both prints by Jeanne at everythingdear

images used with permission of the artists