An accidental discovery.....

As you are all aware, I talk about photography a lot. It's a very important subject and some would say I am obsessed by it. (But we don't take any notice of them....)

One's photography must be of the highest quality to attract on line buyers, don't you agree? I've been working on mine for years. Every time I change the way I do things I am satisfied, nay, smug even - for a short while. Then I see my pictures juxtaposed with others of such perfection it makes you want to cry and I am downcast and demoralised, yet again.

I have previously mentioned "the big lamp", haven't I? That 500W halogen monstrosity that lurks in the corner of my work room. After my last exhaustive round of research on the subject, I came to the conclusion that more light was the answer. More light than you can shake a big stick at. Well, the 500W bulb blew the other day, right in the middle of a very productive session with the ancient digital. Master of procrastination that I am, no replacement bulb had yet been procured. It was also a national holiday so popping down to Huercal-Overa to buy one was out of the question. "Don't panic!" says Bryn. "I have a 150W bulb in the garage. It's better than nothing."

Better than nothing? Bloody hell, it was better than anything! I had been having trouble with my white balance (as you do) and there were still too many shadows evident after editing. The new bulb evened everything out and produced my best photographs, to date. Well, until the next time!

This is an example of an image of which I had been quite proud, until now:

Sapphire & Silver Bangle

But look at this!

Silver spiral earrings

and this!

gold chain fringe necklace

and these!

carnelian lampshade earrings

I think I really am getting there! Mind you, I said that last time!

That elusive Etsy shot....

I know, sorry, we're back on the subject of photography again. It has become somewhat of an obsession with me lately! Being found on Etsy may be problematical for SEO reasons but, once found, you want to be CHOSEN! You want to be in Treasuries so you have to take really good photos. And not just any good photo, it has to be in that certain Etsy style because all those lovely people making Treasuries want to make it to the Front Page!

I think I'm beginning to get there:

This necklace came out quite well!

This one has even been picked for a few Treasuries already:

Black Onyx & Red Jasper Necklace

I rather like this one:

Silver Cube Necklace

I've also been going back to older listings and just taking that one Etsy style shot:

Calla Lily Earrings

Silver fringe & ruby necklace

White background, lots of light, no props and then play with it in Photoshop! We'll see how it goes. 

A photographer's lot....

is not a happy one.

As a little follow up to my last post, I thought I would share with you my recent, very mixed attempts at capturing the glorious allure of my latest jewellery pieces. I was so pleased with myself at managing to reproduce the hidden heart in my Rainbow Obsidian necklace, as seen here:

The other day, I had a lovely session with the camera and produced these:

Not bad, eh? Then, towards the end of the session, things started tailing off:

They don't look too bad on here but they are definitely not in the same league.

Today, I tried again:

Still not wonderful.

Why can't I keep them consistent? The studio set up is exactly as I left it. Background, lights, mirrors and assorted reflective surfaces have not been meddled with. The camera settings have not changed. White balance correct, flash off, macro on, etc, etc.

It must be me. Oh well, big sigh......     I'll keep trying.

They'll make a photographer of me yet!

I've had a good run of making and now I'm doing all the photography. Some people find that bit a chore but I love it. I have my lighting set up just about right now and I've mastered the intricacies of my digital camera. Every day, I thank the Lord for Photoshop!

Today, I am very proud of myself! I took this picture of my Rainbow Obsidian necklace and managed to capture the ghostly green heart buried within it's depths.

This will be listed in my Etsy shop sometime next week. I do hope this photograph manages to sell it.

Gorgeous photos - How do they do it?

I've been working on my photography this last week or so.  No, you can't see the results yet because I haven't managed to reach the desired standard.  I have investigated the inner workings of my elderly digital camera, experimented with backgrounds and props but, it seems, my main downfall is not enough light!  You wouldn't think that would be a huge problem here in sunny Spain but, unfortunately, sunshine is notoriously unreliable and hard to control.

I ditched my home made light box a while ago because it was too small to set up a good shot in.   I thought I would be able to take decent pictures with my two halogen spotlights but they weren't man enough for the job.  While my husband busies himself in the workshop, mounting on a stand the huge 500W lamp he brought home for me yesterday (overkill maybe? I just said I wanted more light!), I shall content myself with a stroll through the Artfire studios of various members of Jewelry Creators Unite in Numbers Guild.  Perhaps I'll pick up a few tips!

Linda Landig's pics are always well lit. The subject matter is pretty cool too!

Tali'sCreations photos are always artistically staged. Love that bit of driftwood!

Mixed Metals really gets in close!  Love those earrings too!

Gaelic Forge - the photos are well lit, staged nicely and the colours come out beautifully! These earrings are gorgeous!

This delicate necklace from aMagpiesDream is shown off really well on one of a jewellery seller's best props, a bust!

Whereas, the latest listing in my Bluetina studio only shows how far I have to go!  I am sure I can take a better photograph of this bracelet.  Let's see, shall we? My dear husband has just delivered my 500W lamp, ready for use!