3 simple tricks to take good enough photos

I am pleased to announce I was just accepted into the winter Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle December 7 & 8. This is my seventh holiday show with them, but I never take it as a given that I will be chosen. I know there are a ton of talented crafters who apply every year. Amazing artists not only from around the northwest, but across the country apply to be a part of this indie craft fair.

Whether applying to craft fairs or trying to sell online, image is king. This was one of my photos I submitted. My photos aren't professional, but here are some tricks I've picked up along the way that make my pictures good enough to get into shows. 

1: natural light. I cannot regulate light super well inside, so I try to take most of my photos outside on a slightly overcast day.

2. neutral background. The worn wood of our shed adds nice texture without any distraction.

3. simple clothes that add to the story of the product. The denim gives a feeling of autumn and a classic, rustic vibe that I wanted to play up, without being more interesting than the hats.

bonus pointer for working with kids: Franklin is barefoot and wearing a batman cape during this photo shoot. By throwing the denim jacket on top, he has a unified look with Steeb and his commercial shirt/cape doesn't compete with the handmade element of the hats. He sometimes gets upset when I ask him to change his clothes for a photoshoot (or any reason, really) but by just adding something over his chosen outfit, we were both satisfied.


Deep gratitude to Steeb and Franklin for being my super models. And thanks to Marie Forleo and my B-School training for keeping me on my game. The B-School assignments helped me write some great answers to the brief essay questions that were a new part of the application.