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.

application out take

Working on my Urban Craft Uprising application always means roping the guys into some back yard photo shoots. Franklin's rates have gone up from a handful of cheddar bunnies to 14 mini peanut butter cups in the past 3 years. Totally worth it though to get some images of the new Ralph Superstar hat. It is always a challenge to look at the pictures and decide what is actually a good photo of the product regardless of how much I like the people wearing it. So I thought I would put up one I like, but honestly doesn't show the details of the hat in a way that will win me any prizes.

5 Changes to the Way you make art, so you can keep making it when your life changes

The last two posts in this series have dealt with finding time for creative pursuits. Today we look at some changes in HOW you create art to stay productive when you become a parent, or get a high needs dog or start taking care of your aging parents, or whatever...

1.Factory flow

sewing many hats at once, sometimes franklin was even in the room with me.

 

It is tempting to get precious with our mysterious creative process, those magical visits from the muse that cannot be interrupted. The truth is, after the inspiration comes the making real. And that making can often be broken into smaller, less glamorous tasks. For example, my creative flow is in the moment I am cutting up a sweater and imagining the animal it will become or the pattern I will stitch into a tshirt hat. It is difficult for me to do that with half attention. But then there are several more steps to create the product. Some parts can be efficiently lumped together, some can be done at home with Franklin underfoot and some can be done when I am sitting in my market booth. Steeb has taken this approach with his paintings too. He may have a day applying gesso, then he brings boards home to draw on them, then takes them back to the studio to add color. If you are transporting your works in process, you may need to shift your scale or medium.

paintings in process from me and steeb's show at the old town cafe this fall

  2.Scale

You may need to change the size of your work. Perhaps you need to make something that can be stashed in your bag, transported back and forth, easily pulled out and put away. If you have work space at home you may need to share that space with additional members of your household as your family changes.You may need to work larger so that your baby won't choke on your amazing miniatures. Also you should consider how size affects your ability to finish a piece and the price point for that size of work.

3 more radical ways to make time in your life for creative persuits when you aren't doing it full time (yet).

I hope you enjoyed my last post on making time for art with kids. Here we go one step further in rearranging your relationship to time and work. These ideas work equally well for those who do not live with children, but who have day job responsibilities as well as creative dreams.  I am really inspired by how Steeb manages this in his life and I appreciate the work he does outside the studio so I can spend more time doing my craft. If you aren't familiar with my husband's art, check it out here.

1.Use vacation time and sick days to make art.

steeb in the studio during his week of vacation.

Steeb does this every year and takes his one week paid vacation to prepare for an art show. He stays up late,  goes to concerts and paint paint paints. Even if you don't have the luxury of paid vacation, consider planning a creative vacation to push a project forward. You won't have money coming in necessarily, but eating at home and no airfare makes it more economical than a regular vacation. Save for it as you would any dream to Hawaii or NYC. And if you need something official to help you request the time from your boss and sweet talk your co-workers into covering your shifts, consider taking a class, scheduling a public event, or going on an organized art retreat.

bonus inspiration: Our friends Jen and Will applied for an artists' residency in Iceland to make their schedules have room for a month of art. They are there right now! With a toddler! You can read about their adventures right here. For the record, she works in a bakery and he in a bar. They applied, saved and filled in some financial gaps with a Kickstarter campaign.

5 ways to make time for your art when raising amazing kids

Without grandparents nearby or daycare in our lives, making consistent time for our art is the major challenge as a family. Steeb and I just hung an art show at the Old Town Cafe and it was a crazy week. F is wearing the same pajamas for the third day in a row, but we did it and so can you.

 5 tips to make time for your art, changing out of pajamas optional.

1.    Do the dishes while the kids are awake, do your art while they sleep.

    If you are at home with your child, it doesn't mean you need to be on the carpet pushing trucks around all afternoon. It is valuable for little ones to see and participate in the tasks that make up our lives. If you get the chores done with the kids around, then when you get your private time you aren't using it to fold laundry. This goes for both household chores and errands related to your business. Often there are little chores related to making art, like buying supplies and preparing materials, that can be done with kids underfoot.
And perhaps it goes without saying, but it's okay to have a messy house around a deadline.

    2.    Recognize your child's rhythm. 

Work with your child's a natural energy flow if you are trying to create while they are around. You may need to play wildly at the park or have an extended snuggle to get the quality of time you need to do your creative work at home. Reading a favorite book one more time before you get to your project can prevent a little whining person tugging at your sleeve for an hour.