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How to take great product images

First up, you are not alone with struggling to get the photos that you want to showcase your handmade creations. It's a journey. Yes, I know that is a super annoying line but it's real!!

This flow will walk you through a process to improve your images so that your products are seen, understood, and trusted by customers.

 

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How to photograph handmade 

We want you to succeed with selling online.

Which means your imagery needs to put your best foot forward.

 

On this page we are going to step you through how to start getting great images and where you might be falling short. We want you to join Madeit and to support on this journey, so let's dive in.

 

When customers can clearly see your work, they can trust it. Good imagery removes guesswork and lets the handmade speak for itself. If you're still not sure about your imagery after this process just email us before resubmitting.

 

Our mission here at Madeit is to elevate handmade and to create an environment where Makers can thrive, and that means you too.

Step 1: Assess your images

Being able to assess your own product photos is a crucial part of selling handmade online so before changing anything, take a moment to really look at your images.

 

Ask yourself:

  • Are your images sharp and well lit? Or are they dark and blurry?
  • Do your images look rushed? Or do they showcase your handmade products?
  • 👉🏽 Download the Product Image Checklist. 
  • Write notes on what you think you might be missing.
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Step 2: Research

Now you know where you might be falling short, it's time to start researching what you want your images to look like. Pinterest is a great place to start to get ideas about what exactly you want your images to look like.

 

What to look out for:

  • Think simple imagery and what sings handmade
  • Avoid highly edited or ai images this is the opposite  of handmade

To deep-dive into taking product images step by step, check out our Introduction To Product Imagery Masterclass

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Step 3: Fix The Basics

Once you know what’s not working, focus on the basics before anything else: Lighting, Clarity, Background
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Clarity means are your images sharp or are they blurry and out of focus? Here are simple blog articles to get you on track.

👉🏽 How many images do you need?

When it comes to selling online, you want to have a minimum of 3-5 images on every product. 

  1. Hero Shot (the first image that draws your customer in)
  2. Detail shot - upclose
  3. Back
  4. Side if relevant. Eg the side of a canvas to show thickness
  5. Short Video - you showing the product 360degree view
  6. Lifestyle - how you use the product
  7. You making the product - video or image
  8. Your handmade process

Think about when you see a product with one image, if you don't know the artisan or have seen the product in person, would you buy from one image?

Step 4: Start Snapping

Time to start taking some NEW  images with everything you have learnt.

  1.  Get your inspiration images near you, how could you create a similar setup?
  2.  Natural light is your friend!!
  3.  Be gentle with yourself, you are learning.
  4.  If you're getting stuck, check out our Introduction To Product Imagery Masterclass

To give you some context, it is completely normal to take 100 photos and you may only like 5.

This will become easier, I promise!!

Step 5: Simple Edits

I'd love to say that your imagery will be perfect straight up, but is that true or real? Probably not.

Most artisans will use something like Canva to brighten up their images or change the cropping a little.

Never used Canva? Check out our Masterclasses.

Step 6: Make them live & get feedback!

If you're a Madeit member, our private FB group is your first port of call and the reason why we have created this safe, kind and open minded space. Share your images and ask for feedback!!

 

If you're not on Madeit (yet... what are you doing?!! Apply now) make your images live by either sharing in socials or on your product pages and go back to step 1: Assess your images. When you actually publish images it helps you see your images in 'real life'.

 

My biggest feedback though is to remember that this is a journey. You may not have arrived yet! But if you can see what you don't like, specifically, it means you can change it. And if you haven't tried them, our masterclasses are a game changer!!

 

If you need any help send us an email support@madeit.com.au 

👇🏽 Need extra help? Check out our Masterclasses 👇🏽