Rookie Crafter: Learning about Product Photography

Hey all.

So I've been spending a lot of time on Instagram lately, and I started to realize that I really need to dedicate more time to learning how to take a nice photograph of my work. No matter how pretty the work is in person, if you can't take a nice photograph of your product, no one else will really know!

Now, I am no professional when it comes to photography. I took a simple photo class in highschool and that was that. My parents bought me a nice DSLR camera when I was taking the class, and I've used it ever since. I also, like many of us, have limited space. I go to college which means I live in an itsy bitsy apartment with three other girls who also call it home. We all share the living room and common space, so setting up a shop or studio in there doesn't mix well with study parties and friend gatherings.

Nevertheless I wanted to be able to take nice pictures. So I will let you in on a little secret - I figured out that all you need is "white and light". Seriously. It's that clear cut! I went out and bought a 39cent white board and discovered that our balcony has pretty decent natural light, and voila: my 39cent studio!

Granted, my lighting isn't always exact, the background isn't always pure white, and I'm not infallible. But overall, I think they look pretty good considering. Here are some of the pictures I've taken on my cluttered porch. I like to think that by some sort of miracle they actually don't look like they were taken by a girl in pajamas and mismatched socks standing 5 feet from a stack of dirty dishes and a heap of textbooks. :)

I hope you all find it in yourself to go splurge on a 39cent white board and find some light in which you can take pretty product pictures as well.