How Better Photography Can Boost Your Etsy Sales – Setting the Stage | Background {Photography for Etsy Crafters Series}

This post continues a series that is geared toward helping crafters selling on Etsy (an online marketplace for handmade or vintage items) improve their sales and online presence through photography.

See the first part in the series here.

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I have done a lot of browsing on Etsy, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the items that make it to the front page typically have something in common: excellent photo quality,interesting composition and a unique perspective. Test my theory – go to the homepage.

I’d like to show an example, but please keep in mind that I do not wish to offend any sellers. The goal is to point out areas to improve!

Example

Can you spot the subtle difference in these photos?

The first listing displays a onesie laying flat, which shows you what it basically looks like but isn’t visually appealing. It gets the job done, but not very well.

The second picture adds a small detail that makes it more interesting – the onesie is hanging up. This gives the item more shape and adds interest to the photo. (The subsequent photos show the onesie flat, but the picture to pay the most attention to is the primary photo.)

Check out some more examples of awesome photography here, here and here.

I found a few bad examples (showing that ‘dramatic’ doesn’t always mean it’s a good choice) here, here and here.

Finding a unique background can add visual appeal to your items.

Check back soon or subscribe via email (see the right sidebar) to see more photography tips for Etsy sellers soon.

More Information

• Shop Makeover Series: Photogenic Collaborations
• Shop Makeover Series: Feature Friendly Photos
• How-to Photograph Jewelry: Get the Basics with Vadjutka
• Wednesday Workshop: Create a Story for Your Products
• Give Props: How to Style Your Photos
• Shop Makeover Series: Makeover Your Listings with Color

Series: How Better Photography Can Boost Your Etsy Sales {Photography for Etsy Crafters Series}

This post begins a series that will focus on helping crafters selling on Etsy (an online marketplace for handmade or vintage items) improve their sales and online presence through photography.

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Dear fellow Etsyians (aka: crafters that sell items on Etsy):

Are your hand-crafted items getting the attention they deserve? Or are your listings lack-luster?

One factor that can influence the success of your shop is your photo quality. With thousands of listings in many categories, it is important to make sure that your items aren’t being overlooked because of poor photography.

I’m going to discuss these four areas:
1) The Basics
2) Setting/Background
3) Detail
4) Perspective

If you are interesting in improving the quality of your Etsy listing photos, subscribe to my blog via email (right hand sidebar) to receive more articles in this series in your inbox.

Additional Information

• My Etsy Shop: Miss Quote
• Etsy Success for Beginning Sellers (From Etsy)

Sew Purse-nikity (aka: My Mom is Crafty)

My mom has an etsy shop now (think ebay but for crafters) and is just getting started posting some of her items online... and learning how to use the internet. (It's an adventure. I still can't leave the room while she is browsing because she's afraid something bad will happen.)

Here's her shop: sewpursenikity


I took a few pictures for her shop. The photos were taken at Pickering Barn in Issaquah during the farmer's market where she has a booth inside the barn. During the course of the few hours we were there, I took pictures and created her etsy site. She was surprised that everything could be setup so quickly!








Here she is, getting her booth ready early on a Saturday morning.