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I sell on Etsy and have done so for the last year and a half, and I love the site. But it never ceases to amaze me how many times I see crafters making amazing items, and then selling themselves short when it comes to photographing their creations!
Taking pictures of your items is key, and I believe it's at least as vital as making your crafts in the first place. You've gone to all the trouble to create something which you believe people are going to want to buy -- so you need to put just as much effort into making sure your listing shines! Here are three common mistakes people make and how to fix them:
Blurry Pictures!
The best way to photograph your items is to set your camera on a tripod first. I find yard-sales are perfect for getting cheap tripods. If you're photographing jewelry or smaller items - you can easily pick up a mini-tripod for under online.
If you don't own a tripod, use a couple of hardback books (the dictionary makes a great base for cameras!). The main aim is to keep the camera as steady as possible and if you have a timer on your camera -- try using it to avoid shaky pictures!
Background
I see so many people who sell on Etsy, and take quick snapshots of their jewelry/art/accessories draped over carpets, tablecloths and even on lawns! It really doesn't flatter their hard work!
To solve this - get a nice piece of card stock from a craft store -- choose a color which is going to compliment your items (white works well for jewelry) and make sure you have good natural lighting or a couple of lamps focused on your items. Better still, you can make a light box for a couple of dollars, a quick search online will give you plenty of good tutorials. It's amazing the difference a light box can make!
Colors and Sharpness
Finally, make sure you adjust the colors and sharpness of your photographs. If you own Photoshop, then this can be done by running the "sharpen" filter and then adjusting levels and colors. But if you don't own Photoshop and want to do this for free, then a great site to use is picnik where you can upload your pictures and adjust them in a few simple steps to really make them look great.
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The traditional way to get photography lessons is to attend a photography school or program outside of the home. Nowadays there are Online and distance education options available as well. However, for the amateur photographer who just wants some help improving their skills, and doesn't desire to enroll in a school, there are some great free options available.
Nowadays, the focus is definitely on digital photography. However, there are still classes being taught in more traditional photography. Despite the fact that film is obsolete, the rules of exposure and composition are exactly the same in digital photography. So, many photography professionals still recommend that students get a basic knowledge of film photography, in addition to their digital training.
Today's cameras have such advanced automatic functions, that the majority of amateur photographers don't feel the need to take any photography lessons, and learn more advanced techniques. However, having a mastery of light, exposure, depth of field, and composition can take your photography from the realm of the "snap-shot" to the polished look of a professionally taken photograph.
There are people who choose to pay a professional instructor for one on one lessons in photography. This can be a real boon since all of the attention that would be spread thin over an entire classroom, is then focused in on you the individual. Also, some people are shy about having their photos shown in front of a classroom, and would rather be evaluated more privately. Also, this is a great option for those who don't care to earn a degree, but simply want to learn the needed skills.
It is possible to get some great photography instruction at absolutely no cost. There are many websites offering free lessons in photography, which are often of very high quality. In fact, for the very independent person who doesn't care about earning and degree or certification in photography, free lessons can be a wonderful option. Free instruction can also be helpful to the photographer that is already accomplished, as nobody can know everything, and being able to quickly look up the answer to a photography related question is very convenient.
The true drawback to free lessons is the lack of support from an instructor. Getting your photos critiqued by a real person can be invaluable. Often friends and family will just tell you that your work is nice no matter what they really think, or they don't have a sufficiently trained eye to offer real help in improving your photos. Still, free photography lessons can dramatically improve your photos if you really make the effort to learn from them.
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