|
Post by KatieJoy on Mar 12, 2015 8:28:29 GMT -5
Or something like this?? On a blueish destressed wood background?? I just did this on powerpoint and paint. Fresh Air Junkie
|
|
|
Post by KatieJoy on Mar 12, 2015 8:47:07 GMT -5
Wow lots to learn and read, I am still checking on branding since I don't like my banner I am still working on it. as for my pictures I love the white background specially that my jewelry is very colorful. Any suggestions and opinions will be very appreciated Again, just playing around, perhaps this may give you some ideas?
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 9:01:34 GMT -5
I feel like my brand is generally cohesive, and packaging too (I use brown Kraft boxes with bright ribbon, generally matching the stones inside the package so it's rustic but colorful). I know my banner is less than stellar, and it's old. I have mixed feelings on my product photos and there are a few embarrassingly bad ones in the mix. Additionally, some items look good on white, some look good on wood... so I have a hodgepodge of backgrounds. Maybe a faded out piece of driftwood for a background as a compromise? I do want a softer blended look for my background as there's so much color in the actual stones, but I don't know if that should be driftwood, gray matte paper, or bright white poster board. I'd love some honest feedback! First, your shop looks much much more cohesive than mine. Partly because your jewelry style is cohesive and mine is not. I have embarrassingly bad photos in my shop, from my earliest listings. And I keep changing my backgrounds as I search for "the one" that works for my jewelry and my brand. So there are batches of photos that go together, but not overall. I may never find one background that works across the board and I think it's okay to have a mix of backgrounds as long as they are cohesive and go with your brand. I do think your jewelry overall would be shown to best advantage on a soft or mid-gray background rather than one with yellow tones like what's in the wood you have in some photos. Drift wood might work. If that's what goes with the brand/image you want to convey. When I see driftwood I think "beach" and "rustic" which isn't necessarily what I see in your elegant designs. But that's just me. White works too, but I find it super hard to get the lighting right on shiny pieces without having blow out (over-exposed). Using matte paper or other matte background is a good direction. Your jewelry is gleaming metal and faceted gemstones so it would contrast nicely with a matte background. Or you could use one that's just a tiny bit reflective (not mirrored) to get a partial reflection of the pieces. Something like these acrylic boards, which may come in gray too -- www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDHJ6SU
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 9:05:57 GMT -5
What don't you like about your banner? What would you like it to "say" about your brand that you think it isn't? This banner is actually a part of my big banner that I use when I show my work in markets. First, it looks like it's a part. 2- I think may be something that's simple, clear and modern will work to give my shop more style and identity. What do you think? I think what you have now is clean and modern. As others have suggested, maybe just add a piece of your jewelry. I think since it's "hue" it would be neat to have a piece or set that spans a color gradient from light to dark. Like maybe you could add a shot of your earrings or rings ranging from light blue to dark blue.
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 9:19:59 GMT -5
I feel soooo behind. I checked daily last week on starting this challenge and then up and got busy and forgot to check in this week....... Enough of that, and time to get to work. I have NEVER made a proper banner. For some reason I have never quite pinned down what would work best for me. My shop took a huge change when my partner (bitch-in-law, soon to be ex) up and quit and left me high and dry on her part of our joint venture. Since then I have worked on finding my own voice and style. I have been learning a lot since restarting things back alone in October, but I haven't nailed down my target audience or my branding. Perhaps a few new eyes can see what I cannot. I want to keep the shop name the same, but would change it if it is really not working. The hummingbird logo and quote is for my mother, who we lost 2 years ago and gave me my love of creating and nature. I purchased a tiny hummingbird metal stamp that I would like to start using and attaching a tiny metal tag on all my creations. I try to incorporate wire or metal in all my products and most items are custom made to the customer's choices (within a few limits of course) I like to personalize my creations. The biggest sellers in my etsy shop are the wood birthday signs with the hand stamped name tags, and the name necklaces. So, if anyone would care to take a look at my etsy store, the photos and products and give me an overall feeling of what you think I am trying to do, it would help me greatly in coming up with a banner. Thanks so much, www.etsy.com/shop/gibsongirlsgonewired I like the idea of using the hummingbird as your logo and tag on creations. Can you make a wired hummingbird to photo for your banner? Or use photo editing software to create a wire-looking bird. And then use a wood texture as the background. That would convey the two main elements of your creations - wood and wire - with your logo. Or, as Katie suggested, use a wire-looking font for you shop name and add the hummingbird clip art. If you wanted to change your shop name, and I'm not saying you should, you could just shorten it to "GirlGoneWired" if you wanted to keep the same general theme. And it's not so different from what you have now that it would be confusing to those who are already following you. As for photos, I had a tremendously hard time photographing shiny metals like silver. Until I discovered mid-gray backgrounds. With white or black they were either too dark with no detail or blown out and over-exposed, With mid-gray, I almost never need to edit my photos other than to crop them. So, you might want to find a piece of medium gray scrapbook paper and give that a try for some of your jewelry.
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 11:40:48 GMT -5
Lest you think I think my shops' banners and photos and branding are perfect just because I'm hostessing this week's challenge ...I am still very much a work in progress.
There are some things I know I need to change, including re-shooting some of my earliest pieces and finding a cohesive look to at least the first photos. I am ever on a search for the perfect background, angles, etc.
I'm having a new logo designed for Paisley Lizard, by the same person who designed the Cactus Frog logo. When that's done, I'll re-do my banners and avatars (on Etsy and elsewhere), business cards, etc. But my new shop banner will likely be a variation on what I have now - which is the logo and shop name. I figure I don't need to put photos of my jewelry in my banner, or words about what's in my shop because if they're seeing my banner, it means they're in my shop already and can clearly see what I offer from my title and announcement and listings.
That being said, I am in this challenge because I am open to opinions, suggestions, comments on what you like or don't, etc. For either of my shops. Or both.
As a reminder before you look, I am still in the process of transferring inventory from Paisley Lizard to Cactus Frog. Paisley will be for my ornaments, keepsake boxes, buttons, and the jewelry that is gemstone, wire work, artisan components, and generally rustic. Cactus is for jewelry that is - well, I don't know what style to call it - but's it's the stuff primarily made with glass beads.
|
|
|
Post by Samson on Mar 12, 2015 11:47:05 GMT -5
I already know something I can work on. Using all 5 photos. I usually only use 3, maybe 4. It is usually the main photo, a focus/different angle photo, and a scale photo with a quarter. I just struggle to figure out what I should do with those last few photos. When it comes to phone cases, it is easy for me to get 5. Guess it is something I will need to experiment with on my jewelry! And a little something on the topic of watermarks. These are a branding and marketing tool. They will not protect your photos or designs from theft, because they are all too easy to remove. They also are not required to establish your copyright. Your original work is protected under the law (at least in the US) regardless of whether you add a watermark. I've been on the fence about adding watermarks to my photos, and sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. The reason I do, is that when photos of my product get pinned or tweeted or otherwise shared, there is an easy way for someone to find my online shop via the watermark. I know that Etsy frowns upon their use and will tell you they will keep your products from being featured in treasuries, on the front page, or any of their marketing. You have to decide if that matters to you. If you have a design in mine and can afford it, I highly recommend using an image as a watermark. I use two things in all of my photos for branding. First is my watermark image that I put in my first/main picture. Second is the background I use. I used to also put a url water mark on my secondary photos, but I have since stopped since it is time consuming, and the back ground takes care of it for me (since many people recognize my shop from that background fabric).
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 11:58:04 GMT -5
I already know something I can work on. Using all 5 photos. I usually only use 3, maybe 4. It is usually the main photo, a focus/different angle photo, and a scale photo with a quarter. I just struggle to figure out what I should do with those last few photos. When it comes to phone cases, it is easy for me to get 5. Guess it is something I will need to experiment with on my jewelry! I have a few listings with only 3 or 4 photos. Shhhhh, don't tell. There are some things that I can only come up with 3 shots or angles that are different enough. Some pieces have a lot more detail or can be arranged in more ways. Even so, I know I know I should be filling those spots. Some day I will take a photo of my packaging (which is part of my branding) and that can be a filler photo for those kinds of listings. For my jewelry I tend to do one flat full view, one hanging front view (on a necklace bust or earrings on a vase), one hanging side view, and close ups (of the pendant, special clasp, etc.). Ideally I would also have one on a model, for scale.
|
|
|
Post by TammyA on Mar 12, 2015 12:00:54 GMT -5
If you have a design in mine and can afford it, I highly recommend using an image as a watermark. I have png files of my logos and have sometimes used those as the watermark. Once my new Paisley Lizard logo is done, I may switch back to using that instead of my biz name written out. You're right, it can be time consuming to add a watermark to every photo. Supposedly there is a way I batch edit in PSE to do that. But I haven't figured it out yet. :/
|
|
|
Post by Samson on Mar 12, 2015 12:09:31 GMT -5
I already know something I can work on. Using all 5 photos. I usually only use 3, maybe 4. It is usually the main photo, a focus/different angle photo, and a scale photo with a quarter. I just struggle to figure out what I should do with those last few photos. When it comes to phone cases, it is easy for me to get 5. Guess it is something I will need to experiment with on my jewelry! Ideally I would also have one on a model, for scale. I have found some people are more than happy to model if I let them keep the item(s) they modeled! I've worked with a few bloggers in the past for model pictures before, and I should really do it again for my newer products.
|
|