Showcasing Your Art: Product Photography Deep Dive

If you sell your art and handmade items online or use online tools to promote offline sales of your work, photography is one of the most important elements of success. I'm not just saying that as a photographer; consider the perspective of a potential buyer. If they can't hold your work in their hand, they need images to make them feel like they've seen it in person. Your job is to help them visualize how it would fit into their lives. We've talked a little about staging your photos to entice buyers, but let's dive deeper into what makes for effective product photography in the handmade space.

Monster Dance Designs | Ten Twenty Studio | Ornamental Things
Killer Queen Designs | Proof + Theory | Whipdizzy Handbag Co.

Art Jury Photo Deep Dive

We've talked before about different types of photography artists need to promote their work. For event focused artists I would argue that jury photos are one of the most important categories. Why? Because that's often how the judges decide whether or not to include you in an event. I'd like to take this opportunity to dive deeper into the jury process and how you can be sure your images represent you in the best light.

Staging Your Art Photographs to Entice Buyers

In person, the best artwork speaks for itself; craftsmanship is easily visible. When sharing your work virtually, be it on your website, through social media or in art show applications, the photography must bridge the gap. As I've mentioned before, your images can make or break the perception of your buyers. Do yourself justice by helping your audience see the passion and work you put into each piece. It's even more powerful if you can set a scene that entices your fans to envision owning, wearing, using and/or displaying your pieces. How do you achieve this? Strategic staging!

1) Crescent City Couture                          2) Jamie Spinello                               3) Jason Hooper

Do Artists Really Need Photography?

Interesting question... The answer to this is one of the most important things I can share with you, not only as a Photographer myself, but also as a Marketer, a fellow Artisan and even more simply as a potential Buyer. Let me paint you a hypothetical picture:

You're a talented Artist, and you make beautifully crafted pieces that catch the eye of quite a few buyers. You find that your work sells really well when people see it in person, but you struggle to get enough opportunities to sell. Maybe you apply to every art show in your area, hoping you'll be accepted for at least a few. How great would it be if you could be accept by most, if not all? Then there are those of you who decided to take your offline success and have a go at online sales, but your work isn't moving. Other artists with equal talent seem to be selling. What are you lacking?