Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos: Fool-Proof Techniques to Make Your Handmade Creations Shine Online [Paperback]

Heidi Adnum's book is suitable for amateur and professional crafters who want to show off their latest projects to best effect. Offering simple practical photography advice, the author takes novice snappers through the steps to ensure great images, from how to make a lightbox and avoid camera shake without the aid of a tripod, to using natural light and how to capture detail in the work. It's a must-have for those keen to show off their craftsmanship.-Craft Business Many step-by-step photo sequences and examples of successful shots walk the reader through the process. With the ongoing popularity of sites like Etsy (on which Adnum authored a series on photography), this book is sure to be sought after by anyone who wants to sell his or her goods online.-Library Journal USA "This book is TERRIFIC. Paging through this book was like reading a Who's Who of craft photography. Of course, the photographs are fantastic, and the book is as gorgeous as it is informative." --Austen Gilliland, CanadianLiving.com's Craft Blog "This book is the ultimate reference for crafters and bloggers looking to improve their photography on a budget!" - Mark Lipinski, host, Creative Mojo "I really appreciate the thoroughness of this book. The first section alone is worth getting the book if you want to stop using the automatic mode on your camera and switch over to manual mode." - CraftBuds.com "This is the book that I wish was out there when I first started blogging and selling my handmade goods... I pretty much devoured the book in one sitting. It's a must-have for makers, bloggers, and sellers." --Jenny Gordy, Wiksten "A wonderfully written book from start to finish - Words like aperture, shutter speed, ISO ... they feel scary to hear at first but Heidi does a masterful job demystifying these terms with engaging examples that inspire many AHA moments in terms of creative photography." - Jenny Doh, Crescendoh.com "The DIY projects are clearly explained and well-illustrated. That is what makes this book so great, it is written in a way that is accessible for even a novice camera owner and photographer." - Erin Freuchtel-Dearing, Imagination Kids Toys "This book covers literally everything you need to know about product photography in a language that's really easy to understand!" - Jenny Nguyen, Jenny N Design "I get plenty of requests for book promos, but I don't usually accept one unless I am super pumped about the book. And this book, The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos, I am super pumped up about. It is so good." - Brittni Mehlhoff, papernstitch.com "This book is going to be a godsend for many makers who take their own photos for their promotional materials and websites." - Rena Tom, creative business consultant "The bottom line here: I LOVE Heidi's book! It's my new blogging bible." - Jennifer Rounds, See How We Sew "First of all, this book is like candy. As it should be! You wouldn't believe it if a book about taking great photos wasn't filled with great photos. From the table of contents to the glossary, each page of Crafter's Guide is full of some of the most beautiful pictures of handmade products, everything from jewelry to bags to knits to stationary. I flipped through it the first time like I'd flip through Vogue." - Allyson Dykhuizen, The Sweat Shop of Love We have had a few strange submissions for our gallery pages over the years, including one fabulous wedding cake unintentionally placed in front of a naked male statue so a certain part of his anatomy was just above the top tier. This book will give you a few pointers so you can take better photographs and present your cakes digitally in a more professional way to your friends and clients.-Cake Craft & Decoration A must-have addition for any online craft seller's bookcase. Whether you take photos as an offline business producing PR to promote your handmade items or online where the photos take centre stage and can make or break a sale, this is definitely the book for you. The book is split into sections so if you are completely new to photography and haven't even got a digital camera yet you won't feel overwhelmed. The first 25 pages of the book focus on basics such as making sure the item is in-between light and the camera, shutter speed, exposure, choosing a camera, getting to know it and the major camera modes, such as switching to 'macro' setting when you are less than a metre or so from your item. The next 25 or so pages contain brilliant advice about the composition of photos such as backgrounds for your products and what options you have if you need a model or don't have a chic house worthy of 'Ideal home' magazine. All those questions you always wanted an answer to are in here. The 'getting started' section concludes with ideas for a homemade light box, flash diffuser and even a tripod, all of which won't cost more than a few quid. The central part of the book focuses on different handmade items, such as fashion, bags, knitting, jewellery and art with specific tips on photographing each category. Each of these sub-sections concludes with an interview with a high profile practitioner and are very entertaining to read. They talk about how they got started, the mistakes they made and any tips they have. Finally the third section of the book is about 'Finishing up & getting it out there'. This section is useful if you have photoshop or have already found and installed a free alternative. The only flaw in this section was the absence of a list of alternative applications to photoshop although the tutorials can obviously be relevant to others apps too. However, if you can't afford photoshop you would do well to buy this book and spend the money you do have on a good camera as you can reduce your reliance on alterations later on if you take the time to get the lighting right and have a good quality piece of kit. Throughout the book there are photos to demonstrate various techniques and to generally illustrate it. There is a clear guide to the photographers at the back of the book and also a guide to the items featured and the websites of the sellers. I found this book worked on a number of different levels for me as a result. It wasn't just a guide to craft photography but also a kind-of magazine with interviews and also a gift guide with many luscious handmade items to look at with the websites to follow up on any items you like.-Sewingisforgirls.blogspot.com The digital age has spawned a lot of new photographers - but having a good camera doesn't guarantee that you will take good photos - so this book could easily become your 'bible'. Whether you are taking photos simply as a record of your work, for publication in a book or magazine or to sell your work online, you'll find easy-to-do techniques that will enable you to capture colour and texture - and really make your work sing. The good news is that the book aboids the type of jargon that could make your eyes glaze over. Yes, it does mention things like 'resolution' (or megapixels), but the explanation is quite straightforward. The chapters on composition are very helpful and encourage you to take the time to make your product or work look its best. Props, styling and scale can enhance or overwhelm a piece and it's all about looking at the effect you want to create, and there are plenty of examples that will make you look at the pieces you want to photograph with a fresh eye. The book doesn't aim to turn you into a professional photographer, but with the guidance it provides and tips from a range of professional contributors, you should be able to produce the sort of photographs that your work deserves.-Stitch This book is essential for the growing number of crafters who are now selling their creations on retailer websites such as Folksy and Etsy. Professional photographer Heidi Adnum provides expert guidance on creating the best possible product images, talking through technical aspects in an easy to understand way and illustrating examples of best practice. Every crafty entrepeneur should have this.-Craft Focus The best techniques for showcasing your handmade creations. Amidst the sea of handmade jewellery, apparel, housewares, art, and other crafts that populate blogs, websites and online marketplaces, how do you make your item stand out? The key is great photography. Beautiful handmade items can be undermined by poor or uninspired images that fail to represent their detail and craftsmanship. With this book you'll learn that you don't need expensive professional equipment to get quality results. Get simple, practical advice presented with the crafter in mind. Learn to make a lightbox, avoid camera shake without a tripod, how to use natural lighting, and how to capture the details in your work. Broken down into specific craft areas, you'll find tips on how best generate eye-catching images that will help sell your items.-Workbox I bought this book because I wanted some advice on how to take better photos of my dressmaking commissions for my social media pages and my new website. It has some great reviews on Amazon and has that useful advice in spades. So many of us need to promote ourselves through our imagery and can't afford professional photographers. This book goes a long way in starting to demystify the digital camera. It's very accessible because it's not just talking about using the big, expensive digital SLR Cameras but refers constantly to the great images you can get from your little pocket sized digital. The key, as I discovered, is to turn off the auto function and be brave. The book explains all the jargon, what the numbers mean and the importance of the light. It takes you through creating your own sets and light boxes and holds you hand through the whole process. It finishes up with advice on what to do with the photos once you've got them onto the computer and how best to use them for your business. All this great information is of course backed up with some beautiful photographs of great craft items. I'd really recommend this book for practicing and building your confidence to produce some great photos to impress through your social media.-The Sewing Directory This book includes a lot of nuggets o...

Heidi Adnum is a crafter and professional photographer who lives and works in London. She has two shops on Etsy: heidiadnum and hellodarlingvintage. She also runs the photography and inspiration blog La Isla Blogita and authored the popular how-to photography tips series on Etsy Photography Tips with Heidi Adnum.