6 Ways to Improve Your Photography So Your Crafts Look Their Best

Posted by Nicole Soll on Jul 03, 2015

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After days or even weeks of work, you’ve finally finished the big craft project you’ve been working on. Congratulations! Now you probably want to show it off on Instagram and Twitter and post it to your blog, right? Or maybe you’re getting ready to sell your craft right here on CraftFoxes and you need to take pictures. But if you’re not sure how to get the best images of your DIY, have no fear, we’ve got the best tips for craft photography to make your knitting, sewing, embroidery, papercraft, or whatever you create look its very best.

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Background

By placing your project on a simple backdrop, you can make the sole focus of the photo. A plain white or black background often works best, but depending on what you made, you could also try wood, fabric or kraft paper. Here are ten great backdrops you can try for your craft photography.

Kelly Rand

Lighting

Try using bright but diffused lighting when taking photos — use natural light if possible. You want your photos to be well-lit, or else you run the risk of people not quite knowing what they’re looking at. You can make your own easy DIY light box if you don’t get much natural light in your workspace.

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Variety

Take photos from multiple angles, including close-up and staged shots. People will want to see the details of all your hard work, so make sure to show them off. It’s also a great idea to show your project next to another everyday item for scale, or even better, show a person using or wearing what you made to bring it to life. Here are four essential shots you should take of each craft you make.

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Camera

You want to use a good camera to take your photos, but there’s no need to go out and purchase an expensive DSLR camera on the spot. You can use a point and shoot camera, or even your smartphone if it has a good camera. Just made sure the lens is clean, use the appropriate settings, and try to avoid using the flash.

diycraftphotography.com

Creativity

Your craft is unique. So make sure your photography is, too. Shoot it lots of different ways and take tons of pictures. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your close-ups or angles. You never know what kind of cool shot will come from some spontaneous ideas ... even upside down!

Editing

Don’t be afraid to touch up your photos on the computer, whether you use a free online photo editor or you know your way around Photoshop. Sometimes even the best shots need a little lightening, brightening or contrast. You can also get creative with cropping and resizing them to make sure they fit well on your blog or CraftFoxes shop.