The best way to make yourself sub-conscious about your photography skills is to marry a photographer. But despite the self-doubt, there are also some upsides to having a skilled eye and a $2000 camera around the house. And you get to use the “if you can spend that much on a camera, why can’t I spend that much on a kiln?” speech.I lieu of this, I advise a digital camera at the least. They don’t cost an arm and a leg anymore; you can get a decent one for only part of a shin, maybe a tibia or two. Adam uses a Canon Digital Rebel and I also have a Panasonic Lumix for back-up (like, for when Adam is inconsiderate enough to use his own camera that he paid for when I need it) and I find I can take decent pictures with it, though it took a bit of practice to get used to composing a picture on the digital screen without the aid of a viewfinder.

But, remember, before you start shooting, put the camera strap over your head. I can’t really see how this will improve your pictures, but Adam swears the camera will blow up if I don’t have the neck strap on and swears it has nothing to do with the fact that I drop nearly everything I pick up.

There are a million articles about lighting, DIY light boxes, and how to place your products. But I have found that one of the keys to god pictures is to be careful about how you compose the final shot. The following are some different types of shots that I try to include in every listing, if possible:

The Full Product Shot
Obviously, you need to have at least one of these per listing. This is like a pictorial summary. The full item is shown, composed pleasingly, and the basic shape and form are presented.The Macro Shot

From this shot alone it is impossible to tell what this item is. But it looks interesting and pretty curious and attractive so people will be drawn to it. I highlighted the intricate patterns of the beads, the twists of wire and the joints of branches. It doesn’t matter if I can tell what the object is at a glance because you will have at least one full product shot in your listing.The Low Angle Shot
This shot emphasises the texture and depth of cut for this woodburned decorative map I made. Not only is it a nice looking picture, it gets you looking at the detail of the piece and makes you want to run your hands over it to feel the texture you see in the picture. This is a shot taken along the horizontal plane of the piece, either across the top or along a side, and it will not be useful for every product (such as clothing or bags) but works great for highligting the beauty of the leather covering a handbound journal, for instance, or the texture of a dynamic cabochon. Again, not evident what the full product looks like, but it will be used in conjunction with the full product shot.

The Size Comparison Shot
This can be tricky. Almost everyone seems to use money, but that is not practical on a site that caters worldwide and may be reaching buyers that are unfamiliar with the size of your money. I have also heard it said to use something from nature since that will be universal but I find it very hard to find something natural that grows or forms to a consistent size every time. Acorns, leaves, pine cones all have enough variability between individual samples that the size comparison could be misleading.

There are a few things that will be more or less consistent the world-over. A wine cork is a good bet, or sometimes even a beer cap (not recommended for selling children’s items - the beer cap might throw people off as to your true intentions).

The Product-in-Use Shot
This one is hard for me to demonstrate since my items are mostly home decor so when I take a picture of it sitting on the table that is what it looks like even when it is in use. This is more important for jewellery sellers and clothes & Accessory designers

The Shot of Your Cat Sleeping on It
Whether or not you want to, you’re bound to get at least one of these if you have a cat and look away for one second. That’s why the studio is cat-free. Well, I try to make it cat-free, but Chuki calls the shots around here so I usually have little say in the matter.

I hope these tips will help you take shots that will draw the eye to the artistry of your work and hopefully get people interested enough to want to buy it so they can see the true mastery for themselves.