Taking the Perfect Shop Photo: A Compilation of Photo Tips & Resources for Your Etsy Shop

The quest to take the perfect shop photo. It never ends. And it can become obsessive. But luckily as you learn more, you improve. This will be a running post on the tips and tricks I've learned along the way and what really works. Feel free to comment with your own findings & links! It'll help us all get better.

Get to know your camera. Even on a point and shoot, you have settings that can help you control the final product. The beginner section at Digital Photography School is great. Try the forums too! I've found the exposure compensation button that looks like this "+/-" really helps bring light in.

Don't be afraid to edit! Picnik is a wonderful and easy tool to fix and crop your photos. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Macro & close-ups. Use the macro function on your camera to get good close-ups. If you can't get close enough, take a good, clear picture and use Picnik to crop and bring item closer. Works like a charm! Trust me. Try it.

Lighting. I've found a light tent can do wonders and it's cheap!

Play. Some of my best shots come from wondering, "What will it look like when I do this?"

Less is More. Let your items breathe.

Be aware of photo pixel sizes. Seriously. Check you camera. Large files may take forever to upload, if they upload at all, and then they'll take up the whole screen when someone goes to view them. Not good. Try to shoot for a finished photo that's 572 wide by 428 high. Adjust with Picnik.

Turn off the flash! Easy enough.

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