Showing posts with label self-employed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-employed. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Joys of Photographing Jewelry

I've been taking pictures of some of my jewelry so I can list it on my website and my Etsy shop.

You can really see a piece clearly when it's in digital form. Like these earrings below.


Does anything jump out at you?

There's another pair exactly like this out in the world somewhere!

Don't ask me how I missed this when I mailed the earrings out. If you have a pair just like these, send me an e-mail and I'll send you the pair above free of charge. I'd rather you have two pair than two mismatched earrings!

As I said earlier, I've been taking new photographs of jewelry, and editing photos with my new Windows photo program that came with Windows 10. I'm also listing some new things on Etsy and my website that haven't seen the light of day before now. Here's a teaser:






Cleaning up photos is a full time job! I'm no photo expert, so sometimes I spend too much time trying to get the tint and light just right so the photo truly represents the colors as well as possible. Sometimes I tinker too much and the photo becomes a lost cause.

I have yet to figure out a good background for photographing light stones like Aquamarine, Light Amethyst and Rose Quartz.  I like to use scrapbooking paper, but there are times even that doesn't work. I've also tried vinyl flooring, black vinyl material, real wood, ceramics, and even one of those storage boxes that looks like a book (which is what I used for the gray mismatched earrings in the first photo).

 












Sometimes I want to pull my hair out and give away my jewelry just so I don't have to waste another minute taking and editing photos. 

And then I get a few good shots and I think maybe I'm getting the hang of it.





Maybe....

And then the day is over and the next time I want to photograph jewelry I have to start all over again.

Hope you have a bright and wonderful day!


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A New Day!

From the looks of it out my window, it's a beautiful day today! 

And I'm out of bed and ready to get some work done.  After I run a few errands, that is.

Being self-employed sounds great, doesn't it?  Working from home, no set schedule, no boss...

No sick leave pay, no benefits, no salary...

I love making jewelry.  I love doing craft shows, meeting customers, seeing what they like and making custom pieces for them. 

I wanted to take this business to the next step:  to do more and bigger shows, get back into some stores, write a book, do a newsletter, etc.  However, I don't want to eat, sleep and live jewelry 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  There has to be a balance between work and a personal life. 

While I'm unemployed as far as a "real" job, there are things that need doing around the house, too.  Like cleaning out cupboards, closets and drawers, having a garage sale, cleaning house, paying bills, balancing the checkbook, etc, etc.

For now, it's time to get outside and enjoy the weather!!

Happy Spring!

Laurel