What a Difference a Day Makes

I have been struggling with presenting my pendants in photographs on my ETSY site.  When I take my pendants with me to shows they are a BIG seller, but my sales on ETSY have been lacking.  I know the problem is my photographs and so I set off to find a better way to present them.  I did a LOT of research, and did a LOT of trial and error photographing in various lights, various settings, but I think I have found a fairly simple way to photograph these pieces that hopefully should be able to be consistent as I move forward.

Here is the picture of the first listing I posted on ETSY.  I really like these stones and when I look at them, they appear to be a wonderful contrast for my pendants.  But when I get the pictures loaded onto the ETSY site, a LOT is lost in the translation.

Now, let's fast forward to my latest picture for this piece, I think showing them side by side really shows the difference lighting and background can make.

This is my second attempt at photographing the same pendant.

All I have to say is YEAH!!!  The color, dimension, relief and glaze are really represented so much better in the second photograph.  In the first picture the dimensional aspects of the piece were really lost and the piece appeared to have almost no relief.  In the second picture, I think you can really see the texture of the piece.

The solution was fairly simple.  I waited for a clear sunny day and found a monotone background, that was not black, set up the piece so that the sun was fully shinning on it, but there was no glare shinning off the piece, and I got to shoot away.

Here is the direct link for the ETSY listing for this fabulous and unique piece:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118352281/horse-head-equestrian-pendant-necklace

While no two of pendants come out exactly the same, I am able to make sets for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, family celebrations and other special gatherings.  Here is a direct link to my ETSY shop listing for custom pendants: https://www.etsy.com/listing/117010598/personalized-bridesmaid-gift-wedding

Hopefully, these new pictures will help to show my customers the true nature of my pieces, I think in this instance, a picture really is worth a thousand words.