tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post7913092360833011279..comments2023-05-31T07:37:38.948-04:00Comments on Etsy Bitch: EB How-To Series: Session 1: Photography and YouThe Cranky Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492132798002763761noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-49265037551874780372009-10-28T17:56:06.740-04:002009-10-28T17:56:06.740-04:00"Recruit that 14 year old goth waifish, pale,..."Recruit that 14 year old goth waifish, pale, malnourished & depressed family member to model your items."<br /><br />I have to disagree on this one. "Goth" is not, and has never been a trend on Etsy, much to the chagrin of all the goths I know that sell there, myself included. We have been screaming long ago for a "Goth" or "Dark" category, and all that we've got is the "Steampunk" gift guide, many of whose items would not qualify as "Goth" among the people of the subculture. Hell, our holiday by definition is Halloween and we don't even get promoted then. And I am not talking cute bats and flying withces. I am talking gore-y, bloody and disturbing items. Yes, they exist on Etsy too. Only now with the "vampire" trend some of our work has got some exposure...Marynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-27473339091037355732009-10-21T11:51:01.127-04:002009-10-21T11:51:01.127-04:00Love this!
I keep trying to shoot the EtsyPerfec...Love this! <br /><br />I keep trying to shoot the EtsyPerfect photo but I just can't help it that they have color and that they're too much in focus. I give up.<br /><br />It is such a relief to me that I have realized now that I will never be featured by Etsy on their FP or as a featured artist, nowhere, nothing. I thought there was something I was missing, something that if I just could find the secret...<br /><br />Now the stress is gone. I'm free! Free to do my own personal best, to meet my own standards, to stand apart from the EtsyGroupies and do it MY way.<br /><br />Thanks everyone!Traeschenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-36520159006230658962009-10-16T18:10:18.297-04:002009-10-16T18:10:18.297-04:00I love this post. Hell, I love this blog. I have r...I love this post. Hell, I love this blog. I have retaken my photos many times, I've never professed to be a photographer; but want nice pictures....however a lot of the stuff featured on etsy looks so....commercial lately - but quirky. In a forced way. <br /><br />I use lots of color in my background - prints actually, b/c I want my shop items to be FUN. Not the same as everyone else. <br /><br />And I Strongly dislike* seeing Keep Calm & carry on..and owls. It was cute the first time. Not so cute the 1,000. Something gets featured & a ton of peopl jump on the bandwagon.SMSKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-57143395881739655542009-10-16T09:47:25.086-04:002009-10-16T09:47:25.086-04:00Late to this but better late than never. OMG!!ROFL...Late to this but better late than never. OMG!!ROFLMAO!! Great post and great comments...it's all too true, especially about what I call the train tunnel photos. One macro detail and the rest is a mystery buried in darkness. <br /><br />Oh and the waifs. Oy vey! Waifs with sideburns and red bumps modeling stuff. On their bodies. On their ears. Around their necks. You think I'm gonna buy that? Not even for my waifish younger relatives. <br /><br />I'm sure an almost dead waif lying on filthy urban decay floor with jagged hole in distance modeling ripped and torn but perfectly tailored size xs blouse without bra and alert nips shot from hip level would give admin an orgasm and be on FP again and again. <br /><br />I am a proud user of a flat bed scanner which takes the most gorgeous pix. I have the kind of scanner used by naturalists. I sell vintage beads and jewelry and you can see exactly what you are getting. I have no chance of being on the front page because I am so unhip, colorful, and my descriptions are educational. And you know what? I am not gonna change.Little Thingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09543882404305526764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-18252416516459031242009-10-16T09:35:04.469-04:002009-10-16T09:35:04.469-04:00This post is so funny. As a relatively new seller ...This post is so funny. As a relatively new seller I too have noticed that grey washed out photo look . As someone said, Etsy should be regarded as a mail order catalog, and the photos should give a realistic view of the product. I personally use a flash with manual settings to give my stuff the accurate coloring, grey overcast natural light is both overrated and overused IMO.Diddonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-80535383073252706602009-10-12T14:09:47.634-04:002009-10-12T14:09:47.634-04:00Very funny post and so true! The main problem for ...Very funny post and so true! The main problem for me is the disappointment. Lack of individuality<br />is spoiling Etsy. People want to fit into a certain mold there....with their photos and their products. I really hated seeing all the shops that began to have their item photos looking exactly the same. Same backgrounds,same style. And my biggest pet peeve....no photo of the back of the product.Violets New Vintagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05675357282205380495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-22528562362033808352009-10-12T09:57:38.224-04:002009-10-12T09:57:38.224-04:00badcat, everything you said in your blog is EXACTL...badcat, everything you said in your blog is EXACTLY THE TRUTH.Rtisannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-9973978623695339522009-10-12T08:44:18.942-04:002009-10-12T08:44:18.942-04:00so well written and so bloody right!so well written and so bloody right!marcellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-61417580956110251912009-10-11T20:27:43.018-04:002009-10-11T20:27:43.018-04:00Wonderful post! I love it! :)Wonderful post! I love it! :)Chicalessiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13875806337854369678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-70464808049393541162009-10-11T19:41:44.359-04:002009-10-11T19:41:44.359-04:00I worked my a$$ off on photos, it never paid off. ...I worked my a$$ off on photos, it never paid off. That was just one minor reason why I left the site. Add in crappy SEO, a saturated jewelry category, resellers...etc.<br /><br />Here is my blog post on why I said:<br /><br />"Sayonara Etsy"<br /><br />http://badcatjewelry.com/2009/09/sayonara-etsy-part-one.htmlBadCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07352305720843749888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-7084015727710485612009-10-11T19:07:41.809-04:002009-10-11T19:07:41.809-04:00Okay...I did laugh about the sulky looking, heroin...Okay...I did laugh about the sulky looking, heroin chic, goth chicks who model stuff. My daughter has decided that sulky looks more cool and now I can't get her to smile to save my life. LOL <br /><br />What I want to know is, why the models all are pigeon-toed. I had friends who slept with leg braces to correct that sort of thing, back in the day...is it suddenly fashionable now to have bad posture? :oP<br /><br />As for the cock-eyed angles, I have to confess that I love taking my photos on an angle. It's more eye-catching AND it's a good way to get the entire product into the perfect square format. If you have a portrait or landscape format for your photo, then the square frame either cuts off the top and bottom or both sides.Jamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953761330893456324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-15042651790307117812009-10-10T21:01:19.856-04:002009-10-10T21:01:19.856-04:00Thank you, thank you, thank you for this delightfu...Thank you, thank you, thank you for this delightful reading treat. You rock.<br /><br />I changed my photos to meet their recommended criteria. Started using natural light and blah backgrounds. Then I did get some front pages... only a few... the item usually sells so fast, it's not like having it up all anyway. <br /><br />You would think that was crazy when I had already sold 5,000+ items when I changed my photos. But for some reason I had this fantasy that they would like me and I would finally be part of their high school clique. Sadly, they still do not like me. I'll never be part of their dang club.<br /><br />(Good thing my new and returning customers like me.)<br /><br />And now I could just kick myself now for changing because I sit around waiting for the right light for perfect shots. WTF was I thinking??<br /><br />What a mind f*ck.whyohwhynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-13573590287903888572009-10-10T20:09:13.593-04:002009-10-10T20:09:13.593-04:00"There are several sellers in my genre who se..."There are several sellers in my genre who sell TONS and have never been on the FP, in a GG, in the Storque, etc. They bring in customers from their own websites, or from advertisements, and other means."<br /><br />Yep, or they are selling a product in a niche where there are plenty of buyers and not a lot of sellers. And sensible promotion targeted to actual buyers Out There on the internet, not endless twittering to a bunch of people who are also trying to sell and not buying. Or posting a zillion times in the forums, which gets you a great audience of...other people trying to sell their shit. Or spending your entire profit margin renewing your whole shop 3 times a day because it totally gets more views and hearts, dude, and surely the sales will eventually show up...eventually...grumpynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-78722288864207752462009-10-10T13:43:21.713-04:002009-10-10T13:43:21.713-04:00I keep my photography simple. No trinkets, no dood...I keep my photography simple. No trinkets, no doodads. Yes, I have an in focus macro shot, no, my necklaces aren't on a mannequin, but I sell consistently with zero front page exposure. <br /><br />Won't see that ever again since they went to the front page grey/monochromatic/subdued thing they seem to ALWAYS list.<br /><br />Photography shouldn't take more than the actual creation of the piece. <br /><br />I've seen people who slap their items into a flatbed scanner, so they're fuzzy and hazy, and I guess it works for them, more power to em.Nicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05207020554442844929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-75251207145360653912009-10-10T11:33:06.971-04:002009-10-10T11:33:06.971-04:00"There are several sellers in my genre who se..."There are several sellers in my genre who sell TONS and have never been on the FP, in a GG, in the Storque, etc. They bring in customers from their own websites, or from advertisements, and other means."<br /><br />True. What makes me wonder: what the fuck do they need Etsy for, then? I'll answer my own question: because when you are in biz you leave no stone unturned. Etsy is just one of the stones.<br /><br />There are a lot of people who are artists and craftspersons, not professional business people, and the bite here is that Etsy started out as a site for them. NOW, only a pro or a favorite can make any money on Etsy. <br />Etsy as it was has been gone for a long time, but the only ones who know it are the people who have been around for a few years. The newbies are daily sucked into all this Etsy bullshit. It's their "brand": they just don't live up to it.Rtisannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-58618439248587591802009-10-10T09:47:49.850-04:002009-10-10T09:47:49.850-04:00I love you bitches.
Tips for improvement? Wash e...I love you bitches.<br /><br />Tips for improvement? Wash everything in a luscious coat of white and BEIGE. Ohhh beigy beige beige, I salivate over your bland buyer magnetism.Beige Lovernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-13523381784888660862009-10-10T09:44:35.796-04:002009-10-10T09:44:35.796-04:00thefunnyone, I get what you're saying, but it&...thefunnyone, I get what you're saying, but it's your (generic you, not you specifically!) own fault if you aren't selling on etsy, at least in part. People shouldn't rely on etsy traffic alone. There are several sellers in my genre who sell TONS and have never been on the FP, in a GG, in the Storque, etc. They bring in customers from their own websites, or from advertisements, and other means. Sure, it helps to be featured often (and there's where I agree with you), but it's certainly not the only way to get sales on Etsy. And, those features definitely do not always result in sales.make it work for younoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-17148302483095825652009-10-10T00:42:19.771-04:002009-10-10T00:42:19.771-04:00I hate seeing greeting cards photographed at weird...I hate seeing greeting cards photographed at weird angles. When I buy cards at a store I don't stand there and Vogue in the aisle when I make my purchases.<br />_________<br /><br />You now owe me a keyboard.forum rubberneckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-38734541088714826572009-10-09T19:31:06.928-04:002009-10-09T19:31:06.928-04:00Two words: Return Customers. Thank God for them.
T...Two words: Return Customers. Thank God for them.<br />The feedback should say "so much more beautiful than I imagined!". that's when it's about the WORK, not the kiscthy photo play.<br /><br />GREAT SUBJECT!!!<br />There's always somebody giving somebody shitty photo advice in the forums. Gets so I only read the closed threads for fun.HOWDYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08460941338624714968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-82251031984666303082009-10-09T17:01:52.367-04:002009-10-09T17:01:52.367-04:00Hilarious post! But I think for every "rule&q...Hilarious post! But I think for every "rule" you have, there's a few people who can pull it off (and of course many more who can't). For example, with some items, I do think it makes them more enticing to put them in context--e.g., a vintage vase on a mantle with a few other items to help potential buyers imagine it in their house, and then the other shots, text, and title clearly show what's being sold. A shallow depth of field can also work to highlight a particularly gorgeous bead. The problem for me (as others have said) is when none of the shots show you what you're getting.out of focusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-56753091232203787342009-10-09T16:37:28.580-04:002009-10-09T16:37:28.580-04:00Goes to show that no matter what you list or how y...Goes to show that no matter what you list or how you arrange your wacky pix, the only way you're gonna sell on Etsy is if Etsy picks you for 24/7 free promotions on their (THEIR) front page, gg's, FS, dorkies, weekly emails, tweets, and then promotes you again tomorrow, next week, and next month.<br /><br />If Etsy doesn't promote you (for free) ad nauseum and with witty repartee including "oh how cute is this!", you don' sell. Period.The Funny Onehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03545537988530733607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-48583014829360043722009-10-09T15:24:27.479-04:002009-10-09T15:24:27.479-04:00I don't mind an artsy photo for one of the sho...I don't mind an artsy photo for one of the shots (enough to catch your eye and/or interest) but then have the "real" shots that show you what it is and the different angles/sides. As to the FP, I'll never make it there, even if I did have awesome photos, Etsyfied or not, because I am not in the Etsy clique or selling what's trendy this week. Sorry, I'm just not into wearing resin pendants shaped like food with sparkles as a necklace. My daughters used to wear that stuff when they were 5 years old....but back to the Etsyfied photography....they have to be a pale, muted color on a white or grey background...period!MadebyM****noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-47007558546458798322009-10-09T13:50:48.634-04:002009-10-09T13:50:48.634-04:00and furthermore.. after the whole Bingo fiasco las...and furthermore.. after the whole Bingo fiasco last year, i had some very nasty convoes with a FP favorite.<br /><br />She had the BALLS to tell me,a glass artist, that if I took the time to take at least 25 pictures to get the extra special one, i would be featured more often, like her. I take about a 100 pictures pf each item to get the fun default, the blank white background, and the ruler shot. And i think my photos are GREAT. <br /><br />It wasnt at all because she makes trite, boring shit and then drapes it over muted backgrounds and takes shitty macro shots of it, not at all ;p<br /><br /><br />This is a GREAT article, and the comments on it are SO true.. this is one i really wish admin would look at.Combustion Glassworkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03304289696228647482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-10065834369975505242009-10-09T13:39:05.193-04:002009-10-09T13:39:05.193-04:00OMFG I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!
there is a seller who i...OMFG I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!<br /><br />there is a seller who is on the FP three times a day and her pictures are the epitome of SHIT. it actually look like her camera is malfunctioning or completely broke. And her sales SHOW that it pays off.<br /><br />and the worst part is that all 5 of them are like that! There is no clear, definitive picture of wtf you are buying... and people BUY IT!<br /><br />my pictures will never make it to the FP because they are, omg, Colorful! and clear as to what they are..Combustion Glassworkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03304289696228647482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286747608538901945.post-57445907404104974432009-10-09T11:56:07.635-04:002009-10-09T11:56:07.635-04:00I enjoy an arty photo from time to time... but the...I enjoy an arty photo from time to time... but then I have an art degree.<br /><br />If anyone at etsy has any sort of degree proclaiming any affiliation with art or marketing, I'm guessing it's from University of Phoenix -- or that thing you see in infomercials about how you can teach yourself to draw from correspondence courses.<br /><br />I enjoy arty photos, but not when I'm look at what is otherwise a glorified catalog. Etsy is retail via mail order. Anyone can delude themselves all they want about "movements" — it's still mail order retails (except for the handful of graphic designers, and you already know you're in the statistical margin of error).<br /><br />Every time I see some moron on the forums telling people to improve their "photos" — it is such a turn-off. The morons who say this kind of thing to people naive enough to buy into never even check out that person's shop 99% of the time. There was a great thread months ago from a seller who had like 300 sales asking why they were never featured anywhere... and some moron popped into the thread to offer them advice about photos as to why their sales might be super low. It was funny to read the OP slyly castigate them for their ignorance.<br /><br />If you took a photography class, you would see that most of those photos suck monkey balls.<br /><br />The term is parallax, and it's a no-no in the real world: because it demonstrates that the person who took the picture doesn't know shit about composition...<br /><br />And then there's all this bullshit about lighting and lightboxes and buying the world's most expensive lamp to photograph those $4.00 earring that you made from metal findings from JoAnns... You know, the best guitarist can play the greatest music on the crappiest instrument. It's called a desk lamp Mother****ers. Go to the lightbulb section and find the "natural light" bulb. Learn to use upper lefthand light (like they do for catalogs)... whole project costs maybe $14.00... plus, you can use the desk lamp as a desk lamp.<br /><br />Every time I read a thread on the etsy forums with some moron trolling out that "improve your photos and maybe you'll get featured" line of BS — I just want to punch them in the face and then critique their usually horrendous photos.<br /><br />Like stop telling other people that they take shitty photos; especially those of us who don't use photos (points to self, glances over at scanner, flits eyes at photoshop icon... ah flat stuff).<br /><br />I hate seeing greeting cards photographed at weird angles. When I buy cards at a store I don't stand there and Vogue in the aisle when I make my purchases.sarknoreply@blogger.com