Spice up your marketing campaign with this fun photo challenge for makers!

Creative Daily, the first photo challenge made just for makers, was created to make it easier to generate original content for Instagram & other social media platforms while staying true to our roots as makers & creatives, because let's face it - coming up with awesome visual content for Instagram isn't always easy. How many coffee mug shots & selfies can we post before our followers click "unfollow", anyway? Let's remind people why they followed us awesome makers in the first place - by using these unique prompts to look at our lives, business, processes & products in a new way. 

These prompts are carefully thought out to inspire makers, creatives & anyone else who wants to join in to share their lives, behind the scenes peeks & products in a more organic, unfiltered way. Prompts range from a simple color prompt, where you could post an object, outfit, product, food, or material to share with your audience to more interesting prompts like the prompt for the 17th - lucky. Lucky to run your own business, lucky to have a certain someone in your life, your favorite lucky tee shirt perhaps? Whatever these prompts mean to you, this challenge enables you to share them with your audience in a fun, organic way!

How to join in: Just post a photo with your interpretation of the dated prompt & add the #creativedaily hashtag so other makers participating in the challenge can connect with you! And if you want to, tell your friends & share the graphic to get more people participating - the more people joining in the more new creatives are discovering & networking with one another, and hey, I'm all about growing a cooperative crafty community!! 

 

This image is sized for Instagram so feel free to download it & share via IG, Facebook, your blog, wherever you want! 

Oh, and you don't have to post every day - this challenge is just for fun. Join in when you can! I look forward to seeing what everyone posts! You can find me on Instagram at @lu_and_ed.

The Top Product Photography Posts of 2014

Melanie from Violet's Buds has a Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs, and is kicking off 2015 by sharing the top photography posts of 2014!


How lighting effects product photography

This is one of the biggest mistakes in product photography. The camera-mounted flash will make your product look washed-out and contrasted.

flash vs natural light

Reflectors & natural light

Natural light is the best way to take excellent product photos. Make the most of the natural light by using reflectors, or making your own light box. 

Light box with natural light

Backgrounds & props

Consider experimenting with different backgrounds until you find what flatters your product. Use only backgrounds that fit with your product's theme or your brand. Start with a plain background then, try different combinations of colors, patterns, and textures, including staged shots. Don't forget to experiment with props, too! 



Placement & cropping
Read about the Rule of Thirds and Negative Space to make your photos more dynamic, and grab your customer's attention. 
 

watch negative space and cropping

 
Practice, research & experiment! 

Review these previous posts on product photography tips, and always keep experimenting & trying new things to take your product photos to the next level!

Creative Prompts to Help Spice Up Your Instagram Content!

You know how sometimes you struggle with what to post on Instagram or social media in general? These prompts help you look at your indie business in a creative way! 

For instance, on the first the prompt is "Super"! You could your super bowl watch party, a super new product you've made, a super sweet photo you snapped, a super colorful art installment you visited, a super rad new tee shirt you got -  It's totally up to you how you interpret the prompts to create visually interesting new takes of your life and creative processes through photos & bits of text, while fostering a creative community & striking up new friendships with other participating in the challenge. 

If you miss a day or few, it's not big deal - this photo challenge is just for fun! Just be sure to add the #creativedaily hashtag to each post. This helps others in the maker community find you - and when you click the hashtag you will find new makers to discover & get to acquainted with, too! The image is sized for Instagram so feel free to download & share! 

You can also use the #creativedaily prompts as blog prompts, too! Several makers over the last year would blog their photos each day along with a post about their interpretation of the prompt. Use these prompts however you like - they are intended to inspire creativity, daily! 

In the comments, leave your Instagram username or URL so I can pop over to your account & check out what you are posting! I am @lu_and_ed on there! Let's connect! 

Monthly prompts to help create refreshing content for Instagram.

Can you believe that one year ago, I launched #creativedaily as the first photo challenge just for makers & creatives? 365 days & almost 8,000 photos later, and here we are launching into year two of these fun photo prompts! 

What is #creativedaily? Well, you know how sometimes you struggle with what to post on Instagram or social media in general? These prompts help you look at your indie business in a creative way! 

For instance, on the first the prompt is "one word". You could share your one word you have chosen for the year, or why your business name is only or more than one word. You could post a photo of your coffee & say "I have a ton of making to do, but one word first: Coffee." or post a photo of your new favorite fabric with one word for it - LOVE! It's totally up to you how you interpret the prompts to create visually interesting new takes of your life and creative processes through photos & bits of text, while fostering a creative community & striking up new friendships with other participating in the challenge. 

If you miss a day or few, it's not big deal - this photo challenge is just for fun! Just be sure to add the #creativedaily hashtag to each post. This helps others in the maker community find you - and when you click the hashtag you will find new makers to discover & get to acquainted with, too! 

 

You can also use the #creativedaily prompts as blog prompts, too! Several makers over the last year would blog their photos each day along with a post about their interpretation of the prompt. Use these prompts however you like - they are intended to inspire creativity, daily! 

In the comments, leave your Instagram username or URL so I can pop over to your account & check out what you are posting! I am @lu_and_ed on there! Let's connect! 

How to Use Negative Space in Product Photos

This post is brought to you from Melanie of Violet's Buds. Melanie has Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs.

The primary subject of your photo is known as positive space. Everything else is called negative space. While your product is the most important part of the image, negative space can be just as crucial to creating a striking image & really showcasing the use of your products!

Watch negative space for distractions to the positive space
 

In the first photo, the tree branches near the models head are distracting and draw the eye away. The second image is cleaner and bring the focus back to the model.

Negative space can give balance & set the mood

The negative space in this image is the table & bowl, which doesn't distract from the image but helps set the mood the seller is going for & attract their target buyers while complimenting their product with similar tones & textures. 

Polder's Old World Market

Negative space helps to tell the story of the positive space.

Negative space doesn't mean empty - you can fill it with prop items that compliment your product, but they should never pull the eyes away from the product or main focus of the image.

Mohu

 
Carefully chosen negative space can improve the positive space by making it more noticeable & drawing attention to curves, design features, or details of the product. 
 

BlueCheak Experiment with negative space - the space around your focal point, in this case, your model/product. Does it alter the feel of your photos? Create more visual interest? Draw your eye to your product's features?

How to Make a Light Box

This post is brought to you from Melanie of Violet's Buds. Melanie has Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs.

A light box is a handy tool for photographing small to medium sized products. The translucent material creates a soft, flattering light & allows for more flexibility on when you can photograph your stuff, rather than waiting on just the right light for a photo shoot. Light boxes can be intimidating because they are expensive & not everyone can afford to purchase a light box, but luckily its easy to make your own & then you can be on your way to wonderful product photos in no time!

 
Get a box large enough to fit your products. Don't have a box? You can do what we did and use 5 panels to make your own box. We used corrugated plastic signs that were being discarded for our panels, but you could use cardboard, plastic board, or foam core, for example. 
 

Cut off the top of the box completely. Then cut large rectangles in 3 of the side panels of your box, 1" shy of the edges.

Now, cover these 3 windows with gift wrap tissue paper, taping it down to the edges of the box. If necessary, piece your tissue paper together with clear packing tape so it will fit the openings.

Cut a piece of poster board the width of your box, and place it in the box so that it curves inside the box. This creates the seamless effect for photos. 

Now, place your box in as much light as possible. It works in sunlight or bright indoor lights, but you may have to adjust the white balance on your camera if you photograph with indoor lights. If shooting inside, use daylight bulbs & position lamps around the sides/top of the box for even lighting. Be sure to adjust your settings so the background is white or true to color - it's easier to use the correct settings than to try to correct the color later in a photo editing program!  

Do you use a light box for photos? Will you be building one to experiment with? 

Struggling to come up with great content for Instagram? Get inspiration here!

#creativedaily - the first photo challenge geared directly towards creatives & makers. The prompts force makers to think of creative ways to tell their story, share their indie biz journey as well as share their life and processes through daily photo uploads & bits of text, encouraging them to fill each and every day with a little bit of creativity, while fostering creative community & new friendships through social media. If you miss a day or few, it's not big deal - this photo challenge is just for fun! 

 

How it works:

Each day, you upload a photo to Instagram or other social media outlets that relates to the dated prompt (for example, the 1st is "but first let me.." so you would post your interpretation of that prompt on the first, like but first let me get my coffee, but first look at this cutie, or but first let me take a selfie, hehe) and share a blurb about what the photo represents. Be sure to add the #creativedaily hashtag to group to photos with the other images from this collective.

Click the #creativedaily hashtag to find out what others are posting and make new friends by liking & commenting on their photos! 

This collective is such a fun way to make new creative friends, discover new brands and share your own story. 

This image is sized for Instagram! Feel free to save it & share the prompts to spread the word & get more people involved! I can't wait to see what you post!

Which prompt do you have a great idea for already? 

Simple Tips for Shooting Product Photos with Kid Models

This post is brought to you from Melanie of Violet's Buds. Melanie has Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs.

What maker doesn't love an adorable photograph of a kid posing with their product? If you are braving the challenging task of photographing children, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Watch for runny noses, dirty faces & hands
Nothing ruins a cute photo faster than a glob of something gross! Bring wet wipes and facial tissues. Wiping noses before photos will help reduce the need to edit the dirt later.

Make it fast
Shoot quickly, and take lots of photos. Kids move fast and you will need to keep up. 

Have fun!
Let the kids be silly between poses. Tell them to get the wiggles out by dancing, or see how loud they can shout "hooray!"  Keep shooting while they are being silly, you never know when you'll get that genuine smile.
 

 
Making funny faces is another way to get the kids to loosen up, relax, and have a good time, and sometimes make for the perfect candid shot!

Be prepared to bribe the kids
Keep snacks, candy, or small toys on hand (with parental permission) to entice the kids to cooperate - but be very clear about how they earn the treat! "Five more photos and you get a sucker! Stand really still!" 

Bring an assistant! 
An assistant can make all the difference when photographing kids. An assistant can help with posing, watch for dirty faces or messy hair, or hold the reflector. Even more important, an assistant can make the kids laugh, blow bubbles to get their attention, or corral kids from running off. 

Most of all, go with the flow. 
The photo session may not go as planned, but have a good time and keep shooting! Remember that it can take dozens of photos to get one brilliant product shot when using children models. If you feel like you aren't capturing exactly what you want to after a few shoots, rather than get frustrated, don't be afraid to admit you may need help. Contact some local photographers & see if they work with makers to shoot product photos in exchange for goods or discounted prices on goods. 

Do you have any tips for working with children models? Any funny experiences to share? Post them in the comments! 

Tips for Modeled Product Photography - The Healing Tool & Why You Will Love It.

This post is brought to you from Melanie of Violet's Buds. Melanie has Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs.

Few things are more frustrating than concluding a photo shoot and noticing you had a dust spot on your lens, stray fuzzball on your product, or that the model had a smudge on her face.
 
Similar to the cloning tool (which you can read about here), the healing tool can be a lifesaver for product photos - especially modeled product photos!  The healing tool works by sampling the surrounding pixels to blend the imperfection away, which is why it will work on textured areas such as skin or hair, textiles, beads and yarn too.  

Please Note: It is never okay to edit out actual blemishes on your product like stains, discolorations, or rips. This tutorial is intended solely to help you remove fuzz, floating dust spots, skin blemishes, or stray fibers that floated into your product photo shoot. You should always use a lint remover on products before photographing items, which reduces the need to edit!  

My model friend has allowed me to use her arm as an example to remove blemishes and freckles for this tutorial. This tool seriously changed my life when I discovered it!

Start by opening your favorite photo editing program. For this tutorial, I used Adobe Photoshop, but both Pixlr and PicMonkey are free editing programs that also have this feature available.

 
Select the healing tool, which resembles a little bandage. Next, (depending on your program) you may need to define a source point. This is where the editing program will select pixels from. Do so by holding down the ALT key while clicking.

Zoom in on the photo, and begin clicking around to "erase" the blemishes. If necessary, you can change the size and shape of the healing tool brush. Remember, that if you make mistakes you can always go back in the image history or click Edit>Undo (or press CTRL+Z to quickly undo your last step). 

The healing tool can take a little time getting used to, but is a great option to fix minor issues & have beautiful product photos!

And it's that easy! What do you think? Do you see yourself using this handy tool often? 

Using the Rule of Thirds for Product Photography

This post is brought to you from Melanie of Violet's Buds. Melanie has Bachelors of Science in Photography and provides product photography advice and services to entrepreneurs.

Easily create more dynamic photos by learning to compose your product photos using the Rule of Thirds.

GipsonWands

The Rule of Thirds theorizes that an image is most pleasing when its subjects or regions are composed along imaginary lines which divide the image into thirds — both vertically and horizontally, which creates a grid. 

The concept is that placing main elements and subjects near the intersecting lines of the grids creates a more balanced photograph and engages the viewer more readily than one placed directly in the center. 

GipsonWands has allowed me to use several of his images as an example of Rule of Thirds.

center placed subject

As you can see above, the center placed wand photograph is stagnant. The image below of the wand at a diagonal draws your eye from one side of the image to another and is more aesthetically pleasing.

diagonal subject

Many cameras and photo editing programs allow you to turn on a grid to help you decide your image placement.

While its best to compose while photographing, cropping can be a great back up method to creating dynamic compositions.

In the following photo, subject is too close to the center of the frame.  

By utilizing the cropping tool, we can move the subject off center to create a more pleasing image.  

Changing your product listing from a centered shot to an off-set shot may make your work stand out from all the rest by catching a shopper's eye with a more visually pleasing image.

Here are a few photo examples of the Rule of Thirds. These images are captivating, and tell a story or evoke an emotion merely by the strategic subject placement.

In this photo by Opposite of Far, the placement of the subject (the child) an the use of negative space (not the subject, in this case, the backdrop) creates a beautiful image that would be perfect as a magazine centerfold!

Opposite of Far

Lu & Ed utilizes the Rule of Thirds with negative space here - in this image, her rainbow of her best-selling product Mon-stors is off set by 1/3 of the image being neutral, drawing your eye along the edge of the photo and making it her "most liked" Instagram photo ever. 

Lu & Ed

Crafteroni & Cheese shows her new amigurumi work-in-progess by having it pop diagonally into the frame, crossing the lines of the grid & creating a fun, visually pleasing image.

Crafteroni & Cheese

The whimsical placement of HiTree's product gives off a fun and playful vibe.  This is a great example of using the product to fill 2/3 of an image with 1/3 negative space (the blurred background).

As always, keep shooting and experiment! The rule of thirds is fun to experiment with & see what sort of results you get with it compared to other images. Remember, the subject doesn't have to be precisely in a single column or you don't have to use 2/3 of the image for negative space - just use the grids as guides for product placement. If your camera has a grid option when shooting, turn it on & play around with it to get a feel for how you can use it to improve your product photos. Remember to place your product at intersecting points of the grids for a more dynamic image!

Are you more drawn to images that are centered or images shot using the rule of thirds?