Improved photographs - first stage

I am really proud of my latest jewellery and was thinking I must sort out the photographs show I can show you properly. Then today I was emailed some photographs by a friend to use on my blog (post coming soon), they are great photos and I just couldn't put them up against my poorly lit ones so the 'sorting out a photography set up' jumped up the to do list!

See why I need to sort it out...  Here's the rainbow owls photograph from yesterday, I took it on my work bench with my normal room lighting.

Original, just on my work bench, owl photo

Original photo cropped and colour adjusted in Picasa

I wanted to make a light box from a cardboard box (as demonstrated on Kate Tracton's Shibori Girl blog) but typically we don't seem to have any boxes kicking around today. Whilst researching how to set up jewellery photo shoots previous I seem to remember someone using a transparent plastic storage container so thought I would give that a go whilst I find a box.

I switched my usual light bulb to a full spectrum daylight bulb and tried lighting from the top.

Plastic box and daylight bulb lit from the top through the box

I thought it was quite good but my husband who is much more 'precise' than me pointed out that it was still dark at the bottom. So he adjusted the set up and...

Plastic box and daylight bulb light from the front photo - as shot!

Here's what the set up looked like

Better definitely but there is a bit of 'glare'. So my next step is to track down a suitable cardboard box to make a light box and another lamp (with daylight bulb of course) and try lighting from the side. So hopefully you will be enjoying some better photographs from now on.

Rainbow owl

Here's the first thing I have finished (because I don't sand them) with my funky rainbow jellyroll. This little owl has glow in the dark (fimo) eyes and a lovely rainbow tummy and one slightly long wonky ear - it's character of course! I think I might try and photograph my work and checking it before baking, it's amazing what you spot in a photograph that you don't always see in real life. Didn't notice his ear until now.

and have a quick look at his bottom, I am using my signature cane and I like it. I think I will be remaking an improved one with clearer flower sometime soon. 

I shall post some of my jewellery when I have sanded and strung it, hopefully in the next couple of days. I am going to move sorting out my photography set up nearer the top of my to do list so I can show you my work more clearly.

Thanks for stopping by

Cara

Owls

I am enjoying showing off my jewellery at the Totterdown Arts Trail this weekend and have sold loads of my little tortoises. I came home last night and made some more and did the same tonight, hopefully I will have enough to see my through to tomorrow evening! A customer today asked me if I ever made owls, my reply was not yet but I will! So here is my first batch of owls, I'll see if they fly off the table tomorrow!