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The Dark Room -- Photo Editing and Picture Taking. Advice, tutorials, questions on all things photoshop, photo editing, and taking pictures of beads or glass.

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  #1  
Old 2007-06-27, 9:01pm
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TheShard TheShard is offline
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Default Background or no Background???

Just wondering what peeps out there think about background elements for bead pics. I have noticed that some people use just plain white, while other dress it up a bit. I have tried both....

Heres an example, what do you think...

With back ground fluff...


Without....


I personally respond better to photos with fluff...but that's just me...what do you think? I do know that the BG has benefits, like making the bead sit up better and provide a better angle for the photo...but does it distract from the bead? Thats what I'm wondering.
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  #2  
Old 2007-06-28, 5:30pm
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I like both styles. However when I started on Ebay I was shooting on a fancy back ground and had a lot of people write and ask me to shoot on white. Sometimes ORDERED me to shoot on white. Well I switch to white and made many people happy. But guess what? The sales dropped. Oh I was still selling every thing. But the bids were not going as high. I have switch back to shooting on a background. Sales are back up. Go figure

Anyway one suggestion. Crop in tight on your product. You don't need that much background. I think this looks a lot better.


The product jumps out a little more.
Scott
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Last edited by Tanner Studios; 2007-06-28 at 6:50pm.
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  #3  
Old 2007-06-28, 5:58pm
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Cool goddess, and I like the way Scott has the picture cropped.
Scott, that's interesting to hear about your experience. . .I've noticed lots of people always pointing out that plain is best, but my eye appreciates some background!
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  #4  
Old 2007-06-28, 7:10pm
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I think that in your "background" photo that the eye is distracted from the bead. The way that Scott has cropped it, the background enhances the bead, in that it "suggests more", if that makes any sense. It kind of romanticizes it, or gets the imagination going, but with the cropping the eye is not bouncing all over the place looking for a place to rest (the focal point is the bead).

The white background is extremely washed out, but aside from that, I think it can work really well for some styles of beads that might not do so well with a suggestive background.

I think it entirely depends on the style of the bead, the idea or feeling you're trying to get across, and your target market.

J.
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  #5  
Old 2007-06-28, 7:44pm
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i like a patterned background, myself. but i usually like it to show just a hint of the items in the background... so the background items are more for just color, mood and movement. if the background is showing other items, i think they should be half cropped out of the pic (as scott has done here) or a bit blurry using depth of field focusing... it makes it easier to concentrate on our main item (the bead)... we naturally don't look at or concentrate so much on what our subconscious sees as incomplete (half cropped out) or not easily identified (blurry a bit), but the subconscious does still recognize the 'theme', emotion or idea of the half missing or blurry backgrounds and background items.

for me; a plain gradient background is the best choice if you have a very close shot of a single bead where there is a ton of detail that you want the viewer to see... i think that a basic neutral background and strong lighting leave all the emotion to come from inside the bead.
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  #6  
Old 2007-06-29, 7:02am
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Thanks for all the good info!!! I think I will do a little of everything. I have been cropping my pics a bit tighter. I also think I will shoot my main image with a background but include several other images on plain white.

The sandy beach background is currently out of commission since I bumped into it and it fell over and dumped sand and shells all over the floor! oops!

Thanks everyone!
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  #7  
Old 2007-09-13, 7:45pm
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My personal opinion? Look at Kate fowle's pics http://www.katefowle.com/pages/gallery_new_biotech.php,

Pipyr's pics
http://www.pipyr.com/home.html

or Jenn Geldard's pics
http://www.glassgirl.com/ornate_series_beads.htm

there's just something so clean about the contrast of the bead on an almost negative space. No question where the eye should go, or the quality of the work.

If I could take those pics, I would be one happy camper!
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  #8  
Old 2007-09-20, 8:39am
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Hey thanks Christy!! I almost always prefer a gradient background or a spotlight effect for extra drama. A simple background really allows the piece to pop and speak for itself, and a gradient or spotlight can create a very rich look. That said, I'm not a big fan of white backgrounds...not enough drama or richness to my eye. Then again, I'm all about the drama
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  #9  
Old 2007-10-26, 8:07am
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I'm not a very good photographer. I need to say that right up front! LOL

I put a piece of mat black tissue paper down on the floor and up the back of my photo tent. I then have a cheap black picture frame with the glass that I set the pieces on. I need to do a lot more work on it, but I like the look. Obviously it won't work for everything. I like the light grey gradient as well. Personally I think that photographs that don't have a lot of 'stuff' in them look more professional. That being said, I love the way Scott photographed the goddess.
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  #10  
Old 2007-11-01, 3:28am
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Deb I didn't photograph the goddess. I just crop it. LOL
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  #11  
Old 2007-11-01, 12:06pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanner Studios View Post
I like both styles. However when I started on Ebay I was shooting on a fancy back ground and had a lot of people write and ask me to shoot on white. Sometimes ORDERED me to shoot on white. Well I switch to white and made many people happy. But guess what? The sales dropped. Oh I was still selling every thing. But the bids were not going as high. I have switch back to shooting on a background. Sales are back up. Go figure

Scott
Interesting Scott. I have an auction starting tonight with my first colored background in years. I've been using white for quite awhile now but I wanted to make my entire auction page look a bit classier. I'm curious to see if it changes my bids at all.
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  #12  
Old 2007-11-02, 12:45am
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Room for one more opinion?!! There's something that bothers me about the shell on the left. It's distracting and making me look at it. I feel the spiral is competing for attention because the shell is lighter color than the goddess and it's in line with her "assets"! So, here's what I did...I wanted to see what it looked like without that shell. Now it looks like she's lying on the beach and she is getting all my attention. My eye doesn't keep twitching to the left looking at the shell. With or without the shells... what do you see?!



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Old 2007-11-08, 1:01am
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i like the shells personally....
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Old 2007-11-08, 1:52am
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I like it with the shells and without. lol

I see some people put their beads on something that is the same color, like a flower that's the color of the glass. I don't think that works because the bead gets lost, but this is a contrasting color so the bead stands out.

I think I agree with Scott, crop that baby down. Think of the picture as a painting. Frame it that way. That's what works for me anyway.
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Old 2007-11-08, 10:42am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelela View Post
Room for one more opinion?!! There's something that bothers me about the shell on the left. It's distracting and making me look at it. I feel the spiral is competing for attention because the shell is lighter color than the goddess and it's in line with her "assets"! So, here's what I did...I wanted to see what it looked like without that shell. Now it looks like she's lying on the beach and she is getting all my attention. My eye doesn't keep twitching to the left looking at the shell. With or without the shells... what do you see?!



I think the top picture cropped with just a tiny bit of shell is PERFECT!! Much more appealing! As for background vs. no background, I believe it totally depends on the beads. Each piece demands something different.

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  #16  
Old 2007-11-24, 10:21am
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Avoid "busy" backgrounds... That is a background that steal attention from bead.... Each bead need to be set up and photographed for its own merits...

Stark monochromatic back grounds are a turn off just as a background that has so much going on wher the eye has to struggle to pay attention to focal point of picture and that is the bead...

Stark Lines and pattern detract, soft flowing variations in back grounds enhance... Also watch color match... Some colors just do not go together...

Mainly bead has to say "HEY- here I am look at me"... IF background is over shouting bead whole purpose of picture is lost...

Real good tutorials are all around you ... Pick up any book or ad sheet and see how large professional places photograph jewelry ( and other items) for sale....

Dale
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  #17  
Old 2007-11-28, 9:17am
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I was able to print out a lot of the gradient backgrounds from PhotoShop Elements.
Personally Ilike the photo aboive with allof the background cropped out except the sand.
I mostly use a white background for things that I photograph for my website.
Paula
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Old 2007-12-11, 11:55am
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I'm so glad that I found this thread last night - it was exactly the advice I needed to read! Since I've finally gotten my Etsy shop up and running, I've been feeling like it looked "pale", since all of my backgrounds are white.

I started playing around with some items I have around the house, and I'm really excited - I think the pictures are 100% better - I left the white background shot in the listing, too, but I think this may get the piece more attention....

Can I get your input? I'll post a sample before/after shot.....



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Old 2007-12-11, 12:01pm
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NICE bracelet! I vote for picture 3 and I don't like backgrounds! hmmmmmm
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Old 2007-12-12, 8:07am
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Thanks, Christy! That bracelet sold this morning! I'm very happy about that! I'll be taking more pix today for sure!
Laura
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Old 2009-09-12, 2:47am
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You don't really want to know how I got here.

But, after taking pictures on a bead mat all this time, trying to avoid structure of any kind I think you have convinced me that the concrete walkway behind the office would actually be OK. I tend to work with daylight in overcast situations (it's overcast here more often than not), so I could use part of my lunch break (that I never take) to take pics with things on the concrete.

LE is wonderful. I learn new stuff all the time.
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