collectini

Friday, 9 December 2011

We will be taking our time stocking our Etsy shelves between now and the official opening in January 2012, largely because we want to re-photograph much of our stuff. Having browsed Etsy before making our minds up whether to commit, we have noticed a difference in the style of photography presented by many established Etsy sellers, compared to other online selling venues.

Regarding other online listing sites, the notion has been drummed into us for years, by helpful bloggers and the like, the advantages of having a light-tent and off-camera flash (that is, an off-camera flash which you can easily trigger, without any front-light - to be discussed another time). While you can, with practice, produce some excellent images which really show off a product, using the light-tent and off-camera flash, the result can look a bit sterile; a bit stark perhaps.

Having done a little reading around, it would seem that there is a preference amongst the Etsy community to take the photos of their items in a more natural, soft, diffused light - this to me screams of "tripod", "low shutter speed, wide aperture" and the blasphemous notion of an ISO setting higher than 100. Hmmmm. It's not that I can't be bothered to set a tripod up, or that I can't keep a camera still, or that I detest a stupidly narrow depth of field. Or for that matter, that in the early days of digital photography anything over ISO100 meant ISO REALLYNOISY, so ISO80 to 100 is all I ever used. I've just got so used to plonking everything in a light tent, with a flash to the side (and my secret blend of diffusing materials), ISO100, 1/200th sec and f8-ish. Photographing (and editing the images of) items to be listed is quite time consuming, and we all want a bit of time at the end of the day for the good things in life. So, this is why I have been sticking with what I know. But, I will have to adapt.

Adapting to an Etsy style of photography will involve a little experimenting. Yay for digital photography! I can experiment forever, and not have to worry about all the woes of film. I like bright light in images. Where I am situated, I just can't get bright, but diffused sunlight through a window, so it will probably still be flash, but designed to look like natural light. That bright flash light still needs to be softened, which reduces the ultimate amount of light. It also needs to be evened out - I am considering a second side flash to give a little fill to the 'shadowy side'. I am going to have to play around with ISO speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings (and so, consider depth of field issues). I actually should have dropped this fear of going above ISO100 ages ago, as I actually have a half-decent camera now.

Another side of Etsy-seller's images I have noticed, is that the item's being sold are given a context. Achieving this is probably more demanding than lighting the object. I've noticed, you have to have other objects, materials, bits and pieces relevant to the item for sale: you have to dress the image, if you like, in much the same way as you might dress a shop window. This takes a certain eye for composition and a cupboardful of props.

We are planning on being on Etsy 'proper' by January 2012 (although we are "filling up the shelves" between now and then - you are still welcome to buy). The priority will be on getting the items listed, but we will do our best to show images that show the items, maybe not in an Etsy style at first, but in a way you would like to see them, as if you were to pick them up in a shop and inspect them.

Hope we can show you some nice piccies of our nice things. Please feel free to comment.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/collectini

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Our first etsy listing - Chance Glass pin tray

Although we are not officially opening our Etsy shop until January 2012, it will still take time to get the shelves filled, so between now and then you will see items appear in the shop. It is OK, you don't need to wait until January 2012 to buy, you can still go ahead as usual.

Not being used to Etsy, we found it took a little longer than it would to list on any of the other online retail sites. Sure we'll get used to it though! It seems you have to think in USD$ regarding the pricing of the item and postage, so if any of our prices seem erratic, please ask why. Anyway here is our very first Etsy offering, a cute little Chance Glass pin tray.

Vintage Lador ballet dancer vanity case music box plays Dr Zhivago

Wind her up and off she spins to the sound of Lara's theme. Close the box and you see a wonderfully patterned lid.

6 Vintage Toledo Spain Mini Cocktail Swords and Wooden Barrel Stand

These will look great on your vintage themed bar. Very stylish, some might say a little kitsch! Exact era they were manufactured is unknown, but we reckon they could sit comfortably in a themed bar spanning 50s, 60s or 70s depending on just how 'modern' or otherwise you have set the tone. There are six swordpicks, and they are dispensed from a wooden barrel ornamental stand. The picks are clearly a metal, but I don't know which type?? There are minor signs of use and age though no apparent damage. Each pick is about 3 inches long. The barrel is about 3.5 inches long.

Vintage Lembird Lemon Squeezer

This little lad is no longer with us. He has gone home so to speak. The family of the chap who bought this from us, were involved in its manufacture, back in the mists of time. Nice to know they've been re-united.

Party season!! Vintage cocktail forks and wooden fish 1950s ? 1960s ? 1970s ?

Fabulous accessory to help set the vintage mood of your party. There are six forks here with wooden handles and they are dispensed from a stylish, if not a little kitsch, carved wooden fish. The fish stands about 5 inches high - the forks are just under 4 inches long.