Change is in the air. I know, I know – New Year, resolutions and all, but that’s not it. This one has been coming for quite a long time now: I will be quitting Etsy. I believe none of you who read this blog (with one exception, plus David, who mostly does not read my blog too closely) have not really seen how active I have been on Etsy over the past three years. But I really think it is time to move on. Things change. I have a full time job, and therefore way less time for other things important to me. Etsy with their ever changing rules and emphasis on the buyer, quite frankly gives me the shits, at times. And it just seems to be a lot more trouble than it is worth it. Don’t get me wrong, I truly love it when somebody buys one of my prints. I love and appreciate it. A lot. But the little money I make from one sale is not worth the hassle I have with another. Which, unfortunately has been the case. But it was only the icing on the cake – in the negative way.
Christmas time 2014 gave us a long time off work. Days to reflect, ponder and think. What am I personally taking away from all of it? I’ll be putting more emphasis on what is really important to me. Selling prints of my photos seemed like a way to earn money, back in 2011 when I came to the US. But selling prints on Etsy will not pay the rent. At least not for me. There are those who are successful on there and they put a lot of work into it. But – so did I. Yet, apparently not enough and more likely my photos are just not what people on that platform are looking for right now.
You may have seen in my last post a somewhat dark composite picture. Very grungy looking. I am not sure if that is where my art is pulling me, but it is definitely something I am going to explore more and will be sharing here with you. Another direction that I enjoyed, kind of casually so far, is product photography. Every now and then I did a a few of those. Remember the coffee beans and the red wine gif that I made? Along that line, I got a Christmas present, a table top lighting studio for product photography. These photos here are the very first ones I took after I assembled it. What do you think? Maybe I should offer to Etsy sellers taking their product photos?! Yeah, right, I didn’t think so either.
But seriously, it is a little weird with me. On the one hand I just love these clear, crisp product photos and then there are the grungy, textured and dark pictures I am creating. I guess I am a little confused and not sure where this will be leading me. But I sure know that I do want to spend a lot more time on creating my images. Rather than just taking them.
Oh, and by the way, if you are wondering what this drink is, I have been taking photos of? It is a Gibson. In it’s simplest form 1 part of dry Vermouth and 2 parts of Gin (or Vodka if you prefer) just like a Martini. I like it on ice and I even like the pickled cocktail onions I found. Way more so than olives in a Martini. These are called ‘tipsy vermouth onions’ – pretty fitting, huh?
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My husband made me a lightbox a few years ago! I used it for candles.
I’m terrible at product photography. I just can’t seem to get it. I can do things outside but something about the white backgrounds was scaring me.
I enjoy your photos!
Hah – my husband offered to make one himself. And he could (just look at the robot he made himself), but I did not want him to spend the time on this, but rather on his projects. So he did research and got me one. I still have to fiddle with it, these were only test shots. But it looks good. I can see what you mean with the scary i.e. endless white, yet it doesn’t bother me.
Thanks, Tamara.
These are outstanding!!! And I LOVE LOVE that red wine gif. brilliant. I think your new direction sounds so exciting and challenging, and I suspect you will find it very rewarding too. I had like 6 of your photos on the Etsy that I LOVE — but unfortunately right now I am a “kept” woman and have no money of my own to spend. 🙁
LOL
I hope that you are still here from time to time to share your journey with us!
Thank you so much, Leslie! That red wine gif really was fun :).
Well, let me know which photos they are (if you can still find them, since I am not renewing on Etsy anymore)? I have got a lot of them printed at home already and if one of them is on your list – it is yours.
Of course, I’ll still post here and read and comment. It is hard to let go and it may be an up and down kind of thing. I don’t know. But Etsy has to go.
Welcome to the world of light boxes. I have one. I have extra lights too. It can be a hassle at times but well worth the effort if you are taking pictures of small items and as you say, product photography.
Your reasons for leaving Etsy were the same as mine although I had not run into buyer issues. It was certainly a matter of time though. I opened my own website and shop, figuring that if I was the one bringing the traffic to my Etsy store then I could bring it to the web store and cut out the middle man. Sadly you and I came to Etsy around the time that their focus began to change. And change and change and change. Change can be good and necessary. Unfortunately, its a tad overdone and unethical on the E platform. IMHO.
Loving the idea of the grunge work and am looking forward to seeing your creations. I enjoy playing around with that sort of thing too. Once I realized that I could do that in that field, I never wanted to take realistic pictures again. Of course, a couple show up here and there but for the most part, I have “art-i-fied” them. Some people think that doing this is a sin. I do not care. It pleases me. That’s the bottom line with art. It must please the creator before it should please the onlooker.
Hoping you have a great journey in 2015 and have much fun along the way!!!! I cannot wait to see your path!! Hugs.
All very true, Debbi. And I have got no idea where my creative journey will take me. After only one day back at work I am again like ‘what? 6 pm already? Time to make dinner etc. etc. no time for photo-stuff’ – blaaaah. But I don’t want to complain, really, I don’t. It just makes me sad. I will definitely take my grungyness further, but I will still have realistic and HDR shots, definitely. But there has to be more. At least to me.
I’m curious how is your webshop going? I have seen many artists offering their works for sale on their website, but I always wonder if they really do sell any. But, right now, that is not my main concern.
Thanks for sticking around, Debbi.
Claudia, the web site is going slowly. Have not sold from it yet but am getting plenty of people trooping in and out. My goal in 2015 is to promote and paper the walls of the internet with my website links in the hopes that things will start rolling. For so many, it takes a long time to get any action on their sites. Again, target market. And what I do is not mainstream. So, another wriggle in fold. Hopefully, I will find a modicum of success in that if I can sell enough to pay for the hosting and domain fees, I would be satisfied… to start. 😉
Thanks for the insight, Debbi. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your website shop.