Posted by: gringrimaceandsqueak
on Dec 03, 2011
We've been having a bit of a sort out here at Grin Hq, working through stock and deciding where to list which pieces. We try and avoid having all the same things on all our selling platforms and tailor what we are selling to the customers it brings in. This does however means we take a lot of different photos.
For our own UK website, it's the big stuff mostly and we can be a bit more creative with pictures, especially those on the front page. Some time ago, we did some shots of our carnivale masks to show them as luxury items using coloured backgrounds and some basic props -feathers etc, to add a touch of glamour. It's amazing what can be done just with a few bits and pieces you have lying around.
If you're stuck for extras, putting in packaging can make an image more interesting and shows the customer how much care you take with their purchase. We use gorgeous magnetic closure boxes from Midpac, in black of course, with some tissue to protect the mask.
For those initial thumbnails on sites like Etsy, we use a light background and are relaunching our tiaras using our mannequin head with a wig and, for extra height, one of Ms Grins' hair falls. Much easier and quicker than getting all dolled up for a model shoot- just plonk the wig on, clip on the extension and there you have it :)
Not only does is give a sense of scale, important for selling online, but it show the item as it could be worn and looks a whole lot more exciting than one lonely piece by itself.
If you're a seller like us, have some fun with your photos - it really does make all the difference :)
Posted by: gringrimaceandsqueak
on Nov 01, 2011
Now, you can take that title how you like :) Obviously, we've been making fiendish masks, as you can see, or it could refer to the feelings inspired by being halfway through something that once again, seemed like a great idea at the planning stage....
Not only did this require an awful lot of fiddling about with wire to get a weave that was strong enough but also lightweight so as to not pull the mask forward, but to balance those horns out visually, this mask required the use of yet more wirework in the main panels instead of our normal beading.
This seemed like a good idea at the time- after all, we had just finished this...
...which as you might gather, had involved an awful lot of beading. The beak alone was several days labour and a frankly terrifying amount of black and pewter seed beads.
So what exactly is all this manic activity in aid of? Asides from a natural curiosity about just how far we can go with our chosen medium (a lot further yet it seems), we realised we had finally got our basic range pretty much sussed. We now have a good line of standard party pieces, bridal wear etc that sell well and can easily be updated simply by using new colours.
So, it was time to really put our backs into getting the word out. It's a lot easier to attract attention by shouting so we set out to create real show-stoppers, things that would grab people and be passed around. With these now a reality, it's time to do a bit of housekeeping to ensure our various selling platforms are in tip-top shape then a creative photo shoot to display these pieces to their best advantage.
The results of that will then go on to various fashion editors we are already stalking and the additional publicity will help us on our way to global domination. Which was, of course, our plan all along....*does evil laugh*
Mwahahahahah,
Karen and Rich :)
Posted by: gringrimaceandsqueak
on Sep 14, 2011
We are delighted here at Grin Hq to announce the arrival of our rabbit mask- not only because it is beautiful, but because it allowed us to have some fun with the photos :)
She is the next step up from our cat mask, constructing pieces that don't follow the human face shape but rather build off that to create something completely different. Crafted in silver plated, non- tarnish wire, the panels are filled in with tiny glass seed beads.
Shaped the way she is, the ears catch the light from behind like a real rabbit and so we took her outside for a bit of sun :) We are lucky to live in a house with painted walls so we hung the mask against the textured surface to bounce the light around a bit more, illuminating the beadwork.
Because we had such a glorious day here, we also took some against the sky, which made a great composition- such a strong shape and great contrast.
When you're working with what you have around you it can be difficult to get just the shots you want so we've learnt to experiment, taking lots of pictures from all angles then choosing those with the most impact to compliment our more standard product shots.
After all, whoever buys her is unlikely to leave her on the shelf, so it's nice to give the photos some life, a bit of personality.
On to the next one :)
Karen and Rich
