Monday, January 21, 2013

Natural light vs artificial for photographs

Some days, it's just really hard for me to get all my winter gear on and go outside for photoshoots.

It's so cold, and I never warm up anyway... and I think that maybe, just maybe if I do it just right, the pics inside will turn out good enough with the help of a touch of editing.



So I go to the brightest window we have...


set up my background...

Take several pics before the camera's battery dies...

Upload and start editing...


and realize no amount of editing is going to fix this hot mess.




Finally I pull myself out of the chair and comfy house,
brave the cold and wet, 
and just do what I should have done in the first place and take GOOD pictures OUTSIDE.

Really, the pictures make all the difference between an item selling or sitting.  And even affect the price that an item can sell for.  If the pictures stink, the sell stinks.  



The proof is in the pictures....

Here's the inside pic, before photo editing, straight off the camera.
murky, dark, yellowish and just yuk.
 .
.
.
.
.

Pic after trying to get the color right and lightened up... 
and ending up with the color WAY off on the background and the clothes 
and a real poor quality feel to the whole thing.
 .
.
.
.
.

Pic outside, after sucking it up and braving the elements, straight off the camera...


The white is true white, the jeans are closer to the real color, and the 
photo has more of a realistic feel to it.  
(Just a few clicks to highlights and clarity on picmonkey.com and voila!)
DEFINITELY makes all the difference!  


But, you know that all winter I'll be trying again and again to stay warm and avoid the outside...
and then ending up out there anyway.

It's just better that way.

3 comments:

  1. This is interesting Kari. I hate setting up all the stuff inside for photos but with the cold, gloomy winter weather. Well it makes photographing the dolls a pain. I love the last photo and Picmonkey is probably my favorite editing site. Shame that it went to a paid site for so many features...but ...it's worth it!

    Thanks for sharing your photograph experience!

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  2. Thanks for sharing, Kari! xo Get yourself an Ott light if you don't have one. I paint by mine and photograph with mine. They are a true light daylight bulb. Next time, you won't have to put your winter coat and boots on to take pics. Best investment I have ever made. Sometimes, you can get them on Amazon for a steal, or at one of the craft stores like A.C. Moore with a coupon or on sale. You don't have to pay $100+ for one. I got my last one for $35.

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  3. Love the outfit on your doll BTW. I see someone already snatched it up. Yay for you. Rats for me. LOL

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