2d (edited) • In Practice
In Practice: E2 — Clean Photos Sell Better
Product photos should be clean, neutral, and uncluttered.
I didn’t do that.
I staged my gnome hats in the woods out back — dirt, moss, uneven light, branches in the frame. At the time, the shop wasn’t meant to be serious. It was a cosplay prop. Something that amused me.
At the time, Etsy’s front page leaned heavily on user-made galleries. Fantasy artists curated what they enjoyed working with, and the woods made the images easier — and more fun — to place.
So when hats started selling, I didn’t pivot to what I was “supposed” to do.
I didn’t buy a backdrop. I didn’t clear a corner of my house. I didn’t re-shoot everything to look more legitimate.
What I did pay attention to was light and composition. I made sure the photos were clear, well-lit, and intentional — even if the setting was messy.
Part of it was stubbornness. Part of it was taste. Part of it was paying attention to the moment I was in.
Clean photos make sense if the goal is flexibility and mass appeal. But my goal wasn’t flexibility — it was place.
Those photos weren’t clean, but they were orienting. They told people where the hats belonged and who they were for.
Looking back, if I’d cleaned it up too early, the shop might have grown faster — and burned out faster too. The aesthetic held the world in place long enough for other ideas to form. Gnome Scouts didn’t come from a white backdrop. Neither did toadstool toss.
That’s been my experience.
It wasn’t perfect or polished. It was specific. And it lasted long enough to become something else.
Your turn (comment below):
Hard: What’s one “best practice” you’ve ignored because it didn’t fit your work?
Easier: What part of the advice did you keep — and why?
Short answers are welcome.
Bullet lists are perfect wasn’t perfect or polished. It was specific. And it lasted long enough to become something else.
In Practice — Reflection
Your turn (comment below):
- Hard: What’s one “best practice” you’ve ignored because it didn’t fit your work?
- Easier: What part of the advice did you keep — and why?
Short answers are welcome. Bullet lists are perfect
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In Practice: E2 — Clean Photos Sell Better
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