Do it Well
A quote from Buddha to start a very particular thought I want to express:
Quite regularly I have people write and ask if I will post something for them on the blog. I am always happy to do so if it fits the criteria for what we do here, and that it is as least as useful to the readers as it might be to the person or group that would like me to get the word out or promote something. That means it has to be relevant to the polymer community, and I need something visual to post. The visual part, oddly enough, ends up being the hurdle.
It’s not that people don’t send imagery or art work, it’s the quality of what is sent. With dozens or even hundreds of emails flowing through any one individual’s inbox and as many or more posts lining up in an RSS feed or on Facebook, the images in these dispatches need to be eye-catching and clear. If they are not, they will be passed over for those that are.
The reason I bring this up is because I see far too much beautiful work that is presented poorly online. I can’t tell you how many pieces I have passed on blogging about because you just couldn’t see it well in the photos–too dark, blurry, or overexposed, with flat lighting, distracting backgrounds, or overly yellow light will diminish or even ruin the impression of your work. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say this: If you are going to post photos of your work in any public forum, be it Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, your blog or website, and especially places you hope to sell like Etsy or Artfire, post well-photographed work. Even if you don’t find yourself so serious about what you do now, if you have any aspiration to become a professional artist or craftsperson and sell or show your work, the impression you give now can stick with the viewing public for quite a while. Images posted on the internet live on the internet for years. What you do today may come up in someone’s search 5 years from now. You may not be doing your best work yet; but at least, when your older work is still popping up in years to come, the photos will show it well. And if you have an aspirations to someday be featured in any one of the wonderful blogs or periodicals that feature craft artists, you have a better chance if you have good photos of your work posted.
The thing is, this is your art; this is part of who you are, who you have been, and who you will be. If you put yourself, your heart, and your soul into your work, take it that step further and show it well also.
You can get tips on creating better photographs from the many articles in The Polymer Arts magazine or you can take a class locally or get a book like Steve Meltzer’s Photographing Arts, Crafts & Collectibles.
