I've been finishing a stack of beads that I made earlier this week and am beginning to upload them to the shop. One of the projects on my to do list has been to find the right background set up that is neutral enough to accommodate several different styles and is also portable. In the past, I've used ceramic tiles, a rusty old white chair, and a worn out table. I never dug the way the photos looked on the tile, and the rusty chair and worn out table weren't portable in that they stayed outside all the time so if there was rain, it made it difficult to shoot photos.
The worn out table is getting really worn out. The other day, I tried to drag it into better light and one of the legs began to crumble away so I decided it was finally time to come up with a more permanent solution.
I pondered all of the different solutions: nice scrapbook paper, my stash of handmade paper, old books etc. but I really wanted something that was mine all mine, and differentiated my work from other's work out there, especially in the glut of mixed media work that is on Etsy already.
So, I decided to paint my own background.
I painted 2 base pieces for shooting pieces flat. Then I also painted several small blocks to match that I could stack and get a bit of height for laying out finished pieces or leaning pendants.
I painted to base pieces so that there was extra room to butt them together if I needed more space or alternatively, I can prop one up to make a wall behind if need be.
I'm really pleased with how the first batch of shots turned out and I'm digging the finish I put on them. I feel like the careful consideration and all the trial and error up to this point was worth it.
*Little tip, make sure you use a matte paint or else you'll still get a glare. Use decorator acrylics, or if you're using nice acrylics, mix in a bit of cheap craft store acrylic to matte it down a bit.
There are some new things in the shop today and a few more over the next couple days to come as well. Be sure subscribe to my RSS feed on Etsy to stay up to date or become my friend on Facebook.
6 comments:
Fabulous idea. Your backgrounds look great and the beads are wonderful. It's definitely a win win combination.
your backgrounds are genius! I love the subtle texture and color. Gray is a great background for almost anything...most colors look great on it.
absolutely beautiful and enhances your work perfectly without competing... you have also secured a 'look' of your own to go with your unique work! congrats - no small feat achieved...
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! I am so impressed with your ingenuity! I would have suggested the textured scrapbook paper. The pictures look great.
The backgrounds look great - original, rustic and neutral! They are a perfect fit for your work.
Oh, these are gorgeous backgrounds! And do they show off your work perfectly, or what?
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