Product photos

Hi everyone,
I’ve finally designed my first triangular scarf and would like to upload the pattern for download. The problem is, though, that this is already the third time I’ve failed because, for some reason, my product images/preview images keep getting rejected. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong 😔
I’m not a pro at photography or photo editing, and I don’t have any real equipment (just my phone) or a studio (just my living room and dining table). Could you maybe give me a tip or two on what I need to keep in mind when taking the photos? I don’t really see any difference between my photos and the ones in other patterns 😔
Best regards, Claudia 

Hi Claudia,
It would be helpful if you could upload a few of your rejected images here in the forum. Then we can suggest improvements based on the images.

You’re right about that ;)

Hello Claudia,
welcome to the forum.
The reason for the rejection by support is stated in each email from support. Please read the email again.

If you’d like to upload photos here, you’re welcome to do so, but please respond to posts from users and authors.

People here in the forum can definitely give you tips. However, if you don’t put those tips into practice, it won’t be very helpful.
Even if you’re not a professional photographer, it’s still your responsibility to upload good photos. If you don’t have the necessary knowledge, you’ll just have to learn it, for example through free videos on the internet / YouTube.

I wish you the best of luck.

That’s what I’m trying to do, but I don’t have any guidelines to go by :( The email just says that the images should be of good quality and high standard, which goes without saying. The main image shows the product in its entirety without any cropped edges—a dark product on a light background. I already left out the collage during my last attempt, since the rejection email said the cropped edges look unprofessional (???). I also double-checked the aspect ratio (4:3) and adjusted it where necessary. I’m at a loss as to what’s still not up to par in terms of quality :( And as I said, I personally don’t see any fundamental difference from the images in other patterns :(

Hi Claudia.
When your images were rejected, you were told the reasons.

You don’t need professional equipment to present your products in an appealing way.

It’s up to you to seek inspiration and get creative to showcase your products well.
This is, first and foremost, in your own best interest.
No one will buy a pattern that’s poorly presented.

Here are a few links that you should click on and read carefully:

https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/173869/neulings-info-bilder-erstellen-und-bearbeiten

https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/175469/bildqualitaet

This is the link to the authors’ forum, where you’ll also find helpful information:

https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/thread/22/autoren-forum

We’ll help you if you’re open to help and put the tips into practice.
Most authors started small and also had to get creative to present their projects well on a tight budget and with limited equipment.
You can do it too! Take heart!

By the way, that collage was my first main product image

Hi Claudia, in your bottom picture you used a background. However, it is crumpled and has wrinkles. I don't think that will be accepted. The lighting there isn't ideal either. 
I personally don't think your top collage is bad. But it is square. It could also be that there is a restriction on the number of images in a collage. Maybe the others can say something about that. I haven't made any collages so far. And I would brighten the pictures a bit more. 
When you compare your pictures with other patterns, you have to bear in mind that the requirements have become stricter. Many patterns that were published earlier do not meet them. 

Best regards 
Tatjana. 

Hi Cladu_Crochet

I’m not into photography either, and I only use my phone too.
For photo editing, I can recommend Snapseed. You’ll find videos on YouTube that explain how to use the app. I personally think it’s great.

Take the last picture, for example—please take a look at the shawl underneath. Endless wrinkles. That doesn’t look good.

I know, it’s enough to drive you crazy. I felt exactly the same way.

My advice: Backgrounds or surfaces need to be light-colored and wrinkle-free. If possible, take your dress form outside into natural light.

Or check out other people’s profile pictures—you’re sure to find some helpful tips there, too.

I’m currently editing my profile photos. I’ll show you the difference.

Good luck, and don’t get discouraged. It gets better every day. Old profile n

Dear Tatjana, that’s already a concrete starting point—thank you 🤗 I’ll see if I can optimize the photos a bit more 👍

Thanks so much, Sina—I’ll check out the app :)

Yes, I think it will help you. It helped me. 

And if you need help, call on us. Everyone who replies here is happy to reply. Otherwise they wouldn’t. Okay

Best regards, Birgit from Sinas-Haekelwiese 

P.S. Collages should only consist of 3 photos.

I personally don’t think the one you show above is bad either. I just think there’s 1 photo too many 

And pay attention to the aspect ratio: The main image must be landscape orientation and 4:3! A collage shouldn’t contain more than 3 images.

I’ll keep trying my luck—challenge accepted 🤗👍 Thank you all so much 🤗

@Claudia

If you don’t have access to the authors’ forum yet, the tips given here are definitely already super helpful.
We in Support and moderation get to follow some authors’ progress firsthand, and we really do see some truly amazing improvements sometimes, which makes us very happy.
So it’s worth sticking with it. You can only grow from it. :-)

In a nutshell:

The required aspect ratio is 4:3 (width:height). As soon as you crop something off one edge of the image and leave the other edges the same, the aspect ratio is no longer correct. So you always need to crop evenly.

Use backdrops that don’t wrinkle. We recommend crushed velvet as the ideal backdrop. It is always wrinkle-free, and its random texture makes a great base or background. Crushed velvet is very affordable and can be bought cheaply from several online retailers.

Please never photograph your objects in front of doors, as this always looks unprofessional. The same goes for using the floor as a background.

Some objects are perfect for a collage. It should consist of no more than 3 images and have a white background. There are good apps that create great collages. Here, too, you need to keep the 4:3 aspect ratio in mind. 

For all images, make sure the objects are shown brightly enough and in sharp focus.

I think this will already help you quite a bit. 
If your next uploads are rejected, please don’t lose heart. Just keep trying; persistence combined with practice is sure to pay off. :-)

Sometimes it takes a little more time to figure out for yourself why the photos aren’t quite up to par, Claudia.
I’m still experimenting with this myself every now and then until I get it just right.

Last year, I invested in a lighting stand and some light-colored panne velvet.
It was definitely worth it.

@Support:
That’s exactly the kind of information I was missing in the rejection emails ;) Now I have an idea of what to look out for and can give it a try—thank you so much :)

Thanks to everyone else for the encouragement and tips :) You’ve been a huge help :)

If the photos can’t be cropped to a 4:3 aspect ratio, I use GIMP (any other image editing program works too) to create a new image with a white background in 4:3 format.
I then place the product photo on top of that.
This automatically creates a white border that isn’t visible, and the dimensions are correct.

Would a main photo like this be okay? It’s not technically that great yet, but before I invest a ton of time in it... Or is the background too dark?

Too dark. Doesn’t look great.

All right 👍

There’s a bright spot in the lower corner (I know, it’s the flash) and the corners are too dark.

Daylight. Daylight is best. 

It was just a rough draft to give you an idea at first 😉

Hold your phone horizontally....Horizontal, horizontal, horizontal. That way, you’ll almost always have a 4:3 aspect ratio. In Snapseed, you can rotate it, edit it (brightness, sharpness, etc.), and save it

@Claudia,
It’s great that you’re taking new photos, but please keep the information from support in mind. Please read through the information from support here in this thread again.

Quote from a post by support from noon today. Emphasis added by me.
Please never photograph your items in front of doors, as this always looks unprofessional. The same applies if you use the floor as the surface.
End of quote.

I’ll just take the photos in 4:3 (landscape) right away, so I’ll at least have the right aspect ratio. Now I “just” have to tweak the subject itself—the background, the surface, props, etc. 🙈

@Claudia,
did you read my post from 4:29 p.m.?

Yeah, I did, and I immediately dismissed the idea ✌️

Okay.