I am sorry if it sounds like I'm on the metaphorical high horse here but I just have to say.... I really wish people would have better shots of products they're trying to sell.

Yes, I know (and fervently admire) there are those with fabulous shots, and there is actually quite a wealth of information and tips out there on how to get decent pictures, so I don't really understand why crap pics still exist (wth reference to Etsy and other handmade community sites). This bugs me because I am a shopper too. So here are my views as said shopper.

By crap pics, I mean the ones that are simply:
- too dark
- blurry
- so small I can't even tell what your item is

These are the most obvious, and the most easily remedied. You don't need a fancy-ass camera or be a Photoshop pro. You just need to know how whatever camera you have works - and if it's a point-and-shoot kind, there are usually presets for beginners. If you can transfer the photos to your computer to load into your shop, you've got no excuse in not knowing how to fiddle with rudimentary camera settings.

You don't need complicated lighting either - diffused natural light is most pleasing to the eye. Next... size matters. You know what's in your pic because you made it and probably took the pic, but we don't know whether it's a mess of broken glass or an intricate pendant. Please move your body nearer to the subject. And when clicking the shoot button, please only move your finger.

I will probably not click on your listing if:
- your photo looks like everyone else's on the listings pages
- the background is so busy it renders the subject indistinguishable
- the subject blends too much into the background
- your props confuse me about what you're trying to sell
- you have mistagged your item (grrrrr)

Basically, please just give me a reason to click your listing instead of the gazillion others. Show me an interesting angle, or a detail that makes your item special. If you take pride in your work, you should also take pride in presenting it to other people.

Photography may be an art, but I see it no different from most other forms of visual art - and by visual art I would obviously include items like jewellery, clothes and anything to do with fashion and accessories as they are things made to be seen. Isn't seeing is one of the most immediate and instinctive senses?

So... create beauty... revel in it... and share it. Don't do it half-assed ;)