Product Photography - Learning By Example

Dunitz Glass Earrings

I'm always thinking about how I can create enticing photography for Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry website and social feeds. I've mastered the "jewelry on white background" images. These are the types of images needed for 'clean' website viewing and required by most trade magazines for publication. How do I do it? With a light box and Photoshop. Here's the Photoshop trick I use, assuming you use this software. Image > Adjustment > Levels --- adjust & there you go.  I know others use various phone apps to manage the white backgrounds. For me, Photoshop is what works. But what about all those other sexy pics I see on Instagram? I think I do an admirable job with the Dunitz & Company photography. I also know that I can always do better.  Watching other photo feeds sometimes make for the best teachers. Here are a few Instagram accounts worth following. Perhaps they'll have a thing or two to teach you. And honestly, you may fall in love with their products too. Why not? 

 

Lucuma Designs

Lucuma Designs is a Fair Trade Federation colleague of ours. They work with artisans in Peru and their Instagram feed is yummy. I tend to linger on some of their photos more than ones from other feeds.  I love how many of their images show an item (a gourd perhaps) in complete focus. And everything around it is blurry. I know this has something to do with depth of field. But, heck, I don't know how to create that effect. If you're an expert with a camera and know how that is accomplished, please email me.

 

The Spiral Rock

The Spiral Rock offers up some really wonderful product pics on their Instagram feed. I love how they use so many angles and add cool looking measurement tools so you know what size everything actually is. The designer, Harriet, who I know from a couple of Facbook groups told me she often uses window ledges for her background. How cool is that? 

Fazlco

 

It appears that each and every photo I see from Fazl Socks makes me drool with envy. Their photography makes socks sexy. I think you'll be inspired by their excellent photography and you'll want to go out and buy yourself a pair of their ethically made socks. Fazlco is a screened member (like us, self-serving pitch) of Fair Trade Federation.

Flavour Design Studio

There is no way that Flavour Design Studio was NOT going to make this list. Elan, their founder and designer has an incredible eye. Everything from product design to photography, everything she touches has such style. Flavor Design was my neighbor many times at trade shows, and their booth always looked perfect. As far as photography goes, it's clear that Elan carefully plans each of her shots which really in turn express the mood she is after. It's a cold day. Oh that soup in her Buddha Bowl is steaming. Looking for good luck? Her bowls are filled with just the right Lucky Charm cereal. She's on my pedestal.

M.Lew Jewelry

Melissa Lew knows how to make her jewelry rock on Instagram. Her feed is really fun to follow and she has a great eye for combining lifestyle shots with great product photography. She is a Museum Store Association vendor colleague of mine. And she also happens to be one of the most collaborative and helpful people around. Without asking, she'll jump in and offer assistance whenever she knows she can. Definitely check out her jewelry and her photography! 

Awamaki Peru

Awamaki Peru sure draws me into their Instagram feed. They have some lovely product shots. And their images of their colorful artisans are dreamy.  After following along, you'll feel as if you KNOW their weavers, their community and their beautiful products. Dreaming of a new pair of winter gloves? This Fair Trade Federation member company could be the perfect resource.

Helen Gotlib

My niece, and a fabulous artist she is, Helen Gotlib earns a thumbs up for her Instagram feed. Her product is her wonderful artwork. And she does an amazing job showcasing it. You'll see many pics of her and her process in her studio. Including many videos. Drool. Drool. (Watching what she does with video might encourage you to do the same.) She manages to obtain and share lots of shots of her work in their final homes. And some of those homes are Architectural Digest worthy.

Mayamam Weavers

Perhaps you read my last blog post that included thoughts from Mayamam Weavers about their design process and working with artisans in Guatemala. Now, our Fair Trade Federation colleague deserves a shout-out for their fabulous photography. Yes, we follow them on Instagram. And I'm always amazed how they manage so many ways to show off their gorgeous textiles. What most impresses me is how they stage so many engaging shots. At a picnic. Baking cookies. Drinking martinis. Washing dishes. They're so clever!

Indigo Jones

Are you a foodie? Then you must follow my high school friend (yes, high school), Shari Hershon from Indigo Jones. You'll want to eat everything she bakes and cooks. Her photography is just that enticing. She also bakes to order, so if you need gluten-free eye candy, she's your person.  Go ahead. Start drooling.  She also lists some of her treats in her Etsy shop.

Kahiniwalla

Kahiniwalla is an expert when it comes to baby toys and rattles. And they definitely have their photography down to a tee. I mean, who doesn't want to see an adorable photo of a child playing with a colorful toy? Their Instagram feed will fill you with smiles. Did I say that Kahiniwalla is also a Fair Trade Federation member? Their beautiful offerings are ethically made in Bangladesh.

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So now that I've shared some of my favorite Instagram feeds for photography inspiration, can you suggest some of your favorites to me?  Please email them to my attention and I promise I'll have a look.  My 2021 goal after reviewing these feeds for this post, is to take some extra time and create some staged photos. Maybe Dunitz fair trade jewelry on wrists, reading a book, with elbows on a table.

 

 

 

 

Dunitz & Company

For a closing thought, let me share a smokin' hot pic I like a lot from the Dunitz & Company Instagram feed. -ND

Instagram Accounts You'll Want to Follow | 2020

I've been at it a long time. And I've been working the Dunitz& Company social media for a long time too. Sometimes I refer to it as a giant time suck.  I'm not sure all my efforts pay off. Being the rather stubborn person I am, I keep at it. And I dream that my endless energy promoting our ethically made and fair trade jewelry is making a difference. Are you on Instagram? The Dunitz Instagram account definitely steals plenty of my waking hours [Follow us. Hint. Hint.]. Creatively featuring our designs and mission, so as not to be too pushy and in your face is an ongoing challenge.  

 

What I've learned most, is in order to succeed with Instagram, you must be willing to watch, learn and engage with other brands and people. Yes, I watch my Fair Trade Federation colleagues, and I do have my favs.  And, I watch Fair Trade Federation too. Some of the most fun is when  I put on my detective hat and discover people and brands that except for this random connection on Instagram, I wouldn't have known. With this blog post, I wanted to share, in no particular order, some of my new favorite Instagram accounts I enjoy following. You might enjoy engaging with them too.

Tatty_moo - From across the pond, this account seems to inspire me with each of her posts.  The woman behind this account is innovative and environmentally conscious. She tears apart old clothing and pieces scraps from various items together to make new wholes. She designs wood-cut stud earrings that are super cute too.  And you know it takes a lot for me to say that. If this account doesn't inspire you, I don't know what account could. 

 

fredrika_and_the_apricots - Don't ask me how I stumbled upon Sarah the illustrator. What I do know is I have fallen in love with her aesthetic.  Her drawings are beautiful. Her presentation on her Instagram posts is perfection.This woman is so talented. 

bonniestauch - Bonnie is an amazing costume designer who has been responsible for the look of many a famous actor and actress in many films you might have seen.  She also has a wonderful IG feed you can absolutely get lost in. I haven't a clue where she discovers so many wonderful images. You'll love the fashion shots and artful photographic compositions she posts.

rosiemae27 - Rosie Mae, apparently from Brooklyn, or living in Brooklyn has swagger.  I'm partial to wall and graffiti art and she posts a lot of it. She's ethically minded and describes herself as a slow fashionista. What's not to like? And I'm certain she is drinking fair trade coffee.

sustainable.kay - I've been watching Kayla for a bit, and I'm often impressed with her suggestions for low waste living. OMG she is studying sustainability. Of course, she gives us tips on composting  and how to use less plastic around your home.  Please check her out. I know you'll get some good info that may change your life. And help our planet.

tussenkunstenquarantaine  - This account certainly doesn't need my help in obtaining followers! Clearly there is a reason this feed is so popular. You know those images you've seen from time to time with people imitating fine art? Well this feed is just that on steroids. It is so fun to watch this feed. And the reenactments come from people all over the world. Case in point, the image to the right I've featured hails from Iran.

coacoa13 - Don't even ask how I stumbled upon Colette Tucker's account. But I did. And every day this veterinary tech posts photos of cats and dogs from behind the scenes at the clinic where she works. They keep me smiling. Yes. Yes. I'm a dog person. Have you seen mine? If animals live in my house, they go by Dunitz mascot! 

mabeldorr - This resale shop located in Binghamton, NY actually is a client of Dunitz & Company's. They sell our fair trade jewelry there. I adore watching their IG feed because the owner, Heidi has a keen eye for fashion. Her selections and posts of luscious vintage clothing has resulted in my drooling. If you love fashion and you love vintage fashion, you must must must follow this account. I've warned you. You'll definitely find some pieces you'll want to have in your closet.

jillian.isabel - Yup, she's very far from me. Jillian is Down Under as we say. She reports from Australia. She has such a great eye with her camera shots.  I love that she posts oodles and oodles of street art photos. She doesn't know it. But I know if we were actually acquainted in person, and could walk around town together, we'd be attracted to much of the same.  I too love snapping pics of outdoor murals. If I find painted utility boxes, even better. Wait wait. That reminds me. I saw one on the way into work today. (Yes, I'm working on Saturday.) I must go back and take the shot.

 

racheladelicia - And finally, I had to make another shot-out to Rachel Adelicia. My pointing out her IG account is not new. I've actually interviewed her before.  I still love following her feed as much as I did when I first started. She's sassy and she has great style. She knows designers and she is crazy for thrifting. I'm sure I would have a pile of fun if I could actually ruffle through her closet and dresser drawers. This is a great account if you are into vintage fashion.

So there you have it. My current recommendations for Instagram accounts I think you'll enjoy following. While you're clicking away, don't forget to follow the Dunitz & Company Instagram account.  I promise, I don't just post pics of our fair trade jewelry. I also include travel pics from Guatemala, model shots, artisans at work and inspiration quotes.  If it wasn't our account, I'd still suggest you follow it! Thanks for reading. And if you have some suggestions for me, please let me know. - ND

Perfect Pin

Instagramers You Don't Know & Worth Following

Me at the Fair Trade Federation Conference

I work tirelessly on social media, all in an effort to get Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry noticed. The Shop Dunitz Instagram feed seems to steal a lot of my attention. Unfortunately posting pretty pics of our jewelry and models wearing our jewelry only seems a small part of the effort. Growing an engaging, interesting and interested following seems near impossible. I like interacting with other users. I follow accounts I think I may find interesting or those I think should know about Dunitz & Company. Sometimes these accounts follow back and dialog with me. Most don't. And honestly, if they're not interested in interacting, I typically move on. Gotta say, I enjoy the give and take. I've never paid for followers or for bot programs that interact with accounts impersonating me. (I've considered the latter. But it seems so unnatural to me when bots comment on my photos.) So what's a girl to do?

It is estimated that there are over 100 million accounts on Instagram. Can you believe it? The sheer volume of images and information passing through my feed and/or #hashtag searches makes it a daunting task to find those I identify with and/or choose to learn something from.

If you're interested in saving our environment, thrifting or conservation, here are 10 Instagramers I've discovered to be engaging and engaged. None of them seem to be gamers. Just amazing humans sharing good information. I'd love to support their efforts and hope their voices will be heard a bit louder. In no particular order. No targeted editorial comments. Just my recommendation to follow and dialog.

Devi Speaks from the Heart

1. developingstyleblog

Matt to the Point

2. sustainablematt 

Wonderful Thrifted Finds

3. slow_fashion_finder 

Updated and Upcycled

4. nonewness 

Let's Help Clean Our Oceans

 5. ethicellie

Bonnie Promotes Natural Wellness

6. conscious.chica

Eco Tips & Suggestions

7. thewiseconsumer

Hates Plastic. Yes!

8. msatx.livesgreen

#onlytogetherwecan

9. conscious_49   

Solutions to Using Less Plastic

10. lets_savetheplanet 

After you've followed these accounts for a while, please let me know what you think of them. If you have some Instagram accounts you think I'd enjoy interacting with, I'd sure appreciate the recommendations.  If you're not watching the Dunitz & Company Instagram feed, please do. If you're seeking  fair trade jewelry  for you or for a gift, please consider one of my beautiful designs from Guatemala. (Yeh, I had to end with that!) Thanks all. Thanks for reading. - ND

Discovered Inspiration on Instagram

Every day I log into my Instagram accounts, @ndunitz and @shopdunitz. A primary reason for having these accounts is to communicate with and develop relationships with my Dunitz & Company wholesale and retail customers. Another is to find inspiration. Inspirational color. Inspirational design. Inspirational thoughts. Creative juices will flow when watching images through the lenses of others. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

I have absolutely no idea how I stumbled upon KaRMA Positivo. Evidently others have as well since this profile now has over 15K followers. Their tag line says they are curating images from Instagram about lifestyle, fashion and artisanship. And that they do. If you browse the feed, you'll find oodles of wonderful and inspirational photos with great styles and colors. Some vintage. Some current. I dig this feed.  The quirky thing is I decided to dig a bit further. The website attached to this feed & their twitter account leads you to the personal blog of Walter Tay Ann Lee, a mechanical engineering student from Singapore. [A reply to an IG message sent by me to KaRMA suggests the URL provided has either been hacked or expired in error. Let this be a warning to check all your links and expiry dates.]


Karen at sustainablefashionchat is obsessed with...you guessed it "sustainable fashion".  And you can read more on her blog. Because I am a fair trader (you're probably reading this because you know Dunitz fair trade jewelry) and I'm obsessed with thrift stores and flea markets, I am always amused to see how she pulls together her ethical outfits.  And she models them so nicely too. Just like me, Karen wears a lot of neutral color clothing. Ah this is a good thing for so many reasons! First, you can wear a sweater over and over again and no one will say... "you wore that yesterday." And, neutrals make the perfect backdrop for Dunitz colorful jewelry. Now we need Karen to wear a piece or two :)!

Here's a profile I enjoy that isn't fashion oriented at all.  Not too long ago I started following Janet Jeffers at janetlittlejeffers, a brilliant photographer who captures awesome finds with either her iPhone or Nikon. I've drooled over some of her recent trip photos. But honestly, it seems if she's in Budapest or her own backyard it doesn't matter. Janet has an incredible eye and can snap the most mundane things and make them exciting. Heck, look at this door in the photo to the right. Those shades of green, rust and black inspire me to create a new color combination for Dunitz fair trade jewelry.  I definitely recommend following her IG feed. Or check out her website.

Sometimes it's "just about pretty"! And that is how I find Sarah's incasualsimplicity feed. Sarah mentions her feed is about finding poetry in everyday life. She seems to savor nature and what she calls simple things. Her photos are lovely. And even better yet, she shares images of her own work created with watercolor and gouache. I am certain this is why I like her profile so much. I find inspiration in her many images of flowers. I also enjoy seeing the Japanese prints she shares with her audience. (Did you know my senior year of college honors seminar at University of Michigan focused on Japanese ukiyo-e prints? Go Blue!)

 
Please share with me some of your most loved Instagram profiles. Perhaps your favorites will lend some inspiration for me and my Dunitz & Company pretty and fair trade designs.-ND

My Favorite Instagram Feeds

I look at a lot of photos each and every day on Instagram. Between my @ndunitz feed and @shopdunitz feed, I breeze through nearly 2400 accounts of images. Yes, that is a load of images! I follow the retail shops that sell Dunitz fair trade jewelry. I watch sustainable and ethical bloggers. I track all sorts of fashionistas. I follow back - those that watch me. And at the end of the day, there are a few feeds that have become my favorites. Here are a few you might enjoy watching too. Note, none of these Instagramers have paid me for this mention.

Many of you know, I learned so much about fashion from my mother. She was my first teacher of fashion. As a kid, I watched her dress up for all sorts of social events that ranged from charity luncheons to gala dinner parties. She was a clothes horse and she looked good in everything. And she knew her designers.  I think this is why I've become so intrigued with Rachel Adelicia's Instagram feed. This girl rocks style. And it warms my heart to see her wear amazing vintage design.  I drool over the clothing she shows off.  I'm almost sure she has great relationships with some upscale resale shops. Women wearing beautiful clothing on IG are a dime a dozen. Rachel not only looks terrific in so many styles, she styles her shots very very well.  Seriously, she could be a magazine editor. She has a great eye. I sent her a message through IG recently asking her about her inspiration.  She responded to me that she loves looking at fashion advertisements in magazines and recreating the looks with vintage. Bravo, Rachel. Read her blog to learn more beyond the photos she shares on Instagram.


I love to eat. OK, most of us do! And I love to look at beautiful food. For this very reason, I watch a few foodie feeds on Instagram.  My favorite eye candy comes from Ivy Chin, who describes herself as a self taught and passionate cook. She uses edible flowers. Her works are full of amazing colors. And her combination of colors has inspired my jewelry design. You just NEVER know what will be the catalyst for design. I can't tell you how many times I've commented on Ivy's photos with "too pretty to eat."  Check out her feed and let me know if you agree.




Weaving tales in color seems to be a specialty of Emma Thomas. She's going through a pink phase right now. If you scroll through her feed you'll see lots of luscious and foggy colors. I loved her recent posts of hunter green images. She features yummy vintage time and time again.  And the filters she chooses create such a wonderful moody feel. I drool over many of her choices. And I know I'll never find or be able to afford many of the breathtaking designs she features.  So for now, I live vicariously through her feed. Love it, Emma!



Last year a friend of mine suggested I reach out to fashion bloggers on Instagram to see if I could obtain some visibility for Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry. I wrote to several women. Many ignored me. Several looked at our website and emailed specifically which pieces of ours they'd love to own and model. Others left it up to us. Rie Victoria Aoki was one of the women I contacted. At the time, she posted several photos on Instagram and on her blog wearing Dunitz jewelry. Since that time, her's has become one of my favorite feeds to watch on Instagram. And clearly, I'm not alone. Her followers have been growing exponentially. Why? Because this is one woman who has it going on. She's stunning. She has style. And, from experience, I can tell you she is lovely too. Add her to your IG list! She will inspire your style.

Please share with me your favorite Instagram feeds. I'd love to watch what you find most inspiring. And of course don't forget to follow ours.-ND