CHOOSE THE BEST PICS FOR YOUR CUSTOM PHOTO JEWELRY COLLECTION

You're ready to design your first Foterra Jewelry piece? So exciting! 

Before you design, we want to share with you the tips and tricks we use to choose the best pics for a Foterra Jewelry collection.

We use a special process that makes our jewelry slightly translucent (think stained glass). Because of this translucency, not every image will work for your photo jewelry piece. We want your photo jewelry collection to be an extension of your artwork. We want you to be happy with the results. Most of all, we want your customers to be excited to purchase a piece of jewelry featuring your artwork!

To help you along your design journey, we created five guidelines to help you get the best results. Follow these tips and you will have a beautiful photo collection that your fans will adore!

1. Photos of People

This tip is for our portrait Fotographers. 

We don't recommend using portrait photography as a general rule. Because the jewelry is slightly translucent, your clients adorable little baby's face will become muddy and washed out. And nobody wants that!

However, there are some creative ways to capture a photo of a person that look great in our jewelry. Check out the example below. This family was captured in silhouette against a beautiful sunset scene. Not only is this a bit more interesting to look at, but it captures the place the photo was taken as well! Think about this type of photo when choosing designing your jewelry. 

2. Don't Blow Out Your Sunset

This one is just a general photo tip: While it may seem counterintuitive, the best light comes AFTER the sun sets. Surprising I know! If you wait juuuuust a few more minutes for the sun to go down you will get the best sunset pic. And this will also make for a much more interesting jewelry piece. 

Because our jewelry is translucent white and light yellow colors will show up as clear in the jewelry piece. So keep this in mind when shooting your sunset, and choosing a photo for your jewelry. As you see below, the person who created the jewelry piece on the left waited a few minutes for the sun to go down and captured the amazing color that comes later. The person on the right got a blown out sunset, and a white necklace. No bueno.

3. Keep it Simple

When in doubt keep it simple. Scenes with a lot going on can overwhelm your tiny jewelry piece. The best jewelry (and the best design for that matter) is simple.

4. Varying Color Patterns

Bright and colorful photos with lots of vibrant colors work well with our translucent jewelry. If you use a pic with similar colors and limited variation, the jewelry will look muddy and you will be unable to pick out all the details of the image. Check out the example below. It is easier to see the sunset in the example on the left. The colors have a lot of variation, making the details easier to pick out. The scene is simpler (see tip #3) and this also makes it more effective as a piece of jewelry. 

5. Use a Dark Subject

No, not talking spooky stories or slasher films! A dark subject means that your subject (aka the thing you are focused on when taking the picture) is darker than the background in the image. Check out the example below. The image on the left has the palm tree unlit against a colorful sunset scene. The image on the right was taken in full light in the middle of the day. The one on the right blends in to the blue sky background and it gets lost. The one on the left pops against the bright background. 

 

 

Now you're a pro in all things photo jewelry! Find out more about becoming a Foto Elite Member and create your own photo jewelry collection. We can help you create the perfect collection that your customers will love. 

Post by Foterra Founder and Designer Morgan