Model photo shoot

A while ago I posted this about my explorations of getting good photos of jewelry without any fancy equipment. I also promised that I'd post about my outdoor shoots with someone modeling said jewelry.

It didn't really work. I've come to the conclusion that I need to find someone who is either ridiculously photogenic, or has some modeling experience before I try to get some really good photos of jewelry/hats/scarves actually *on* people. It's very hard. Not only do I have to figure out how to put into words what I want out of the photo (very difficult), my 'model' also has to be able to interpret it in the same way I meant it, and then give me that expression/pose/mood (extremely difficult).

So I will not be posting any photos of my attempted photo shoot. They're really not that great, but also not bad enough that there's anything you could learn from me showing them. Instead, I will just talk about my discoveries on what I need to do differently.

I really need a nice big blank background. I did some searching of product photos on Etsy and other places, trying to decide what it was that I really liked about the good photos. Some of the outdoors/busy background photos are really lovely, but they're usually showcasing entire outfits, and are quite obviously taken by professional photographers/models (at least the ones that are my favorites). On a more do-able level, something with a blank background - not necessarily white, but light colored - seems to work well.

Something about a very neutral background lets you take photos that focus visually on the item you're selling, and are easier to manipulate on the computer to make the colors of your item correct.

Also, children. Small kids modeling hats are adorable. And they instantly make anything look ten times sweeter and more adorable..

Moral of the story: I need to find (not necessarily in this order) a large blank wall of a pleasing neutral shade, a smiling photogenic person who maybe has some modeling experience, and an adorable child.

Any takers??