Oct 24, 2017 |
Hey Rebels!
Today we are chatting with Rachel Rouhana of Haute Stock Co. all about stock photography for product biz owners! Ever wonder how people slay their Instagram and website photos? It’s no secret – it’s STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY! Listen in to this episode as Rachel gives us some great tips for using stock photos to help with social media, your website, and more!
Rachel Rouhana is a graphic designer and photographer who helps women entrepreneurs create visually stunning brands to attract their ideal clients. She founded Haute Stock to make it easy + affordable for boss ladies to create gorgeous graphics that get clicks, likes, shares, and ultimately lead to more sales. Obsessed with gold, glitter, and all things pink, you can often find her sipping a latte and scrolling through Instagram for inspiration.
Rachel Rouhana & Haute Stock Co. Links:
Styled Stock Library: http://bit.ly/HSCLibrary
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hautestockco/
Blog: https://hautestock.co/blog-gallery/
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz7fzQ7HBQ2m0jcbVKgnudKcVGmbEFHHu
Links from the Show:
A good video for beginners with stock & Canva: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYSvj60-q4w&list=PLz7fzQ7HBQ2m0jcbVKgnudKcVGmbEFHHu&index=12
Want some sweet headphones like us? We have the Regent headphones from Sudio Sweden and we LOVE them! The Regent is their premium on-ear model, with impeccable clarity in the instrumental tones and well balanced sound. With 24+ hours of active battery life, and 20 days of standby life, the Regent is the perfect companion for you at home or on the go. It will connect to any device that has Bluetooth, but there is also an auxiliary cord if you don’t want to use the wireless option. You can also personalize your Regent interchangeable caps, such as white or black marble designs. SO COOL! The combination of high polished metal and matte surfaces embodies the vision of Scandinavian design. Seriously, Rebels! These are so good! AND for the month of October, Sudio Sweden is donating 10% of their profits on all our pink products to the Pink Ribbon Foundation in Sweden.
You can get yours here https://goo.gl/rwSyDh and use the code CREATIVEBIZ15 for 15% off your purchase!
Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!
If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!
JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!
YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:
www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com
YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:
www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com
SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:
www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop
Aug 10, 2017 |
The holidays are coming and as a product based business, planning for them should be a top priority. However, before you can even begin to think about what is to come, you need to look at what you have. This is such an important part of the process! It may seem tedious, but it will really help you set goals and understand your business better.
What are some things to look at? Start with your supplies and inventory. If you don’t have a system set up, now is the time. You also want to look at the previous year’s sales during the holidays and set some realistic goals.
Lastly, you want to take a look at your products. What can you update or improve upon in your listings or photos?
Taking the time to do these things will really help you get your holiday prep off to a great start. Set aside a day before things get crazy and check these off your list so you can go into the holiday season confident and ready to go!
We put together a course that helps you do all this and MORE. We want to help you make this the best holiday season yet! Come join the CBR Rock Your Shop Holiday Extravaganza and get your shop and holiday in tip top shape!
Jul 18, 2017 |
Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all things to think about before setting up shop! Caroline and Kelly give great tips on how to get your shop ready! Branding is very important for your shop, but do not let it hold you back from starting and getting yourself out there! You are you, so do not let what others may think hold you back! Focus on yourself and you will see growth! Something else to think about when setting up shop, is learning to separate your business money from your personal money. When setting up shop, right away you need to set up a business account. In the beginning it is hard to set up paying yourself. You need to give yourself time and learn to treat yourself as an employee! Another important point when setting up shop is having good system set in place! How will you get your shop running smoothly?! What process is going to work for you? Figure out a system that works for you so you can manage what you have! Focus on one thing at a time, you cannot do it all at once. The best advice for opening up shop-Just Start!!! Later Rebels!
Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end -Carline
Try to think big picture-let’s grow, grow grow -Kelly
Figure out a system that works for you so you can manage what you have -Caroline
If you don’t have everything at once when you start, no one is going to know -Kelly
Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!
Enroll in our FREE course: The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!
If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!
JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!
YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:
www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com
YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:
www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com
SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:
www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop
*This post does contain some affiliate links*
Jun 20, 2017 |
Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about rolling with the punches and staying positive while running your biz! Don’t let changes freak you out! Caroline and Kelly are here to help! Most important, you really need to be a positive part of the community! The Ecommerce world is always changing. Changes are a part of life and will continue to happen, embrace the changes! If a platform makes a change, ask for help! The .best advice is to go directly to the source! Ask yourself how you can make your shop better with the new changes. Be sure you are on the inside of the platform you belong to! Sometimes our shops take a big hit from changes, but we have to work through the changes, figure out how you can fix it, and bounce back. Stay positive rebels, complaining is not the solution!
Please don’t forget to submit your questions for our 50th episode- please feel free to ask us anything! We want you to be involved, without you we wouldn’t be here! Also, do not forget to join our free summer Ecourse!!
Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly
Always have a positive attitude, keep your eyes forward and keep going -Kelly
No matter what platform you’re on, you have to put in the work -Caroline
Instead of fighting changes, use those changes to grow & evolve your business -Caroline
When a platform makes a change, take a deep breath and take 15 min -Kelly
Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!
Enroll in our FREE course: The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!
If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!
JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!
YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:
www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com
YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:
www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com
SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:
www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop
*This post does contain some affiliate links*
May 30, 2017 |
Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk 5 Ways To Rock Your Summer!! Who doesn’t love a rockin summer?! Summer is the best time to tackle things in the shop that get forgotten and sales are usually slower. So sit back, enjoy a cocktail on the porch (or inside if you hate the heat) and get ready to rock your shop for the summer! What you do now will affect you in 3-5 months for the Holiday Season!
5 Ways To Rock Your Shop:
- Free Course-CBR Rock Your Summer Challenge
- Download the 6 FREE PDF’s
- Listen to the Rock Your Summer Playlist
- Plan
- Get a calendar out, plan releases, upcoming promos, courses and your holiday schedule.
- Work on Projects That Do Not Normally Get Worked On
- Update your shop listings
- Clean up the office
- Update photos
- Get finances up to date
- Pick a Project
- New Idea to Help Grow Business
- Organization
- Social Media
- Take Some Time Off-Switch Your Schedule
- Step away from the computer
- Change your hours for working during the day
Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly
You are not doing yourself any favors if you are working on vacation -Caroline
Sometimes not having anything on your schedule is exciting -Caroline
Spend your summer getting things in place & you will totally thank us later -Kelly
What you do now, will affect your shop months from now -Kelly
Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!
Enroll in our FREE course: The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!
If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!
JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!
YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:
www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com
YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:
www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com
SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:
www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop
*This post does contain some affiliate links*
May 19, 2017 |
Hey there, Rebels! (I’ve always wanted to say that.) As a follow up to my interview with Kelly and Caroline on episode 38 of the podcast, I wanted to share with you my do’s and don’t for photographing your products. Let’s dive right in!
Do: Show Close-Up Shots of Details
As I mentioned in the interview, leaving out detail shots of your products can subconsciously make a potential customer wonder if you’re trying to hide those details. When it comes to styling your photos and shooting them – be sure you aren’t leaving out any of these important close-ups. I’m talking zippers, buttons, fonts, patterns, the back of your products, the hardware, the imprint, the size. All of these things need to be considered and photographed so that you are portraying the entire visual story to your customer.
Do: Pay Attention to Clutter
Can you guess which of the two photos above is the “do” and which is the “don’t”? Trick question! They’re both don’ts. Let me explain: as part of the general composition of your photos, you want to pay close attention to how your products and props are spaced in relation to each other. The top photo shows my props very tightly clustered with little white space surrounding. You may not mind how this looks – it’s a lot up to personal preference – but I like to let the subjects of my photo breathe.The bottom photo shows a very minimal clustering of objects. With only two props – the coffee and the book – and a lot of white space, it can look too bare. Again, if you like a super minimal aesthetic, this could be fine. But personally, I think this needs something more (though the texture of the quilted duvet helps).
Do: Be Aware of Your Main Subject or Focal Point
This is a very important tip to keep in mind, especially for product photography. You always want your product to be the focal point! In the top photo, the focal point, or subject, is the cup of coffee. The surrounding props – the book, the matches, the flowers – don’t distract from the subject, but they add texture, context and color.
The way the props are arranged in the top photo, the eye is naturally drawn to the coffee (see how the flowers point to it, literally leading your eye there?). The way the props are arranged in the bottom photo, there is no clear subject and none of the props lead your eye towards anything specific. The coffee is supposed to be the subject, right? So why is it on the edge of the frame? This photo makes it look like the book is the main subject – which it shouldn’t be. Also, you can only see the end of the fake flower, and it’s typically not a good idea to show your props are fake.
To keep your subject as the main focus, keep it clearly within the frame of the photo and allow the surrounding props to point towards it, rather than draw the eye away. Use the rule of thirds to help with this!
Do: Keep in Mind the Visual Weight of Objects
Visual weight is a tricky thing and it has nothing to do with the actual weight of the objects in the photo (usually)! In the bottom photo, the dark pillow takes up a whole corner of the frame and draws a considerable amount of attention. It’s the first thing my eye goes to, instead of the little vignette (or cluster of images) in the center.
If an object is much darker than the majority of the other objects in your photo, it will naturally draw the eye towards it. Dark draws more attention (and feels visually heavier) surrounded by light objects and vice versa. In order to counter this, I only placed a small amount of the pillow in the top photo, at the edge of the frame, and it points straight to the book vignette.
Do: Watch Your Spacing
I’m constantly surprised by how different photos appear in front of my eyes from how they appear on my camera screen. Without fail, I’ll think that I have props placed close enough together and then I’ll review the photo and they’ll look miles apart. So this is definitely something that you have to adjust as you go.
The top photo shows all of my props displayed uncomfortably far apart from each other. The size of the book and the center position of it would give the impression that it’s the subject of the photo, but then what are all of those props doing? What purpose are they serving? It’s impossible to tell when they have no physical proximity to each other.
The bottom photo handles spacing better: the matchbox and candle are close together, which makes more sense given that’s what matchboxes are for. The weight of the photo is clustered around the right side with plenty of white space on the left side to balance it. Your eye knows where to focus and the props make sense in context.
Do: Play with Height Variation
This whole post has been basically about how to draw the eye to your photo’s subject, and this is no different. Playing with the height of objects can create a sense of depth within your photo, which keeps the eye going.
In the top photo, you can see the coffee mug and candle are both on the book, making them about the same height. While you do have some height variation with the flowers, book and then coffee and candle, the two tallest objects are right next to each other – so the eye is drawn there and stops. The coffee mug and candle being the same height (and both on top of the book) can feel awkward. First of all, the context doesn’t make sense. Why would a mug of coffee be right next to a candle, and why would both of those things be on top of a book at the same time? One or the other, but not both.
In the bottom photo, the height variation is more balanced and clear. With the coffee mug and candle on different planes, there’s no visual competition between them. Your eye can start at the bottom of the photo and be drawn upward. That feeling of the photo going on and on – that’s depth.
Whew – that was a lot! The most important thing to remember about photo styling is that it takes practice and persistence to figure out what you like and don’t like. Keep with it! If you’d like to see a list of my favorite styling props – check out my styling guide here!
Kristin Vermilya is an editorial photographer and – when not listening to true crime podcasts – educates bloggers and creative biz owners on how to build a stronger brand by conquering their photography fears. She takes the “DIY Hard” approach to life – messy and imperfect with the determination of Bruce Willis chasing down Hans Gruber.
WHERE TO FIND HER
Website | Instagram | Photo Styling Guide
