Well I'm back and lots has happened in the last few weeks...
I have been having an amazing time popping around, thrifting, visiting car boot sales, charity shops and getting as much stock in and listed as possible. I want to run a sale but I feel like I need at least 40-50 products live before that.
I started to upload images after attempting to edit each one, but they didnt look great. I spoke to a professional photographer who gave me some great advise. It basically went like this. "Can I be fully honest and give you the best advice?" Me: "Yes of course, lay it all out, I want to learn!". Him: "Ok so everything your doing is wrong" LOL!
Yes he was absolutely correct, and I needed to hear that. The best advice is someone being direct but not mean. Helpful but honest.
I was being completely naive (and I knew it deep down) He explained my purchase of a fancy camera was like buying an Electric Gutair without knowing how to play. You won't get the best out of equipment unless you know fully how to use it. Go home and watch YouTube videos, tutorials and beginner guides on how to use my camera. Brilliant, winging it was not going to work for me. I watched, learned and tinkered away and finally I found a way to make it work for me! Sucess!
Now, here comes the hard part, since I discovered after putting up some listings. I knew it was time to go back and re-photograph everything all over again. Ouch! Yes it will be time consuming, and for some people maybe not worth it. However, I want MrsKVintage to have a certain look and feel. I want all my products to look as amazing as possible. I want each and every vintage detail to be visible. I want my Customers to look at each product as if they were seeing it with their own eyes.
It took time, effort, hard work and late nights, but finally, all the products listed on my shop I can feel fully proud of.
I have so much to learn still about lighting, staging, using props, taking videos (my god, I am SO BAD at taking videos, stupid shaky hands) but again, practice makes perfect.
Next steps is, I am STILL waiting for my mannequin to arrive!! Its actually breaking my heart :) however always a silver lining. I think my photography skills have improved enough to make a huge difference when it does arrive. I have a little flow now for listing so I can list far more products per day than before.
Its all a learning curve, and each step forward comes with 5 steps back :) but its all part of the fun and games, adventure and chaos that comes with setting up a new small business.
To be continued......