Me Versus "The Model" - Etsy Photos

When I first started my Etsy shop I KNEW what I wanted it to look like.  Eclectic Anthropologie like items, great prices and super cute pictures.  I had  the inventory so it was time to do the photos.  I put some makeup on, found a white wall and told my husband to snap away.... I was so excited to see the photos. Ahem... cute photos don't just happen. Trust me. It was dreadful.  I wish I had an example but they were quickly deleted.

It's one thing when someone tags an unflattering photo of you on Facebook from some random family gathering, but it's another thing entirely to edit photo after photo of yourself when you are actually TRYING to look cute.  Depressing. I actually started re-think my vow to never get botox.... Solution?  Crop my head off, and call it "artsy"

To be honest I did get better at modeling and my mother might actually say I looked nice (but you can't trust your mom). Regardless, it was time to find someone else to model.

One day I met my friend's daughters. Cute, model sizeAND one of them is an aspiring model but she's a bit young.  I don't want to sound predatorial but the wheels in my brain got turning.... "Would your daughter like to model for my Etsy store? Yeah, you don't know about my Etsy store because I'm too embarrassed to let my friends see my modeling attempts...."

Anyhow I now have a model. I actually enjoy editing photos. Instead of only having 1 useable photo out of 10 photos where my husband lovingly reminded me to "suck it in".  I now actually have the awesome "problem" of choosing which photos are best out of the 10 gorgeous ones. PLUS I don't have to bug my husband to photograph me and "my model" and I are having a blast!

Now to be quite fair the photos I posted of me are not the worst. Somehow all the bad ones have mysteriously disappeared and the "OK" ones all have the heads chopped off. 

Well here you go.... Me Vs. "The Model"

Meet Belle. She is just lovely inside and out.

 

Meet Me. Classic example of "cropping my head off". Looks artsy, right?

 Sheer Beaded Dress 

 When I posted this gorgeous photo of Belle my store got tons of hits and the sweater sold fast.

Not terrible... but when I posted this photo... well let's just say the jacket never sold:-) 

Belle from the back - Pink and White Lace Dress

Me from the back. Took a year to sell this jacket AND I had to mark it down to cost, but hey it sold.

Hello hottie. One of my best photos. They are few and far between, but sometimes the stars just align. I HAD to show the slit, good thing my legs are my best feature.

St. John Wrap Dress

I love when she looks back over her shoulder. Lovely.

90's Floral Jean Style Jacket

Well we can't all be models, but we can try! 

** This is NOT a shameless attempt to fish for compliments. I am very secure in myself, otherwise I'd never have written this post:-) Thanks Mom, I know you love me and think I'm beautiful.