Great advices Amber!
In my opinion if it is dress or scarf it’s nice to see them wore by a model, but i think that it’s also difficult to find a nice model and make good shots… i am not really photogenic and every time i tried at the end i delete them all :=D

I found that even when I had a beautiful model (or at least I thought so; she’s my daughter) and great light, I still struggled to get the model to cooperate! I admit that the mannequin shots I took of my child mannequin didn’t look as good, but sometimes you go with the best method at the time. On the other hand, I love my women’s mannequin/dress form. I started looking for a mannequin head to use with my hair accessories, but you’re right about the creepy look. I haven’t found one et that I like. I might have to have a photo party with some girlfriends, but it can be tricky when most aren’t photogenic or don’t want to get all dolled up in a wedding outfit for those shots. You’re right that it takes far less time and effort to use a mannequin or other pretty display!
http://www.gracefullygirly.etsy.com

I use both. For jewelry, you really want to show it on a model, but I do NOT model the earrings. If they are used in a photo shoot, like you’ll see some of them on my Etsy page, I immediately change out the findings when they are returned to me, because it’s really icky to think someone else may have worn something before you. I usually have my daughters model for me, away from photo shoots.

I did a shoot a few months back with some models wearing some of my necklaces, but was really shocked to find that some people were put off by the thought the piece had been worn by a model, albeit for around 10minutes.
The irony is that on etsy, when I use a model shot as the first image, it tends to generate a lot more views, but as most of my jewellery is one off unique pieces, I’ve avoided it since hearing that it can put buyers off.
The problem is that a lot of my clusters are very hard to capture and do any justice unless worn, as they are created to hang perfectly, and look pretty awful when lying flat!
So, I’m saving up to hopefully buy a lovely mannequin which will hopefully solve the problem!

I am still really surprised though that a piece being worn in a photograph for 5 minutes would put people off buying it – but thank goodness I found that out!

I’ve used both. I like to photograph my jewelry closeup on a white background, but sometimes I use colored backgrounds, or on a mannequin, or out in nature. It really depends on the piece. If it is a piece with a lot of movement in the design. I like to hang it and like to use a model for it. If it is a bracelet. I will photograph it on a mannekin arm, around a pretty glass vase or a live model. It really depends on the piece.
My white abstract form, which is “head and neck” with holes in the one ear that shows is way off scale. It is not as large as an adult woman. So, I use it just to show how the earring hangs. I could use the rim of a vase as well, but having it shown on a live model shows it in proper perspective. And, YES! I do clean the earwires, necklaces and bracelets before I ship them to my customers. I run a soft paper towel, which has been dipped in alcohol over the piece and gently dry with a new soft paper towel. I also do a last minute inspection of my jewelry, clean any metal including sterling silver and gold filled with a sunshine cloth before I ship. Fine jewelry shops tend to allow and, in fact, encourage potential clients to try on their jewelry.

During a sales transaction on Etsy, my potential customer wanted me to take a photo of myself wearing the earrings she was interested in. She explained that she didn’t have a good sense of how large the earrings were, even though I gave the measurements to her.
I took the extra time and effort to do that and in the end, I made the sale, and demonstrated to her that I would go the extra mile to appease her.

I don’t understand why a buyer would be put off by a model wearing the jewelry in a photograph. People buy from catologs all the time. If they are really germ phobic, earrings can always be wiped with alcohol, as can necklaces! I sell hats in my ETSY shop, Thistle Cottage Studio, so fabric is a different story!! When my model wears the hat for the time we’re shooting, what the customer does not see, is that there is a sheet of tissue paper under the hat, especially so that we don’t get makeup on the inside of the hatband!!!

I like the neutral backgrounds for my photos and have tried different ways of displaying my jewelry. I have never used mannequins or models but have thought on it at times. The main thing for me I NEED to purchase a table tripod for my camera just can’t seem to keep the hands steady enough. Here in Texas there is a heath law of trying on Jewelry thats for retail. At shows seems to be the hardest but I have a hand mirror on display when customers ask. So far it has not been a problem. Thanks for this article!

I agree, although I don’t have a product that requires a model when I’m looking at sellers that use mannequins for hats and such it can be a bit disconcerting, however I do understand the lack of a model dilemma because I have considered selling some of the dresses that I sew and part of that consideration is worrying about not having an appropriate model to put in the time needed to get good photos for a lot of products.

do NOT model the earrings…that’s the only time I prefer a mannequin.

I can see advantages to both. Models are not always convenient & some are put off by the thought of ‘pre-worn’ items. A mannequin is far superior, in many cases, to a piece just hanging on a hanger or lying on a piece of fabric. I try to give my mannequin shots a bit of humanity through setting, warming the skin tones, posing the mannequin & framing. Mannequins can look cold & ‘creepy,’ but we can make them a bit less so, through photography. It’s an interesting discussion & I don’t think there are right or wrong answers. No matter what we decide, we can’t please everyone.

I use both models and mannequins. I especially love using real babies to model my baby hats. They are so adorable they pretty much sell the hat for me! :o) I use a mannequin’s neck to model my cowls. If done right, you can’t tell if it is a mannequin or a real person.

Sandie
knitzyblonde.etsy.com

I have posed this question to my customers as well, and done both, but the overwhelming vote was they prefered a live head of hair, mine to be exact over the models. I do of course have clean healthy hair and we do clean all of our products after they are modeled and photographed..i find that they often photograph better bedore i polish them, being wood hair forks, and so after the pictures, which also help me make sure they’re aren’t any snaggs or pulls in the wood, they get cleaned, buffed , polished and put away for safe keeping until sold!

I personally like models best. Mannequins seem cold and lifeless. Oh, wait a minute, they are cold and lifeless. But I have had a problem finding models from my outfits for children. Think I’ll just use my youngest grandchildren!

I love seeing a model.

That being said, I think if you don’t have the “ideal” model then you should tastefully use a dressform or mannequin. I don’t show my jewelry on a model (other than rings on my hands to get an idea of size) simply because I’m not cute enough to be a model. ;)

Grueezi!! mein Name ist Ines
liebe gruesse an alle, hab mich gerade erst angemeldet.

Adios
Ines