ChenowethArts Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Over the weekend, I made the rounds of the Tennessee Craft fair in Nashville, Tennessee. There were a LOT of clay artist & potters exhibiting there and all-in-all the quality is up from some less-than-stellar previous years. I did get at chance to chat with Helene Fielder at her booth. I watched her on Facebook as she tackled a Summer of 50 Teapots project. At the fair, several of those amazing teapots were featured (and for sale). What shocked me, however, was the scale of these creations. Take a look at this image, and guess how tall this piece is? Here is my question: What are best practices to give buyers a sense of size (scale) of work displayed in pictures...(not just in the description)? OK (spoiler alert). The piece displayed in the picture (above) is approximately 20" tall. Are there clues in the image that would help a shopper understand that? Paul:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I hear you Paul! For years I saw the work of a famous potter in magazines and was blown away by the work thinking it was massive ... In real life they were about 6" wide and 2" high. Everything then clicked into place. I have seen people put coins near a piece or a ruler at the bottom if size was deceiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 The most common thing I see are pennies. Although I think having a ruler beside the last picture helps way more than a penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 A 25 cent piece goes a long ways for scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxden Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Ever see the Mona Lisa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515art Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I've done sets of photos for display together, where I'll use an object like an artificial flower if I don't want to spoil the picture composition with a coin or ruler and establish the relative size vs a coffee cup in one of the pictures. And then use the same flower in every shot I take with each piece of pottery. It's not as clear and obvious as the coin or ruler, but looks nice and gives a standard for scale that's not to hard to figure out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I did this for reference but not for a serious image of a piece. http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/gallery/image/7573-meandbigpots/ Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted May 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Thanks all. Coins certainly help and I think that is what I have seen most often to provide a scale clue. I think @Marcia Selsor serving as a model with her work does the trick...perhaps just a hand model style might suffice. This morning when I was doing a little catch-up photography I added a K-cup to a couple of my mug pictures, but I'm not sure how prevalent k-cups are that everyone would get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1515art Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 The k cup is great and fits really well in the photo, I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I think anyone who drinks coffee knows what a k cup is. That works well IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia UK Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Sorry...no idea what a k cup is and don't really recognise it in the photo! With the clue from Joseph, above - is it a coffee pod for a coffee maker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 it is a little like the plastic tubs for "cream" for the coffee. usually at places where people stop for coffee on the go. but i don't drink coffee so i do not know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I am tussling with items to place in photos to indicate scale. I use men's and/or women's rings along with catch-all dishes & I love the K-cup idea. Don't care for coins-sometimes I will see a coin next to a piece and for the life of me can't tell if it's a dime or a quarter! I like to use common household items, if they are not too jarring next to whatever the piece is. I have a problem sometimes in that the photo looks "better" than the piece, due to lighting or color or whatever, especially with my very small pieces. I have to stop myself from making a photo of a 2" x 4" object look like a museum sculpture! So the items for scale are really important...I would hate to think someone bought a piece and was basically disappointed because it looked so big but turned out to be rather tiny! My former husband is an advertising photographer and has taught me all about lighting, which is hard not to do the best way, to deliberately enhance a piece/colors of body and glaze etc. I get tempted to put a lot into a photo, for the sake of the photo, and that would not serve me well to have the image trump the reality!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinR Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 An egg. It is understood world wide. Lin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I drink a ton of coffee and the K-cup draws a blank for me-must be that disposable cup thing that I hope they will outlaw soon? I live in an enlightened community or reusable cups We are potters who make cups not to promote plastic cups Anyway those cups come in about 5 sizes so which one it that one??? 12 oz 16 oz 24 0z or a really super size 32 oz one? Now the 25 cent piece we all know its size like a 12 inch ruler or a standard adult stegosaur's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Wow. I figured everyone would know what K Cup is. It is a little thing that goes into an instant coffee maker. Every single office I have ever been to in the last 2-3 years has a K cup machine there. Just goes to show that assuming is always a terrible idea. Back to the PENNY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 hummingbird egg or ostrich egg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 I like the egg idea. It's a perfect shape and size (hen's egg) has a non-jarring color, and photographs well I know they vary in size, but maybe not enough to give someone an egregiously wrong idea of the scale. Probably would work best with culinary pottery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Wow. I figured everyone would know what K Cup is. It is a little thing that goes into an instant coffee maker. Every single office I have ever been to in the last 2-3 years has a K cup machine there. Just goes to show that assuming is always a terrible idea. Back to the PENNY? Office? Never worked in one (office)or seen a machine that used plastic cups Usually it's a glass carafe I do have a few coffee makers and an expresso machine or three I now use the clever dripper for the best coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Two thumbs up for an egg for scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Rulers are an annoying way to show scale because you first have to figure out if it's a 12 or 18 incher, or a yard stick, and even then knowing how many inches tall it is doesn't give you the same sense of scale as comparing it to something common like a coin. Plus a coin is small and relatively inconspicuous in the photo. An egg, while an easily recognizable size, would be too intrusive and very odd looking next to a teapot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 I agree with Neil that an egg would look odd next to a teapot. How about a teabag next to a teapot or a mug, a common flower next to a vase, an apple next to a serving bowl, an egg next to a batter bowl.... something in context and easily recognizable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Sometimes no matter what you do to show scale people still don't get it. I photographed a sponge holder with a standard sponge in it and still had one person review it as being smaller than she thought. I read that and thought what more can I do??? Very frustrating. Currently I am testing out holding everything in my hands for one shot so people can see how the piece fits in a hand. That isn't easy to do since I am photographer and model and it takes some interesting twists to either hold steady in front of the lens while I click or to hide the shutter remote in my hands so it can't be seen but I can still click it while holding a breakable object attractively and steadily. BUT my mother did question, is it a mans hand or a woman's as that would affect scale. Groan oh well I'll give holding it in my hand for one shot a try and see if that helps. I hate the coin thing seems so tacky to me personally when I see it. A ruler isn't much better but keep thinking if I could find a really lovely antique ruler that would enhance the image I might give it a go... Just have to find one, if there is such a thing. I'd like to hear what other o line sellers as doing to show scale attractively. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Is that one of the 1,000 year old Eggs? Just trying to get off topic faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 11, 2016 Report Share Posted May 11, 2016 Is that one of the 1,000 year old Eggs? Just trying to get off topic faster. Those things are disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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