From now until Christmas... 10 questions to help you review, plan & succeed

Jewellery by Christina Lowry. Photo credit: Trudi Le Brese Photography

When the paperwork and tax returns are out of the way my next step is always to take a little time off to daydream about the second half of the year and turn those dreams into a plan.

I used to wing it, working day by day, when I had more time and fewer commitments. Now I know that taking this time to set goals is the secret to a productive and successful second half of the year. I can realise larger goals by working on them long term. I have a plan to fall back on when I feel like no one is buying or engaging. I know where to focus my time and I can review my progress.

Now is the time I devote a weekend to sketching ideas and playing with gemstones. Often I’ll stay up late, once the whole house is asleep, lay out my notebook, diary and coloured pens and scribble out ideas. I’ll journal about the successes and failures over the past six months. I’ll write about the way my business is feeling and the direction I want it to travel. I’ll chat with my business brain trust, scroll back through my Instagram feed. Then I’ll schedule time to sit down and write down my goals from now until Christmas. I’ll break them down, step by step, month by month and create a timeline and marketing calendar. Refreshed, re-inspired and with my direction confirmed, I will dive into the second half of the year.

So, grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and join me in this process of reviewing, planning and setting goals. Be honest and ambitious as you put pen to paper!

1. What felt good about the year so far? 

Look over your sales receipts, scroll back through your Instagram feed, and pull out your magazine clippings – what have been your favourite parts of the year so far? Write a list as long as you can. For me it might include a certain jewellery collection I’ve created, working with a wonderful client, a goal achieved, a new stockist, my most financially successful month, a thank you note.

2. What didn’t sit well? 

We have to take the good with the bad, but we can choose to learn from it and be more prepared in future. Negative client relationships, deadlines not reached, bad investments, broken tools, and unfair feedback – write it all down.

3. What investments did you make that paid off? 

It’s all about how you used your time and money. Perhaps you engaged a graphic designer to create a new logo, launched a new product, invested your time in a new course, or bought new tools that expanded your capabilities. Make a list of the ways you used your resources that gave the greatest reward.

4. Where did you most enjoy spending your time in your business?

Where are you in your element? What do you love and want to do more of? Is it the designing aspect, chatting with clients, sourcing materials, posting to IG, getting into the zone when you work with your hands, pushing your creative abilities? Keep coming back to add to this list over a few days. When you feel stuck it will bring comfort and inspiration.

5. What did you enjoy the least?

I am not a not a fan of paperwork. I love knowing where my business is at, how each month compares, whether I am hitting my goals and where I could cut down my expenses. But the actual act of entering everything into my accounting program leaves me cold. There are also times in my business that I knew I should have said no, and as I am doing the work I am not enjoying it. These are certainly the two things that I enjoy the least. What are yours? Problem solve ways to outsource, learn to say no or minimise these unpleasant tasks.

Jewellery by Christina Lowry. Photo credit: Trudi Le Brese Photography

6. If time and money were no obstacle, what's your biggest goal?

Think big! Do you want a hundred stockists? Do you want a six-figure income? Do you want to hire staff? Write it down! 

Right now in my life, I am content with the level of work my business is bringing in. I love the flexibility of working from home while homeschooling my three children. In the future, I know it will look very different and I will once again be able to devote more time to my business. I still have big dreams that I am working towards!

7. What do I want? 

We all probably want more sales, more money, more email subscribers, which is great! But what else do you want? More time with family? More travel? To exhibit your work? To collaborate with someone you admire? See your work in a magazine?

8. How will I get it?

Choose two or three of the ‘wants’ above and brainstorm ways to achieve them. If you want more money, you want to travel and you want to exhibit, start investigating ways you can work towards all of these goals simultaneously. Perhaps you could get a grant to exhibit your work overseas? If you want more sales, more email subscribers and to collaborate, perhaps you could reach out and start that collaboration process which will result in exposing your work to their audience and creating a buzz around a new product for sale. Write down the steps you will need to take to make it happen.

9. Where could I be by Christmas?

Look back over the answers above and think about what you can reasonably achieve in the next six months. Go further and start a list of projects for the New Year. Imagine yourself posting off your last parcel, or closing your laptop for the last time before Christmas. What would give you a feeling of joy and satisfaction as you looked back over the previous six months?

10. What will each month look like?

Grab your calendar, create a-to do list and make a marketing calendar! I personally love doing this. I am a list maker and ticking things off my list gives me more drive to continue. Even if you aren’t the type that likes to do lists I urge you to start plotting out your goals on your calendar. Write in your time off, your cut off dates for Christmas orders, special occasions. Then, schedule in product launches, VIP nights, sales, free postage events, etc. Batch days for creating marketing images, making stock, working on custom orders. Or pick a theme to focus or each month eg. August – social media, September – New Collection Launch, October – Christmas Photoshoot, November – newsletters, December - sales. Your calendar will quickly fill up and you will have a plan in place for your most successful Christmas yet!

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Christina Lowry is a designer and jeweller who creates fine jewellery for creatives. Her work is featured in several Australian galleries, as well as in her online store. Christina fell in love with jewellery making while studying a Bachelor of Fine Art/Visual Art. Each piece is lovingly made by hand in her Brisbane workshop, incorporating precious metals and gemstones and using traditional metalworking techniques. To see more of her work, visit her website, Facebook page, and follow her on Instagram (@christinalowrydesigns).

How to stay "Instasafe" as a creative

Photo via Pexels

I love Instagram. It lets me communicate to the world what I'm about (nourishing food, natural light and comfortable shoes wherever possible, and preventative health in life, law and business!), and has allowed me to connect with so many like-minded clients through my page @thelawyerslunchbox.

And I know many of my clients loving using it for their own businesses.

But we all need to make sure we stay legally safe on Instagram. This means not falling foul of Insta's terms and conditions, using the right images and not saying or doing anything illegal.

Here are some tips...

Types of images

Instagram has the right to remove, edit, block, and monitor accounts containing content that Instagram determines violates their terms of use.

To avoid problems, you must not post violent, nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos. This term is interpreted sensibly, for example if your business is in fashion, intimate apparel, swimwear, music, celebrity, modelling etc, photos may be quite sexual without causing any trouble. But nudity, or pornographic inference (even if digitally-created), will not be okay. Use common sense when thinking about what Instagram and its diverse audience may find offensive. Nudity in photos of drawings, paintings and sculptures will be acceptable, as will photos of mastectomy scarring and breastfeeding women.

If your business is related to children or you like to share photos of your own family, be mindful of the broad audience that they may be open to. Photos of nude or partially nude children may be removed, even if they seem innocent and are being shared with the best intention. Instagram’s aim here is to ensure that they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Copyright

You can only use images that do not infringe others’ intellectual property rights. If you are posting authentic images created by you or your business (such as your own photos, photoshoots, illustrations, videos, or graphics) then this is not an issue. But if you want to post an image found online, then you must be vigilant. There are millions of high-quality graphics and photos online available for free commercial use. Many websites curate images in the public domain, and you are free to use them in any way. In most cases, you do not have to provide attribution. But check the terms of the site to make sure. If attribution is
required, check what format.

It is best to assume every image you find online is copyrighted – a copyright notice is not legally required as notification of copyright, so the absence of a © or watermark isn’t a sign that no copyright exists. If an image is covered by copyright, the copyright holder may agree to some uses but not others. You must check this before using the image.

If you alter a copyrighted image, it does not relieve you from potential liability. If you repeatedly infringe other people’s intellectual property rights, Instagram will disable your account.

On Instagram, you are liable for what you upload. This means you are legally responsible for copyright violations even if you hire a social media professional who chose and used the offending image. It is important to ask your social media manager where they source their images from. You should contractually ensure that if an image they use is found to violate copyright and you are required to pay, that they will indemnify you.

Music is covered in the same way as images, and you are not allowed to use music that you don’t own the rights to, for any commercial or non-personal use. This includes music in videos uploaded to your feed as well as Instagram lives and IGTV, and can extend to music playing in the background of videos.

Photo via Pexels

What you can legally say

Don't copy any other person's written work in your Instagram posts. This may infringe their copyright.

And don't post unwanted comments, likes or other forms of commercial or harassing communication (spam) to Instagram users. This includes repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.

Further, online cyber bullying is a crime in Australia. You must not threaten, harass, or offend someone, stalk someone, access others’ Instagram accounts without permission or defame someone on Instagram.

How to deal with trolls

A troll is a member of an online community who deliberately tries to disrupt that community by posting inflammatory content.

How should you deal with trolls commenting on your business page?

• Use Instagram’s built-in reporting option. Instagram will quickly remove content that does not meet community guidelines.

• Unfollow or block the person who posted the comment. And delete the trolls’ comment on your post.

• Sometimes ignoring a troll is best. If they are looking for a reaction, they may lose interest when you give them nothing.

• If the troll is a customer with a complaint, take notice and try to help. Humour can be used to effectively engage unhappy customers and turn them into advocates for your business. Acknowledge yet make light of the situation, and apologise for the customer’s experience.

• If the troll is spreading rumours or misinformation, address the issue head-on and retaliate with the truth.

• If the troll points out a mistake, look into it, make the proper corrections and admit that you were wrong.

Instagram has the right to modify or terminate your account for any reason, without notice,
and at any time. So stay the right side of their terms and the law.

Jessica Kerr is the director of Sinclair + May. Jessica set up Sinclair + May with a view to do law differently and make legal services accessible for small businesses. Sinclair + May operate on a fixed fee basis and offer retainer services for their clients. Sinclair + May is a female-led, boutique commercial law firm and work extensively with the creative industry. You can follow Jessica on instagram @thelawyerslunchbox for useful legal tips and see more about Sinclair + May at www.sinclairmay.com.au.

Why we benefit from engaging in creativity

A supreme procrastinator, I started writing this while watching History Channel’s (2011) History of the World in Two Hours. During the opening scene, which discusses how, through a series of supernovas and merging stardust the universe was formed, the narrator said something that spoke to me.

“Whenever more matter and energy can be drawn together into one place, more complex things can emerge.”

The narrator pointed to specific geographical sites where the emergence of cities and development of culture happened because there was opportunity for creativity, the arts and science to interact with each other.

Of course he was talking about fertile river systems, food crops, farming and animal domestication, but I could see a link. Hold the phone. When there are curious people, who are motivated, have energy and excitement, living together at the same time, and in the same place, then new things, and more complex ways of thinking and doing can emerge.

“In a sense, where there is stuff, new stuff can develop, and where there isn’t anything, nothing much can develop.”

As communities, societies and culture, we benefit from engaging in creativity because creativity leads to new ways of thinking and new ways of doing. Engaging in creativity allows us to build upon our existing knowledge and imagine new concepts that contribute to the development of community, society and culture.
 

Creativity is a driver for innovation and social change.

Engaging in creativity enables us to bring something new into the world, and to become more intensely conscious of the world in which we live. While the outcomes from engaging in creativity are beneficial to humankind, engaging in creativity also offers personal reward; we do it because we love it; we do it because we get a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment.
 

Creativity allows us to be connected.

Creativity helps us connect with ourselves through simple, spontaneous, and novel experiences. When we engage in creativity we disengage from our rational, practical and left-brained selves. Creativity allows us to celebrate our uniqueness by tapping into our feelings, impulses and expressive selves. When we engage in creativity, we find pleasure in activities that can bring us into a state of flow or experience flourishing.

For some, engaging in creativity is even more transcendent. John Loori describes a sort of creative nirvana which can achieved through actively seeking the sense of timelessness and tranquillity at the still point: 

"Each artist expresses through art his unique way of experiencing life. 
This is the essence of creation. 
Through our art we bring into existence something that did not previously exist. 
The creative process fulfils our need to express our experience. 
And if the expression has been true, we will feel a sense of completion and satisfaction."

Creativity is inclusive, anyone can tap into their creativity by engaging in art, music, writing, dance or by applying new methods of thinking or problem solving. Whatever your personal motivation or reward, engaging in creativity improves your emotional wellbeing and nurtures a connected, engaged and meaningful life.

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References / more reading, watching and listening on creativity:

• Article: ink’s 6 Senses: Play

• TED TALK: Flow, the secret to happiness

• Documentary: History of the World in Two Hours

• Book: The Zen of Creativity; Cultivating your Artistic Life. Ballantine Books: NY

• Book: Flourish

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Emily Wills is the creative director of surface pattern design studio, SURFACE 1°22. In her various manifestations, she has worked as a fashion designer, illustrator, curator, arts educator and printed textile designer. Emily founded the SURFACE 1°22 Design School in Melbourne, offering hands-on workshops and short courses in surface and textile design. Find out more on the SURFACE 1°22 Design School Facebook or Instagram.

All images ©SURFACE 1°22
Photo credits Penny Lane Photography

DIY vs professional websites

Building a website is getting easier and easier with a variety of user friendly “website builders” such as Squarespace or Shopify, and lots of resources online to learn and navigate your way around (just Google your question and watch a YouTube video, right?). Some of these platforms also have very comprehensive knowledge base websites, complete with video tutorials as well as customer service teams ready to answer your questions. 

So why would you pay someone to create your website for you, especially when they use these platforms themselves? Would the end result be drastically different than if you did it yourself?  Let's break it down...

A balanced investment (time vs money)

No matter how the website will actually come to life, it will demand some time and effort on your part to make it happen. Building a website is more than just design and development. It is first about understanding your audience, what they need and how you address these factors. Then it is about finding your ideal customers, driving them to your website and giving them the best experience (online and offline) so they quickly become loyal customers. 
 

What to consider if you choose to DIY your website

Assuming you have worked through this, you have now mapped out your content and started putting all the elements together (copy, images, functionality required), you are happy with the platform you have chosen and you are ready to build your website yourself. 

Time: how much time do you have? 

It is important to be realistic about the time it will take to put it all together, especially if you are busy running your business (and perhaps your family and/or another job or commitments). The more organised you can be in the preparations, the faster it will be. For example, before diving into it:

• Map out the content of each of your pages;

• Choose and install a theme that will fit with your aesthetic and functionality requirements;

• Resize your images so they are optimised for the web;

• Have all your content written in Word or Google Docs, including little details such as wording for “call to action” buttons, form autoresponders, email addresses and other external links;

• Know what plugins (if any) you need to install and activate them.

Interest: How keen are you?

While the resources are there for you to learn, if it doesn’t interest you and are just doing it to “save money”, you are more likely to give up and waste time going to market. So you may want to reconsider your approach. 

If you are keen and have a genuine interest in understanding how it works and how it all fits together, go for it! If you are running an online business for example, it would be very beneficial for you to gain some in depth knowledge. You could also join some Facebook groups relevant to your chosen platform and your industry, so you won’t be alone on your journey.

Discipline

Building your website will be an important project and needs to be treated as such if you want to see it come to life. Schedule some time in your week dedicated to your website. Put everything aside and focus on this only for the time allocated. It is easy to prioritise client work for example and to keep pushing your website project to the bottom of the list but it won’t make it happen. My tip would be to set some deadlines and stick to them. You could even start talking about it on social media to make yourself accountable!
 

What to expect if you do call on a website specialist

After thinking about this more, you may decide that you need help and it is OK to ask for help! When we are so involved in the business, it is easy to lose perspective. Your website is not about you, it is for your customers, it needs to speak to them so they can make a connection with your brand and start or continue a relationship with you.

The benefits of working with a professional when creating your website would include:

• A sounding board for your business
  Working with a pro would be an opportunity to analyse where your business is at and where it is going. They would help you set the digital strategy and planning so your website is just the first step to your business growth.
  

• Digital expertise
  They know how things work and what is possible, so their job is to find solutions for you and recommend certain platforms or plugins that will work for you. They can show you how things work and train you (if you are interested!). They also know the little details that make a big difference to your website such as naming your images correctly, as well as cross browser and speed testing to make sure your website works well on all devices.
  

• A more custom solution
  They can design layouts and build functionality especially for you, to create a more unique experience. That would add to your budget, but if it fits with the business plan and strategy, the investment may be easily justified.
  

• Keeping you on track to get there faster
  Last but not least, they want to make it happen fast for you! They will guide you and support you when needed and once all the elements are there to populate the website, they will be dedicated to this so a beautiful and solid website can go live as quickly as possible.

Emmanuelle Harrington has been a website producer for more than 20 years. Her focus is on small creative businesses, helping them find their voice and connecting with their audience by creating beautiful websites and providing personalised training. Now based in the Adelaide Hills, she continues to work with clients all around Australia.
website studiomanusha.com | instagram @studiomanusha

CWC event recap: Marimekko day trip

While our regular CWC events involving presentations, panel discussions, intimate conversations and (of course) plenty of socialising are always a hit, in late May, CWC Melbourne hit the road for something a little different. We hired a bus and hit the road to Bendigo Art Gallery for some in-the-flesh inspiration in the form of a retrospective of the work of Finnish textile and fashion design house, Marimekko.

After an early start, we hit the road on a two-hour bus trip, providing ample opportunity to connect and catch up with fellow creative lady travellers (and one very cute baby boy), and take in the sights of the countryside. A couple of hours later we landed in Bendigo. You could also call it temporary Marimekko-land, with many of the main street retail shops' windows proudly showing off bright colours and bold prints.

On arrival, we were treated to a special talk by the gallery, sharing the history of Marimekko. Despite most of our group considering themselves keen fans, many had no idea that the textile icon began life as a failed oil cloth design and manufacturing business. Viljo Ratia had enlisted his wife, Armi, to help design prints for the cloths. While the business ultimately did not succeed, they saw the opportunity to pivot and turn it into a textile house. A great lesson in how failure can lead to success! And also how women's creativity can play a big role!

After learning more about the history, including how Jacqui Kennedy helped crack the American market when she wore Marimekko while accompanying JFK on the campaign trail while the was a presidential candidate, we were set loose on the gallery to take it all in.

The exhibition itself included an extensive array of Marimekko's original textiles and garments from its beginnings in 1949 to today, as well as other amazing remnants from their history such as hand drawn concept development sketches for the company's logo.

One of the most striking experiences for me was discovering that prints I assumed to be vintage were actually designed in recent years, and vice versa, highlighting the timeless unique nature of Marimekko's designs.

The day included a picnic lunch enjoyed under crisp blue skies, with refreshments from Remedy Kombucha. Most of us also squeezed in a wander around the centre of Bendigo to make the most of the road trip.

By the time we arrived back in Melbourne, the skies were dark, but my heart and mind were certainly feeling very bright and inspired. 

Phoebe Miller is a member of the CWC Board. Her professional background covers experience in marketing and communications for the corporate, arts and not-for-profit sectors. She also ran her own creative side project, designing and making accessories under the moniker Simply Phoebe. Follow her on Instagram (@simplyphoebe).

Image credits: Samantha Jayaweera

How to build a strong brand on social media

Following on from my previous post about what creatives need to know about the new Instagram algorithm, this one is all about how to build a better brand on social media beyond just Instagram.

Social media is huge these days. According to the 2017 Sensis Social Media Report, more than 59 per cent of Australians use social networking sites at least once a day and 94 per cent have used Facebook in the last year. In short, you can reach an incredible number of people on social.

But hey, we’re all busy, amiright? To make sure you’re spending your time in the best way possible, here are eight steps to build a strong brand on social media and stand out as a creative — without going crazy in the process.

Step 1: Know your goals.

I’m talking business goals. What are you actually trying to achieve by using social media? You need to know why you are even on social media in the first place and clearly understand why it's a good use of your time. Your social media goals and objectives should be in line with your business goals.

For example, if one of your business goals is to increase revenue by 20 per cent this financial year and you make some sales from Facebook, a social media objective could be to increase traffic from Facebook by 30 per cent. Note that this doesn’t have to be purely revenue related: you could instead be aiming to get more people on your email list, to attract more client enquiries or lots of other things.

Step 2: Know your customer deeply.

‘Everyone’ is not a target market. You need to get hyper-specific about who your audience is and why they're buying from you. What are their motivations, fears and pain points? What do they love doing day to day? How does your brand fit into that? Focus on who you're talking to, what you want to say and what success looks like.

Step 3: Consider your content.

Photo by Clarisse Meyer

Get clear about the type of content you're going to deliver on social media for your audience. Remember: it's about them, not you. Be generous, add value and build trust.

Generally, content will fall into one of four buckets: education, entertainment, information, or inspiration. Understand what content your audience likes and focus on that. For example, for CWC, this would be to educate, inform and inspire — and less so to entertain.

Step 3: Focus on two to three platforms, max.

Once you understand who your target customer is, take the time to figure out the two to three platforms where they hang out online and focus your energy there. It’s much better to be  present and consistent on two platforms than to spread bits of your brand all over the Internet with no love. Meaning: just because someone else killed it on Snapchat doesn't mean it's right for you.

When choosing which platforms to focus on, also consider where your content fits best, and how much time you can realistically commit. For example, shooting and editing video for YouTube will require more time than a quick video on Instagram Stories.

And here's a pro tip: if you’re already using social media, check your Google Analytics to see which platforms bring the most traffic to your website, then focus on the top two.

Step 4: Batch, schedule and automate.

One of the keys to growing a strong brand on social media is consistently showing up. This means contributing regularly and being active. It’s far more time-efficient to block out a couple of hours on a Sunday night (or whenever suits) to schedule content for a month, than to do a little bit every day.

Great scheduling tools for Instagram include Planoly and Later. For Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, try Hootsuite or Buffer. If Pinterest is where your people are, check out Tailwind.

Just make sure you’re still answering messages, responding to comments and contributing to your community. Remember, social media is a two-way street.

Step 5: Include calls to action.

A ‘call to action’, or CTA, is when you tell your audience to do something. We humans are lazy and need to be told what to do most of the time. Some examples might be to follow you, to share a post or to visit your website.

One useful CTA might be to join your mailing list. Remember, you don’t own your social media account; it can be switched off tomorrow (which has happened to brands before). To combat this, your aim should always be to get followers to your website and better yet, onto your email list. That way, you own that relationship and contact information, not Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.

Step 6: Make your brand cohesive.

Your brand, your profiles and the content you're putting out there should all be consistent, above and beyond your social media accounts. This is another time when focusing on just two platforms makes life a lot easier. Whether it's your website, your email newsletter or your Instagram profile, your brand aesthetic should be cohesive, consistent and recognisable.

Step 7: Be authentic.

It might sound obvious, but social media is designed to be social. Talking to your audience should feel like any good friendship or relationship: comfortable, relaxed and genuine. You should be able to laugh and tell stories and contribute to conversations. Be yourself and be true to your brand.

Step 8: Check your data.

The final step is to check your data at least once a month to see what’s working and what’s isn't — and make changes accordingly. Google Analytics offers a truckload of information to help you see what’s bringing in website traffic and making you sales.

On top of this, each platform has its own analytics tool that can provide great info about your audience, which posts are performing best, and what day and time you should be posting.

Schedule it in your calendar to dive in once a month and get familiar with reading your data.

Sadly, there’s no winning formula to growing your brand on social media, but following these steps will position you as well as possible. The most important thing is to not get overwhelmed, and stay focused. You can do it!

Courtney Goes is a Melbourne-based digital marketing and brand consultant with experience across a range of industries in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Since leaving the corporate world in 2016, she’s been on a mission to help women make smarter marketing decisions to elevate their businesses and personal brands through simple, effective strategies. Working mostly with creatives, freelancers, and female-owned startups and small businesses, she provides clarity, structure and accountability to get real, tangible results. She has also launched Marketing Emporium, a resource hub designed to provide simple and straightforward marketing advice. Contact her at courtneygoes.com.

Opening image by Jaelynn Castillo.

Tips for DIY photography

As photographer Chase Jarvis once said, ‘The best camera is the one you have with you.’ You don’t need a fancy camera and lens to get great photos. If you don’t have the budget for a professional photographer, a few tips will have you on the way to snapping good photos with your trusty cameraphone.

Lighting

The key to any photo is the light. You don’t need elaborate lighting setups; a simple window will do. Set your subject up next to a window and have a play around with the positioning to see how the light changes. Try holding up some white cardboard opposite the window to fill in any shadows and see how that changes the image.

Make sure you don’t have any other lights on in the room, as this can mess up the colour of your image and create unwanted shadows.

If you are shooting a portrait, try going outside at different times of day. For example, at dusk the light is soft and the colour can be lovely.

Angles

Whether you are shooting a portrait or a product, think about the angles you are photographing from. Try a few variations—above, below, from the side—and see what looks best for your subject. Keep an eye on how the light changes with each different angle.

Backgrounds

You want your subject to be the main focus of your image. A distracting or messy background will confuse the viewer and take away from your subject, Your background should complement the subject, and also be appropriate for where and how the image will be used. If you are shooting products for a website, do you want a plain white background? Can you play around with some coloured backgrounds? Plain cardboard can make an excellent seamless background for product shots. It is cheap, easy to find and can be stuck to a wall. 

Have a think about what you want to portray in the photo and then choose a background to support your vision. If you are photographing a portrait, what kind of portrait is it? Do you want to show the environment the person works in or is it a headshot that would be best with a plain background?

This simple setup was created with masking tape, butcher's paper and a piece of white card to fill in some shadows. Notice how the paper is taped slightly away from the wall to create a nice curve; this gives you a seamless backdrop. The white card is placed opposite the window to soften the shadow.

My husband loves nano-blocks! This image was captured on my iphone with the setup shown at left: nice and simple.

Do some research

Youtube is a treasure-trove of tutorials, and sites like Adorama.com and CreativeLive.com also have hundreds of how-to videos. If you are likely to be doing a lot of photography for your business, consider taking a workshop with a professional. This will get you well on your way to capturing great images for your business on a budget.

Most importantly, have fun!

Amanda Shackleton is a Melbourne-based emerging photographer with a focus on documentary-style imagery. She is currently exploring the relationship between people and their smartphones. To learn more about Amanda, visit her website or Facebook page, or follow her on Instagram (@amandashackletonphotography/).

Photography by Amanda Shackleton