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First art show and new web site

#1

Hi All,

I subscribed to the Orchid forum back in July, 2006. I have
recommended Orchid to many people. I have communicated with a few of
you individually. But, this is my first post!

I just did my first art show! The show itself didn’t bring in many
sales for most of the vendors, me included. For me, though, the main
thing was getting the experience. When I told anybody that it was my
first show, they were surprised. I didn’t want my booth to look like
a first timer. I wanted it to look professional from the start. I
succeeded in that thanks to the Orchid forum and all the information
that I found about booth design. You can see a picture of my booth on
my Web site under Shows. You can also see pictures of my work on my
Web site under Gallery. I’d love your feedback on my work, my Web
site, my booth.

One thing that prompted me to post today is the discussion on using
copper. I only started selling towards the end of last year, and some
sales have been my copper earrings. People like them and I think
copper is especially nice on redheads.

Now that I’ve finally made my first contribution, maybe I’ll get
over my shyness about posting. After all, Helen is a newbie, and now
she’s a regular contributor. :slight_smile:

Thanks to all of you who contribute to Orchid! Your advice is
indispensable.

Delpfine
http://www.DelpfineWelchDesigns.com

#2

Hi Delpfine,

After all, Helen is a newbie, and now she's a regular contributor.

Apparently, I post more regularly than everyone else according to
one of yesterday’s posts! How embarrassing!

I'd love your feedback on my work, my Web site, my booth.

You clearly have an innate sense of style/design, as your website,
booth and jewellery all look really good. I visited your website and
my initial response was “wow!”, when I saw the necklace on your home
page. Your designs are very appealing indeed and just look "right"
somehow, but not by happy accident, they are clearly very well
designed by you.

I love the way your booth uses the colours you used for your website
too. Everything is very coherent. Have you had training or not?

Helen
UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk


http://helensgems.ganoksin.com/blogs/

#3

Hi Delpfine,

Congratulations. You are right - your booth, your work - very
professional. Impressive.

What I would like to see on your website is the ability to click on
an image to see an enlarged version and more info. Also, although the
images are clear, I think they could pop more. Lighting, background,
etc. could be enhanced. The archives are full of good info about
photography.

I too am reluctant about posting and with an abundance of experts, am
much better at asking than answering questions, so thank you for
giving me an opportunity to give a bit of feedback. I am so in debt
to Orchid for all the good advice.

#4

Delpfine

The dark squares of the images against the white background on your
website, particularly on

www.delpfinewelchdesigns.com/gallery/earrings.php

produce the optical illusion of gray squares in the areas formed by 4
corners of the dark squares. These gray squares appear and disappear
as the eyes focus on different parts of the page – an effect that I,
at least, find disconcerting.

The effect is known as a Hermann Grid illusion. There is information
on this at http://www.yorku.ca/eye/hermann.htm

Dan

#5

Delpfine, you’ve done a great job with your website – it’s very
nicely done. The links work, the colors give a consistent look and
feel, and it goes well with your booth design – the horizontal lines
below your logo really sing with the vertical lines on the print (is
that fabric? it’s gorgeous!) on your booth. If I were at a show and
saw your booth, I would not be able to help myself from stopping to
look. :slight_smile:

It looks so good, I’ve only got two suggestions… one, to echo
Beverly’s comment that I’d love to be able to click and get a closer
look at… pretty much every photo you’ve got – including the booth.
:slight_smile: The other is to pick an image, or a group of images, to land on,
on your “Gallery” page. If someone doesn’t think to click on the
categories in the left pane, they might think they needed to wait for
those “updates” to happen. (And if you just can’t decide which one,
I’ll break the tie for you – that first pendant, the lavender agate,
amethyst, and white topaz!) Or maybe the first image in each
category, as a clickable link to the rest of the category? Your work
is also lovely, in my opinion. :slight_smile:

#6

Thanks to all who gave me feedback on my Web site, my booth, and my
jewelry. I just changed the gallery landing page in response to your
feedback. Several of you wanted to see bigger pictures when you click
on the small picture. I hope in the future to enhance the site to do
that. I made the fabric panels in the booth.

I struggle to get the photography right. I’ve read everything in the
archives. I have the books by Charles Lewton-Brain and Wayne Emery.
I have another book that’s very good by Steve Meltzer, Photographing
Arts, Crafts & Collectibles. My setup is a light cube, an SLR digital
camera using a 105mm macro or an 18-55mm lens, an overhead light, and
two side lights. I make the gradient background by printing them out
using PhotoShop Elements 5. I’m at a loss for how to improve the
photography, although I know I need to. I want to apply to a
higher-end juried show through Zapplication, but I don’t know if my
photos are up to par.

As someone else said, “Orchid Rules”!

Delpfine
http://www.DelpfineWelchDesigns.com

#7 
I make the gradient background by printing them out using PhotoShop
Elements 5. I'm at a loss for how to improve the photography,
although I know I need to.

Two suggestions:

Stop printing out your own gradient gray and buy one from
Setshop.com (under tabletop, then backgrounds) for a mere $9.99. It’s
larger, better.

Second, buy an LED (or other) spot light to shine on your stones,
brighten them up a little.

Your photos are pretty good, but inconsistent. I would improve the
background, get the spotlight and work on consistency.

Also your images seem just not “bright,” I wonder what kind of
lights you’re using and how bright they are.

What are your fabric panels made of?

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com

#8

Hello Delpfine

I don’t know what software you use to elaborate your photos but if it
is an Adobe application they have a site, lynda.com, where for a very
reasonable monthly price one has access to hundreds of video
tutorials where they walk you through procedures. It cut my learning
curve tremendously. Saved me much time in learning the program and I
didn’t have to re-invent the wheel.

A happy customer.

Lois
www.loismartens.com

#9

Elaine,

Thanks so much for the tip on where to order gradients. I placed an
order right before starting this note.

Do you have another tip on where to get LED spotlights? :slight_smile:

These are the bulbs I got for my lights:

http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/spiral.html

The fabric panels are cotton. I would have preferred something that
didn’t wrinkle, but couldn’t find the colors and design that I wanted
in a polyester.

Delpfine
http://www.DelpfineWelchDesigns.com

#10 
Do you have another tip on where to get LED spotlights?

Try www.newark.com they have electronic components.

John