Author: Steve K

Best Way To Take Pictures For New Products for the website

Taking a good image makes all the difference when it comes to selling things online as that is all we have and our descriptions.  We will go over 2 types of product photos in this.

TAKING INDIVIDUAL ART GLASS IMAGE OF ONLY ONE ITEM

  1. We like to have pictures taken on both black and white.  We want whatever background is best to take the overall images.  We must have a great white image for the site, then the rest if needed can be on black.  Have a few of each is a good way to show people what different backgrounds will have on their piece of glass.
  2. If using the Nikon camera at the warehouse the settings are (NEVER CHANGE SETTINGS – GET WITH STEVE IF NEEDED)
    1. F-Stop 29
    2. ISO 2.5
  3. Make sure when you take an image you fill the camera so there is less cropping and the images is sharper
  4. Taking Images on White
    1. Make sure the background light is on (the floodlight above the camera)
    2. Set up the glass and make sure it is clean
      1. TIP – You can also spray your hands with index to remove grease
    3. Next, you will put the black wings on the outside of the glass if it is clear glass.  Take the image with just enough white so the black wings can be cropped out of the image.  Make sure the black wings are not TOO close, but close enough so the clear catch the black and no shadow.
    4. You will take 4 images of this product in profiles (front, left side, right side and back)
    5. Next take close up images of the features such as the perc, mouthpiece, base or anything that catches your eye.
    6. Make sure you take an image with the product laying down of the top and bottom with the product at a slight angle
    7. Next, take 2 images of each remaining color.  One image will be straight on, the other image will be 90 degrees of the left or right side.  Pick the best side and use the same side for ALL images for this group.  We like the side that has the decal if possible
    8. Now set up your black background and get your camera set up.
      1. Make sure the background light is turned off
      2. Make sure you check for UV, if so all UV images will be taken on the black background, and we will go over that.  Also check to see if it is CFL
      3. Take the same image shots as you did on white with the same product (front, left the side, back, and right side) with close-ups of features and the product on its side with the top and bottom facing you.
    9. UV picture taking and Fluorescent Reactive Picture Taking
      1. Set up the product and then use the UV light on the product to get the best glow.  Make sure all other lights are off.
      2. Take images of the front, both sides, back, and any features that are dope.
      3. For CFL, you will take the image with the main lights on, separately from the white LED light

TAKING GROUP IMAGES FOR REPEATABLE GLASS THAT WILL HAVE OPTIONS

  1. We like to have pictures taken on both black and white.  We want whatever background is best to take the overall images.  We must have a great white image for the site, then the rest if needed can be on black.  Have a few of each is a good way to show people what different backgrounds will have on their piece of glass.
  2. If using the Nikon camera at the warehouse the settings are
    1. F-stop 29
    2. ISO 2.5
  3. Make sure when you take an image you fill the camera so there is less cropping and the images is sharper
    If you are taking a picture of a cup, start with black first.  You will fill the cup with dark liquid and that is the last picture you take
  4. Taking Images on White
    1. Make sure the background light is on
    2. Set up the glass in a straight line
    3. Set them up with the front item facing you directly, then the next product will be rotated slightly to show another angle until the last one is at 90 degrees from the first one.  The more items you have the less angles in between each rig
    4. Make sure that you have the darkest color in the middle and the lightest colors on the outside, this will be for assisting the contrast when taking an image on white.
    5. Next, you will put the black wings on the outside of the glass with just enough white so the black wings can be cropped out of the image
    6. Take 1 great image and see it on the computer.  If you fail you will retake the image on your time.
    7. Now remove all glass but one color of your favorite colors.  Pick one that has the most contrast rather than a light colored product
      1. You will take 4 images of this product in profiles (front, left side, right side and back)
      2. Next take close up images of the features such as the perc, mouthpiece, base or anything that catches your eye.
      3. Make sure you take an image with the product laying down of the top and bottom with the product at a slight angle
      4. Next, take 2 images of each remaining color.  One image will be straight on, the other image will be 90 degrees of the left or right side.  Pick the best side and use the same side for ALL images for this group.  We like the side that has the decal if possible
    8. Now set up your black background and get your camera set up.
      1. No group shot on black
      2. Make sure the background light is turned off
      3. Make sure you check for UV, if so all UV images will be taken on the black background, and we will go over that
      4. With the same colored product, you took the most images on white, you will again take the most images on black.
        1. Take the same image shots as you did on white with the same product (front, left the side, back, and right side) with close-ups of features
        2. Now take a front and side image matching the white image angle you picked on the white images of the remaining colored products like you did on white.
  5. UV picture taking
    1. Set up the product and then use the UV light on the product to get the best glow.  Make sure all other lights are off.
    2. Take images of the front, both sides, back and any features that are dope.

 

Other things to make your images look great are

  • BOWLS and PIPES- make sure you get an image with the pipe on its side so you can see inside the bowl
  • Always use the black wings when taking any images of clear glass.  This makes the image way better
  • Make sure the glass is CLEAN!
  • Make sure the item is still and not rocking.  Any movement will blur the image so make sure things are still.  This is why we use the mouse to take the picture rather than using the camera button
  • Try to take the best image.  We prefer straight on, but we can take it looking down or looking up.  Only if it will make a great image
  • If you have CFL glass you will need to turn off the fluorescent lights and use a LED light available to show both looks of the glass

Best way to take a picture for videos and instagram

Taking a picture for different media requires pictures to be formatted differently.  We will talk about the best practices we have found for taking pictures for different platforms.

See how to take a great picture with the MOTO phone

Pictures for Video

  • The first thing you want to do is make sure you are taking a picture that is horizontal or in the landscape mode
    • We take pictures like this because computers and TV’s are landscape style.
    • Another reason to take a picture landscape is because that is our natural way of looking at things as our eyes go from left to right more than up and down.
  • Each camera has different settings.  For images when we do videos the best images size is 16:9 at around 3.7 M.  This could be different but there is no need to go to 16:9 (9mb).  This is a picture that is ridiculously large and not needed for Instagram or videos.
  • VIDEO PICTURES
    • Sometimes if we are working on images that will be used for videos we will take short videos of about 3-10 seconds.  This is done moving in close, panning left to right or right to left.  Small motion makes a nice image when turned to a video
      • Video Size should be 1920 x 1080 filmed in HD.  Anything larger is too large for a standard phone or TV.  Also, most all our videos are meant to be on youtube which are watched on phones and tablets.

 

Pictures for Instagram 

We prefer images also to be shot in the horizontal or landscape formate.  The reason for this is that in Instagram you can zoom in to the image and make it work.  It can also be cropped after the image is taken to fit better.

The main reason to take an image horizontally when it feels better to take an image portrait style is that any time an image is in portrait it is very very hard to make it an image to be used in any blog, video or any other platform.

 

 

Are there regularly offered customer and/or hostess incentives?

We are working on sales and special offers to the end consumer.  These will be limited runs and whatever does not sell to the end consumer can be purchased by consultants.

There are host packages that the host can purchase to make a better party experience and get a great deal for having the experience.

Are the products made in the USA?

Some of the products we sell are made in the USA, some are built in the USA and some are made in foreign countries

7th Floor Vaporizers are all as stated below.  All items are designed in Colorado Springs by Steve Kelnhofer

  • Silver Surfer has many of the metal and electronic parts made in China from factories that the owner has visited.  The parts are then brought to the USA for final assembly.
    • All Sublimation powder coating is done in the USA and all art is applied in-house
    • Much of the glass is made in the USA with the higher quality artistic parts made by Elev8 Premier.
  • Super Surfer is produced much the same as the Silver Surfer
  • Da Buddha Vaporizer is assembled more in China with all testing, fitting of glass and packaging done in the USA.
  • Elev8R Vaporizer kit is produced by Elev8 Premier with the Elev8R heater being made of quartz, it had to be made in China
  • Wax Maxer vaporizer is produced in China with final testing done in the USA.

ELEV8 PREMIER GLASS

This is made right in Colorado Springs and people are always welcome to come and visit them.

ELEV8 GLASS

This glass is meticulously selected or designed by the owner from glass artists he has met and blown within China.

Elev8 Glass is either 100% foreign made or a mix of foreign and USA workers at the Elev8 Premier studio.  This does 2 things.  It allows us to offer affordable glass at the highest quality.  It also allows us to work with blowers in the USA that may not have the skill set that the high-end water pipes require.