It's been a long, long road but my new online class Easy Guide to Smartphone Jewelry Photography is finally out. The last webinar I did was nearly 3 years ago! I discontinued it as it was not an effective way of reaching out to more people. 

I have not been idle during those three years. I knew I had to find a better way of delivering information which students can easily access, depend on and use again and again.   

The result is a solid reference on how to photograph your work properly using your smartphone. Good photography is the single biggest obstacle facing jewelry designers. 

During this class buildup, I have had to :
  • test many different apps (all but 1 are free or cost only a few dollars)
  • test different commercial light boxes
  • find a solution to replace the wonderful Modahaus photo studios which are no longer available
  • develop an efficient, effective and informative class 

It's a course like no other.  There are plenty of photography tutorials out there but none specifically aimed at jewelry artisans.  It's not going to make you a National Geographic photographer but it will help you take much better photos for your online store and promote them - all quickly.  And who knows, you might very well come to enjoy photography for its own sake as I have. 

Extensive Class

The class is designed to be extensive and in-depth without overwhelming the student. It starts from the beginning for new students and takes you beyond. 

Many of you have wanted to know how I learned to improve my photography over the years. These classes will show you how I photograph with my set ups with all the tips and tricks.   Take your time and work through the entire course.  There is no magic button that will make you a great photographer overnight.  You do have to work with your smartphone as much as possible and be prepared to practice in order to improve. 

Please note this is a Powerpoint presentation. But presented in a much more cohesive fashion and more detailed than the original webinar.  I chose to do slide presentations because of visual clarity.  Students can pause on and easily return to specific issues.

The class is hosted on the Thinkific platform. You do have to sign up with them (free).  I am not the only instructor there. 

My class has many integrated tutorials in a format reminiscent to my blog tutorials with many images. The instruction though is  oral, rather than written. 

You can also speed up the playback by 1.25x (or more) as one of my reviewers preferred to do. It is the settings icon at the bottom right of the Powerpoint slide screen.  I have to speak more slowly and clearly as well as concisely - necessary for those hard of hearing and for those who know English as a second language. 




  The landing page of the Easy Guide shows you the course curriculum :


You do have to create a new account (free) order to be able to look at the first two sessions which are free previews.  The first is a basic Thinkific produced guide to how to navigate the lessons. I recommend you watch the Welcome to the Class session as it describes in more detail what lessons will be covered in the remaining sessions.  

There are two optional check boxes when you create an account  asking which country you are from and what smartphone you use. This will help guide me for the future.  Country will indicate language preference and smartphone will give me valuable data how many students use iPhones and Android devices.



There is an optional email list sign up at the end of the landing page if you wish to be informed of future major updates, if any. 


All Inclusive Price

There is no further cost beyond the initial class price, not even if and when I choose to update it.  I have included a full tutorial on how to make your own photo studio with a bonus cutting file.  Once opted in, you have access to the class 24/7 and can watch as many times as you want.  

The class costs $25.00

Reviews

In the interest of full disclosure,  the first three reviews shown are by three real-life and active artisans who also happen to be my friends.  I could count on them to give me honest critiques and suggestions which were crucial in troubleshooting the class before it went live.  

The reviewers all used different devices - both mobile as well as desktop - which helped me test accessibility. But they also listened to my class in different environments.  One played background music and another was on her exercise bike! 

There are also transcripts for those less adept with spoken English and for the hard of hearing. Producing this course has given me a profound admiration for tv presenters and actors who can deliver their lines so well.  This is my first foray in working with scripts.

So thank you Sonya (Rocpoet), Natali (NataliBaird) and Aims (BigBlueBarnDesigns) for your patience and help as I worked on overcoming initial hiccups.  

Featured Designers

I have reviewed thousands of jewelry photos in order to find worthy real-life examples for the class. So my thanks must also go to the more than 30 designers who graciously allowed me to show you their inspirational photos. There is a full credit list in the class handouts. Creativity is not limited to just jewelry designs, but photography as well. 

I've put in a lot of effort to developing this class. I do hope it helps those of you who are venturing into online selling.  Even if you are not and wish to have a good portfolio website for future posterity, this class is also for you.  

Please let me know how you get on with it! Comment, email me (pearl@beadinggem.com), rate it, review it, spread the word etc! 

Disclosure 

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation. 
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM 


Click on image for the class :

smartphone jewelry photography