How to take Photographs of Resin Art (to sell and post online)

How to take Photographs of Resin Art (to sell and post online): Lighting, angles and process tips.

You have poured, waxed, and finished your resin item but when you snap a photo, it simply does not seem so beautiful as it is in real life. Sound familiar?

It is difficult to photograph resin art. Its smooth, shiny, reflective surface may cause glare or distortion of colour or conceal detail, particularly when photographed in the inappropriate light or angles.

However, some professional tricks will ensure that you make your photos look as beautiful as your art is ready to go to Instagram, Etsy, or your online store.

We are going to start by exploring the most effective methods of capturing resin art and social media and sales.

Master the Lighting

The most significant aspect of resin photography is lighting. Due to the property of resin that makes it reflective, intense or direct light may cause shiny white spots or destroy your design.

Best Lighting Setup

• Use diffused natural light.
• Take a picture next to a window with a mild daylight, ideally in the early morning or in the late afternoon.
• Hang a piece of pure white curtain or a piece of baking paper to take the shine off the sunlight in case it is too strong.

Avoid overhead lights.
They are prone to glare and distorted shadows. Rather, side lighting is used to demonstrate texture and depth.

For indoor or night shoots:
You can invest in a lightbox or softbox kit of LED lights and set up the lights in 45 degrees on each side of whatever you are working on to minimise reflections.

Pro Tip: When selling art on the Internet, a light box with adjustable LEDs (such as the ones included in the Epoxy Res-iT Artist Starter Bundle) will offer a constant, glare-free light to take professional pictures.

Choose the Right Background

Not the background but the resin art should be the highlight.

• Apply white, grey or beige on clear resin or colourful artwork.
• Metallic or glittery designs should be printed on black backgrounds so that they stand out.
• Do not have patterned surfaces that distract the eye and compete with your work.
• In case of social media posts, alternate the background colours to make the feed consistent.

Res-iT Tip: Vinyl or matte photography backgrounds are best since they minimize reflections as opposed to the glossy surface.

Find the Perfect Angle

Since resin is glass-like to the surface, straight-on photography of resin results in glare. Instead:

• Move your camera or your painting a little upside down or downwards to prevent window reflections or light reflection.
• Shoot in different angles, top-down when the item is a flat such as coasters or trays and low-angle when the item is a depth such as the geodes or river tables.
• In the case of Instagram reels or Tik Tok, slow pan shots are to be recorded to showcase shimmer and colour change.

Pro Tip: Use a mini tripod to ensure that your camera or phone is at a level position, which prevents the problem of shaky shots and also gives you a chance to have a light.

The best camera settings to use.

You do not require an expensive DSLR as a smartphone camera can be used perfectly with it.

Photographic Tips in Smartphones.

• Switch flash off, it brings bright spots on resin.
• Tap to focus on the focal point, and then drop the brightness down a notch to adjust exposure.
• Small pieces of resin should be done in portrait mode; it will blur the backdrop to give a professional appearance.
• When you have bright and dark spots in your piece, then shoot in HDR mode.

If using a DSLR, start with:

• ISO : 100 - 200
• Aperture: f/4 - f/8 for sharpness
• White balance: Daylight

Wash and Pre-Clean Your Resin Piece.

Clean up your resin piece before shooting, remove dust and clean. A single fingerprint can be traced in high-resolution photographs.

• Wipe using microfibre cloth.
• Examine under varying lights - smudges and lint.
• Do not touch immediately before taking photos, use gloves where necessary.

Composition & Styling Tips

The way of presentation is important particularly on social media posts.

Try these creative ideas:

• Put the piece of resin on a board of wood or a cloth of a neutral colour to texture it.
• Use something soft such as dried flowers, brushes or your brand tools (moulds, pigments etc) to create a storey.
• Minimizing the scene, one or two complementary objects only.
• Make certain you leave some negative space around the subject in case you would wish to crop them later when needed according to the square or the vertical format.

Pro Tip: Before you crop your shot to look like it was in natural proportions, always take a picture of your art and then utilize the same photo on your web listing, reels, and advertisements.

Finishing to a Smooth Appearance.

Editing does not imply that you are altering your work of art, it simply implies that you are simply trying to use the photo to add reality to it.

Simple Editing Steps

• Crop and straighten - centre and align your piece.
• Control brightness and contrast - resin should be bright but not to be overexposed.
• Adjust colours - match your photo to a real-life appearance of your resin.
• Sharpen a little - to emphasise details and edges.
• Spots of dust or lint - can be removed with the help of apps such as Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile.

Extra Bonus: Be sure to include your brand watermark in an inconspicuous corner before it goes live. It assists in securing your work and marketing your brand whenever shared.

How to optimize Photos on social media and sales.

The various platforms support different formats:

• Instagram: Square (1:1) or vertical (4:5) pictures; natural light appears the most beautiful.
• Etsy or Website Listings: Horizontal shots (3:2) with minimal backgrounds should be used.
• Pinterest: Tall (2:3) photos with text overlays are better.

Hit descriptive captions with keywords such as epoxy resin art, handmade resin coasters or UK resin artist.

Freebie: Add your Epoxy Res-iT resin kit or your pigment bottles in a couple of behind-the-scenes shots, this adds the realism, and also markets your products by default.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I clean up the epoxy resin tools that I use?

Wipe your resin instruments (cups, sticks and spreaders) with paper towel each time you pour with a little isopropyl alcohol. Allow the resin which may be left to dry completely, and then peel off. Plastic tools should not be exposed to acetone because it may lead to the tool being cloudy or broken.

2. Can mixing cups and silicone moulds of resin be reused?

Yes! Silicone moulds and flexible mixing cups can be re-used several times as long as it is clean. This can be done by letting the resin cure up and then bending it out. Mould release spray is supposed to be applied frequently to extend the life span of the mould as well as keep the surfaces shiny.

3. What shall we do to avoid the resin on the moulds or cups?

Pouring must never be done without a mould release agent or silicone spray. It suppresses the bonding of resin and promotes demoulding. The other thing you should keep in mind is that you should keep your tools clean and dry so that moisture will not make the clouds and surface defects worse.

4. Which is a better way of cleaning resin tools with alcohol or acetone?

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is suggested in general cleaning of resin tools in simple cleaning because its cleaning is not difficult, effective, and not dangerous to silicone. Use acetone only on metal tools or heavy build up and ensure that there is plenty of air when doing it.

5. How can I make my resin tools last longer?

Wipe tools as soon as they are used and store it in a dry dust-free area and always store silicone moulds flat so that it does not bend. Investing in good resin kits and accessories (Ex and such as Epoxy Res-iT) will result in the final result and the reduced number of replacements of tools.

Final Thoughts

Great pictures do not only make your resin art look prettier they generate trust and increase sales. With knowledge about lighting, angles, and editing, you will have the opportunity to make the work you do as clear and three-dimensional as possible, to impress both potential customers and your social followers.

Your next masterpiece will be a glossy on and off-camera masterpiece, with the right photography tools, and epoxy resin kits of Epoxy Res-iT.