Edna Pattison

Hi Ladies I keep getting two cards back saying to dark. I have changed the a few times. What I am doing is going back to my downloads of the cards and altering the colour there .. Is that right. or is there another way Regards Edna.

Karen Cogan

Hi Edna,

I sometimes lighten them in my photo editing software but usually I take another one. I generally sit them on the windowsill with some card behind them. Sorry I can't be of more help.

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Debra Macey

I am having the same Edna - what with this flippin' awful weather - no matter how hard I try the images are too dark. I have tried lightening some in my photo editing software but find then it can wash out the colours on the card. I keep trying each day moving round my sitting room to try and find the lightest spot - the neighbours must wonder what the heck is going on if they look through the patio doors! Its Mum's conservatory next time as having the glass roof it may just help. There is a thread somewhere where photo's are discussed and there is a way of using a flash, but sorry I can't remember where it is - doh!

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June Young

You could try the following. When you are setting up to take the photograph, have a piece of white card off-set at about 45 degrees to one side or resting against your legs - this should reflect some light onto the card and lighten it a bit, don't put a white card behind your subject or put the thing you are photographing against a white or very light wall - this just makes the camera shut down it's aperture if you are using auto settings. Cameras like to make everything a 'neutral grey' as far as settings are concerned so any large areas of light/white or black/very dark tend to throw them off a bit.

Julie Hill

If you have a separate flash gun (if not try a desk lamp) point it at the ceiling so the light rebounds from the ceiling onto your card
That way you get the light you need without the bright lights spoiling your photo as it would when pointing directly at it.

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Gwyneth George

Originally Posted by Edna Pattison

Hi Ladies I keep getting two cards back saying to dark. I have changed the a few times. What I am doing is going back to my downloads of the cards and altering the colour there .. Is that right. or is there another way Regards Edna.

I'm currently taking all my pictures with my cards resting on a black, fake leather, office chair, in front of a south facing window, at around 1pm (provided it isn't actually raining, in which case - forget it!). I do tend to leave my camera on "automatic flash" these days as I find that it's a good indication of whether there's enough light to take a photo or not. If the flash goes off then there's not enough light for my camera to take a good photo without flash, and I know to come back and try at another time or another day. I try to take a series of pictures at a time, some close to the card, some further away, some at a slight angle to the card from the side, straight on, bigger angle, slightly to the top, etc., as even the low white sunlight of winter can catch a glossy, mirror, or glittered card and give a flare spot on the picture at certain angles. I'll even turn the card at a slight angle to the light from the window instead of directly facing it at times.

Once uploaded to my computer I look through all the variations of photos for an individual card to find the best one.

I use a piece of software called IrfanView to crop the photo closer to the card, but not cutting into the card, resize it down to 600 pixels width and then adjust the colours and sharpen the photo as well if needed, before saving under a different name and uploading.

Thankfully the majority of my photos have made it through verification with no problems lately, but occassionaly I try to do things too quickly without realy studying the picture and get caught out with uploading a problem picture.

Hope you manage to get your pictures accepted Edna. Don't know what software you're using, but I'd be looking for a setting such as Brightness, or perhaps Gamma, to adjust. The only answer is to play around with variables when taking your pictures and then play around with your software once you've got them onto your PC to see if you can get them to a standard that the team at CUP HQ will accept.

If your problems continue why don't you pop the pictures into your gallery here on craftforums and let us know where they are and then perhaps somebody will be able to give you specific suggestions.

GG

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Janet Harvey

Hi Edna,

In my 'early days' I used to get quite a few photos coming back and one day, I seemed to improve! Now, although I can't say 'never' a lot more of my photos get approved first time around.

What I did seem to find contributed to a 'reject' was, the colours used in the card itself also have a bearing. If the colours are intended to be darker rather than pastel, I had more trouble with them. They were better left for another day when the natural light was better.

You've been offered some good advice in the other messages, so I won't repeat but thought you might find that point helpful too.
I also found, as suggested by Julie, that photos done with the assist of my desk lamp 'made the grade', so see what works for you.

What is most important is you don't get disheartened ... we all get turned into right little David Baileys

Good luck and I hope you find your way around things soon.

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Vicki Avcin

I'm suprised your getting cards rejected for being 'too dark'.
I've got several that have been loaded and I feel they are too 'washed out'. When I queried it with CUP I never got an answer....well I got an answer but not relating to how they 'inspect' colour before approving a card.
All I got was, if you don't like it we'll remove it. That wasn't what I asked. My point is if cards are going to be sold then wouldn't it be normal to assume that the photo of the card should be as close to the colours as possible of the sheets. Not too dark or not too light/washedout !!!!!

There was another thread in the forums somewhere about photographing and I think it was Carol Lepard???? that brought a lightbox and the pics came out fabulous!!

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Janet Briggs

Originally Posted by Janet Harvey

Hi Edna, What is most important is you don't get disheartened ... we all get turned into right little David Baileys

LOL Janet, you are so right.
Can't believe the standard of the some of the photos in my gallery, they are beautiful.
I have the same problems photographing new products on my website.
They all get taken in the conservatory when it's miserable and outside when it's nice enough. You just can't use a flash on glitter, pearlescent or holographic card or peel offs and taking photos of Dufex.... well there's a real art to that one LOL.

Our Australian card makers have a real advantage at this time of year.
Maybe we should all go on holiday over there.

When I used to sell on Ebay, some sellers who could not afford a photography tent, would take their pictures in a white bath if they had a light bathroom!! The white helps reflect the light onto the product.

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Vicki Avcin

We have a couple of spare bedrooms Janet......anytime you want to fly over and take photos is fine by me!!!

That goes summer or winter

Just let me know so I can clear the grandkids toys out of the bedroom. Don't think cards with a heap of toys in the background is quite the 'look' you want!!!!

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