Photography, Snails, and Paypal

There is no big secret that I take my own pictures of my jewelry. In the past, I employed a professional photog for a super high-end look. In the past, I had way more income to burn on such luxuries. Now a days, my little digital Canon A530 has been working overtime for me. Our deck and table with umbrella serves as my studio. White tissue paper helps to diffuse sunlight. Overcast days are the best light source for jewelry photography....I actually jump for joy when I wake to gray days now! As the days get colder, I wonder how I'm going to manage this winter when the temperature stay steady at 20 degrees and there is snow everywhere. Maybe the reflective quality of the snow will help more than hinder.

During a photo shoot a few days ago, I met this little fellow above. He (or she or it?) came off a conch shell that was acting as garden decor. I considered using the conch as a prop and placed it on the table. This little dark fleck caught my eye...a snail! I know, snails are a gardeners nightmare right behind their cousin, the slug, and furry little mammals (squirrels, woodchucks, moles, kids :). Kudos for this little guy surviving and hiding out in the big conch shell. I let him slime around the table a bit and put him back in his cavern.

One last tidbit. I asked fellow Etsy-ers to critiques my shop. Every responder said that I must accept Paypal in order to reach all potential customers. So I signed up with Paypal and it's a go, well...I think it's a go. I need to call their customer service today to confirm that I can accept payments now. I get a wee bit jumpy nervous when electronic payments are concerned. Why? I have no idea. I suppose I'm old-fashioned in some respects.

Have a lovely Sunday!