I came to polymer clay as a means to maintain my sanity as a full time working mother. My degree is from Brooks Institute of Photography and photography is still a passion as well as part of my working life.
I’ve been an independent designer for Sculpey (Polyform Products) for over 18 years and I currently serve as the Polyform Brand Ambassador. I am a founding member and former President of the infamous San Diego Polymer Clay Guild. I’ve written over 100 articles for crafting magazines both national and internationally. In addition, I wrote Polymer Clay for the First Time, which is still available through amazon.com. I have also made about 33 television appearances on HGTV, Discovery, DIY, etc.
synssculpeyblog 
I wanted to thank you so much for your tip on the grayscale for taking photos on my phone. I got this phone several years ago to replace my digital camera because I was tired of having to take the digital photos onto my computer to edit them before posting, made WIP photos a real chore. But all these years, I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. The color and brightness just were not coming out, I had to constantly edit them heavily, and it still didn’t come out right. I thought it was the quality of my camera phone, which admittedly isn’t great. But since using your tip, it completely changed my photos. I can’t believe how much of a difference it’s making! So again, thank you. I had given up on getting any decent pictures of my work, and now that has all changed. I really enjoyed your demos, and I hope some day to take another class with you at clay camp in WA State. Take care!
Sharon Mhyre
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Sharon – that is AWESOME! Sometimes it just takes one little thing to solve a major issue. Proper exposure definitely helps the image from the very start.
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Hi Syndee – Thanks so much for inviting Clayville to your photography Zoom today! Of course, I thought of a question right after I had to sign off. Here goes – I understand how the gray background helps take better product photos right from the start. You also explained how to compensate for white or black backgrounds. In the past I’ve struggled a bit using my SLR cameras if I wanted a color in my background. I have grayscale reference cards. Do you have any tips for using something like a colored sheet of an interesting paper as the background for a piece of jewelry when using my phone camera? Thanks again!!!
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Yes, as long as it is in a similar color range as the 18% grey, you should be fine. ie: a medium tone like the gray. If it is a significantly darker or lighter tone, you can compensate for the exposure with the exposure scale I showed you on your phone.
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Hi again, I understand that for publications and for tutorials, etc. that a gray (or white) background is best. But for fun and for my own use I think I should be able to use the B&W filter on my Samsung 21 to look for papers or fabrics that are similar in tone to my gray photo reference card. I’ll keep you posted when I have a chance to play. Thanks again!!!
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