Clotted cream or Angel's wing?

Love crisp, clean lines? How about sharp fonts and squared off edges? Dettol handwash in your purse?
Then I bet you painted your house in 'eggshell' and agonised over the difference between 'Dove white' and 'Abominable Snowman'?

I am boycotting whites.
More importantly (or to the point), I am boycotting the trend of photographing and displaying all handmade items on a crisp white background with professional lighting. It's everywhere you look, and if you don't conform then you miss out on precious advertising and online space.
I understand the need to have products speak for themselves, and to display them in neutral tones to give the buyer a better understanding of the product. But surely that gives us more of a playing field than white on white with white lighting?!

The whole point of buying, making and enjoying handmade items is the fact that they are NOT massed produced, NOT all the same and do generally do NOT get purchased by people who enjoy homes painted throughout entirely in tones of a snowfield in a blizzard.

The whole handmade movement to me represents quality, quirky, squishy, delicious products that come straight from someone with creative talent's mind. 

This also extends to seeing the product in the way the creator best sees fit to sell it. Sometimes that may be on a rustic log with a big blue sky in the background (extending the idea that it is natural, organic and fresh). Other times it might be sitting on a lush green lawn, interacting with a mushroom (telling me it is fun and warm and hardy). If it is clothing - I want to see it ON!

As long as the images are high quality, because in this day and age it is easy to get hold of a 10 megapixel camera, then why not allow the creativity to extend to the merchandising? I want to buy a feeling, the whole package, allow the maker to show me the world the product belongs in.

But then, I have always loved the darker things in life. Forest moss, toadstool red, studded leather, golden light streaming through a sash window, dappled shadows, autumn leaves...

Perhaps that wouldn't appeal to everyone, but let's just say I prefer rich, dark chocolate to plain milk.

What is your preferred way to see handmade goods advertised?