And just want to add, Chronata is an ace reader and everything she does works.
And it all has a wonderful, folk-arty look!
@Chronata - when I can get my boys to pose, or at least hold still in good lighting, I'll be sending you the photos for the Murder Shelties. LOL!

4 hours ago, katrinka said:

And putting a bunch of rocks in every spread photo in an attempt to look "witchy".

I've tried this before but never managed to get things to look right.... my rock piles always come across inexpertly staged, stiff as all hell, possibly put together by someone with coordination problems. Anyway, sign of the times, I suppose. I remember seeing TV chef Jamie Oliver, who made his career off a 'just-a-relaxed-guy-at-home-cooking-for-his-friends' shtick, saying that lo-fi/low-key/minimal styling just doesn't sell these days - everything has to look slick, packaged and photogenic. It's the Instagram age. I suppose the other factor might be that with computers, apps, etc. it's a lot easier to get things to look slick these days..... proper grunge or even cleanliness with a human touch is maybe not so easy given current tools.

12 hours ago, devin said:

I remember seeing TV chef Jamie Oliver, who made his career off a 'just-a-relaxed-guy-at-home-cooking-for-his-friends' shtick, saying that lo-fi/low-key/minimal styling just doesn't sell these days - everything has to look slick, packaged and photogenic. It's the Instagram age.

Exactly.
The overriding concern isn't knowledge or technique or any of that. It's how the spread will look on Instagram.
But it's a little odd that they crowd the photos with all that stuff. "Instagram ready" usually does translate to "minimalism". That's why you don't see any frou-frou in decor these days. Everything is plain. No patterned wallpaper or any of that, and lots of straight lines, nothing is ever ornate. And I do think that looks boring and institutional.

But these card spread photos are full of distractions. Rocks and tiny statues and herbs and tea lights. Sometimes they include casting stones just for looks - they aren't even part of the reading.

 

There's got to be a middle ground.

I am a Tarot deckaholic.  I admit it.  Hey, it's one of the few things that I collect.  Plus, I am a professional reader, so I do usually actually use them and write them off as a business expense.

 

The plethora of choices on the market these days thrills me.  I am extremely picky -- it's all about aesthetics for me.  Did I mention that I am extremely picky!  So I have backed 2 Kickstarter decks and purchased one other and am waiting to purchase another.  All indie decks with Kickstarter campaigns.  I'm just having so much fun. 

We have not bought decks in over a year but I keep getting them as presents. I have way too many and not all of them are even used yet! If it was for me to decide I'd order a stop on new publications until I know all of those I have haha.