Product photography is as simple as having a product and clicking its picture. Yet, many e-Commerce businesses worldwide are not getting enough Return on Investment (ROI) from their product photoshoots. No matter how much you try, your products miss the key to conversions, the “oomph!” factor evident in the magazine product photos.
With the increasing competition in the e-Commerce industry, product photography has become an undebatable investment for entrepreneurs because statistics reflect that 75 percent of online shoppers consider buying a product based on its photograph. Thus, an entrepreneur’s success lies in the quality of their product photographs.
This article will walk you through the basics and pro-tips for making your products stand out in the market, from preparing your tools to editing the product images. Find the product photography checklist at the end of the article to get ready for your next photoshoot.
Product photography tips: How to shoot like a pro photographer
The product must look appealing in images, but over editing could alter its perception from the customer’s point of view. Statistics reveal that 22 percent of products had been returned to the company because the delivered product failed to match the product image. To tackle this problem, the first important tip is to rent or buy a professional camera. Check the listed tips to learn more.
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Select a smartphone or a professional camera:
A smartphone camera with professional features like 12.2 or more megapixels and HDR can easily help create the best level of pictures to support adequate lighting. Some smartphones that could match entry-level professional cameras are Google Pixel 3 and iPhone 10 and up. If you’re looking for a professional camera, select a high-end choice with more than a 24-megapixel sensor, quick focus, and a good quality image processor like DIGIC 7. These features will enable the camera to capture professional images in insufficient lighting conditions.
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Keep your equipment on the table:
Before starting a photoshoot, you must have all the equipment on the table to avoid any last-minute chaos. Accessories like a tripod, flash rings, etc., have the potential to improve the quality of your images exponentially. Even when they seem unnecessary, accessories like tripods can dramatically increase the quality of your images. They are cheap, easy-to-handle, and significant in capturing clear and precise shots.
To complement your equipment and products, you can use models to portray the use and value of the items in your daily routine. However, it is essential to select models wisely. For instance, a college student will not be appropriate for featuring in an image of kitchen products. Jewelry and skincare products could be featured on hand models as well.
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Invest in photography lighting:
It is only possible to replicate the product you see from your eyes if you use proper lighting. If you choose a white background for your pictures, the image will turn out grey without adequate lighting. Depending on your budget constraints, you can either invest in natural or studio lighting or shoot during the day under the sunlight. For people seeking investment, the first step is to analyze the purpose of your pictures and the publishing platform.
If your product is categorized as clothing, food, or lifestyle, natural lighting will highlight its best features for social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
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Shoot lifestyle images:
There are two major types of e-commerce photoshoots – Lifestyle and product only. The latter emphasizes the product by capturing it against a white background that provides uniform lighting at every angle of the product. Customers are comfortable analyzing the real appearance of the product through these images. On the contrary, lifestyle photoshoots are important for marketing the utility of a product.
Lifestyle images add glamour to your product’s photoshoot. They describe the kind of environment in which the product is meant to be used. For instance, a clothing company could shoot images of their clothes in an appropriate outdoor environment where the particular cloth is worn.
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Rule of thirds:
Keeping the other technical aspects of photography aside, every photographer must focus on the rules of thirds. Use settings to activate the 3*3 grid to help you position the product on your camera. Instead of placing it at the center of the frame, place your product along any line, ensuring that the important areas of the product come along the intersection of the lines.
Implementing this rule for your images can drastically add the desired impact. Placing the product on the right-side grids will help in making your products stand out. This is because the human eye flows naturally to see an image on the right and texts on the left.
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Check the pictures right after the shoot:
Cross-checking the images after every click will save you plenty of time and energy in editing. Edits can enhance the quality of a picture, but the photographer must consider the image’s angles, alignment, and background before clicking the next product. Try to keep the edits to a minimum because heavily edited pictures tend to pull the quality of the image down.
Checklist: Keep these things ready for product photography
- Camera: A smartphone with optical image stabilization and HDR, and a professional camera with autofocus and high-speed continuous shooting.
- Tripod: For crisp and blur-free images
- LED Flash Rings: Choose the bundle that comes with multiple lighting modes and adjustable brightness.
- Backdrop: To avoid post-processing, shoot your pictures using a white backdrop. It also helps in creating a consistent brand image for your pictures.
- Toolbox: Depending on your products, including these tools in your box –
- Paper
- Pencil
- Double-sided tape
- Clamps
- Fishing line
- Clothing hooks
- Glue dots
- Scissors
- Steamer for clothes
- Charger or batteries
Get ready to shoot
With the tips listed in this article, your products are sure to stand out from the other competitors in the market. You must try experimenting with different tips to practice and master the art of product photography with time.
