Source – elements.envato.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis kind of photography is best for handmade goods where it takes a lot of precision, but you can always take a fun, exciting spin on your product\u2019s manufacturing process.<\/p>\n
This also helps build trust and a connection with your customers.<\/p>\n
These pictures are most commonly found on product pages and social media.<\/p>\n
You can always add a picture of a happy customer enjoying your product, all you have to do is dive into your customer reviews and find one that you think is the best.<\/p>\n
These pictures can be used on your website, product pages and social media. The effect a real customer\u2019s happy picture can have on your potential customers is unparalleled.<\/p>\n
You can use any number of the different types of product photographs to properly showcase your product to your customers.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need more than one type. Figure out what types work best for you and get clicking!<\/p>\n
Equipment Needed For Product Photography<\/h2>\n Wait, wait, wait!<\/p>\n
Before you start clicking, have a look at all the equipment you might need for the perfect picture.<\/p>\n
When you hear the word photography equipment, something like this comes to mind, right?<\/p>\n
We see how it can be intimidating. However, worry not, we have made a list of the most simple and effective equipment to use for the perfect product photoshoot.<\/p>\n
1. Camera<\/h3>\n The very first thing you need to click a picture is a camera. Don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t need anything like this.<\/p>\n
You can use a DSLR camera to shoot your product images and make them look like a professional shot them.<\/p>\n
A DSLR camera is a professional grade camera that might be expensive but will give you high-quality pictures of your product.<\/p>\n
See this cute little thing? It\u2019s enough for your product photoshoot.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a DSLR, you can use a compact (or point & shoot) camera to get the job done as well.<\/p>\n
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the camera doesn\u2019t click pictures itself, you click them. Even with a modest camera, your pictures can come out pretty good.<\/p>\n
2. Lenses<\/h3>\n Lenses help you capture the whole picture or some specific detailed part of it, whatever you want to capture.<\/p>\n
The two most common lenses you will need for your photoshoot are –<\/p>\n
(i) Wide lens – Wide lenses help capture a bigger picture, like in a lifestyle shot. When you have multiple elements in a picture, or you want to showcase a bigger canvas, you can use a wide lens to capture it.<\/p>\n
A picture shot with a wide lens looks something like this.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n(ii) Zoom\/telephoto lens – Now, when you have to draw your customers\u2019 attention to the details of your product, you can use a zoom lens.<\/p>\n
This is most commonly used in the detail shot. If you want to highlight a specific feature of your product, or a particular aspect, you can do it with a zoom lens.<\/p>\n
A picture taken with a zoom lens looks something like this.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn this picture, the customer is being directed towards the water-resistance feature of this watch.<\/p>\n
3. Tripod<\/h3>\n Ever noticed that when you click any picture by holding a camera or phone in your hand, the images come out blurry?<\/p>\n
Well, we can\u2019t have that for our product now, can we? That\u2019s where a tripod comes in.<\/p>\n
A tripod is a stand on which you place your camera so that you get steady, clear pictures.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere are a lot of options available in the market for tripods, and you can do your own research and find one that suits your needs best.<\/p>\n
We recommend one with extendable legs so that you can adjust it to suit different heights, and it is portable also.<\/p>\n
4. Background<\/h3>\n A white background is preferred for most photoshoots because it brings out the product details and gives a smooth effect to your pictures.<\/p>\n
To achieve the perfect background for your pictures, you can use a portable photo studio. It looks something like this.<\/p>\n
This photo studio comes in different sizes and is portable. You can easily click great pictures against a seamless backdrop with this.<\/p>\n
Another way to do this is to get a white sweep to create a good background.<\/p>\n
A sweep is a bendable sheet of paper that is used as a background for capturing images or videos. It covers the surface beneath your product to give the effect of a smooth background.<\/p>\n
PS – Keep in mind that the white sweep should be white, not off-white or cream, or any other colour.<\/p>\n
5. Lighting<\/h3>\n Now comes the lighting for the product photoshoot.<\/p>\n
Lighting is an important part of pictures. So important, that it can make or break the image.<\/p>\n
No matter how great your camera and lens might be, if the light doesn\u2019t hit the product in all the right spots, your pictures will not come out any good.<\/p>\n
For products, you can easily use LED lights to illuminate them. They look like this.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnother piece of equipment that you will need is a reflector.<\/p>\n
So, when you click a picture, be it in natural lighting or artificial light, there will be two sides- one lit and the other that has a shadow.<\/p>\n
A reflector is a piece of equipment that reflects light. It is placed opposite to the source of light, in this case, LED lights.<\/p>\n
It reflects the same light to the other side of the product, so it looks balanced and well lit.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDo you see the circular thing on the floor? That\u2019s a reflector.<\/p>\n
In this case, it is reflecting the light to the lower part of the pots, so that the image looks equally lit.<\/p>\n
Reflectors can also be used to create shadows and depth if used creatively, you just need to set them at certain angles to accomplish this.<\/p>\n
6. Table<\/h3>\n A regular foldable table is adequate for product photography.<\/p>\n
You can get one that is around 25-27 inches wide. It can be used to set up your setting, as a backdrop, or just to place your camera and tripod on.<\/p>\n
7. Tape\/Clamps<\/h3>\n These are simply there to hold your product or your background in place while you click pictures.<\/p>\n
If you want your product to stay in the perfect position as you placed it, you can use tape or clamps to keep it together easily.<\/p>\n
Ideas for Product Photography<\/h2>\n Even after doing all the research and gathering all the equipment, inspiration might not always strike.<\/p>\n
For times like these, you can browse the following ideas to keep you inspired.<\/p>\n
1. Create a Scene<\/h3>\n You can create a scene around your product by using the natural elements around you, or adding some elements that would help make the product pop!<\/p>\n
2. Use Macro Shots<\/h3>\n Macro shots are important to showcase details and depth in a product\u2019s picture, and you can use them to your advantage. These pictures can be used to engage your viewers\u2019 senses.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis picture elicits a sense of taste in a customer\u2019s mind. We didn\u2019t tell you what the picture is about, but you can taste this picture, right?<\/p>\n
This is the magic of macro shots. Don\u2019t shy away from using them.<\/p>\n
3. Play with the Background<\/h3>\n You can do a lot with the background.<\/p>\n
One of the most fun things to do can be to place the product in the background itself.<\/p>\n
We know it sounds strange, but hear us out.<\/p>\n
In this picture, you can see the lamp, but it is not the first thing you see.<\/p>\n
You know that the main product being captured is the lamp, not the plant.<\/p>\n
Even though the lamp is in the background, you know quite well that your focus should be on it.<\/p>\n
You can try fun things like this with your background as well.<\/p>\n
4. Capture a Freeze-frame Image<\/h3>\n A freeze-frame image looks like this.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFreeze-frame shots are such a cool way to make time stand still, all the while showing your product in use.<\/p>\n
This is a difficult shot to master, though, and takes more than some time and effort to get the perfect freeze-frame for your product, but it is worth it.<\/p>\n
5. Manipulate Your Photos<\/h3>\n Ok, let me show you what this is first.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHere, you can see two scenes in one picture. This is what photo manipulation does to your pictures.<\/p>\n
This is a great example of a product photo of sunglasses. Anybody watching this image will want to know more about the product and buy it.<\/p>\n
These pictures need more than a camera and some photo editing skills, but they\u2019re super fun and cool, so you can experiment with them for your products.<\/p>\n
6. Put your Product in Context<\/h3>\n You can show your product being used by customers. Real-world images that show the product in use serve more than one purpose.<\/p>\n
For example, if you\u2019re an activewear company, and you show your product being used in the gym or during exercise, it helps your customers know how to use your product and how cool it looks while being used.<\/p>\n
Another trick to use here can be to show your product being used unconventionally!<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor instance, how cool is this use of Coca Cola drink cans!<\/p>\n
7. Play with Angles<\/h3>\n In your physical store, your customers can see your products from all angles and can hold them in their hands, but in your online store, this can be a problem.<\/p>\n
To remedy this, you can play with your angles and show your customers every aspect of your products.<\/p>\n
You can also show them your products in 360 degrees, with the help of Arqspin<\/a>.<\/p>\n8. Use Props<\/h3>\n You can always use props to make your product pictures more interesting.<\/p>\n
Your props can be other products that you sell, or they can be any other object that helps viewers visualise the use of your product better.<\/p>\n
Mirrors or reflective surfaces make for amazing props.<\/p>\n
For instance, this mirror here shows your product in 360 degrees, without much effort!<\/p>\n
9. Show Suspended Products<\/h3>\n When we say suspended products, we mean something like this.<\/p>\nSource – Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis type of photography takes some time and effort, but do you see how cool it looks?<\/p>\n
It is sure to make a lasting impression in your customers\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n
The best part is that you can achieve this by just using a fishing line or even a kite string while clicking the pictures.<\/p>\n
Later, you can edit it out of the picture with some tool like Photoshop, etc.<\/p>\n
These are all the different ideas that we have for product photography. Try out one (or all) of these for your next shoot!<\/p>\n
Bonus Tips<\/h2>\n Here are some additional tips that you might want to keep in mind while clicking product pictures.<\/p>\n
1. Choose 1 type of light while clicking your pictures- either natural light or artificial(LED, etc.), based on what works best for that particular product.<\/div><\/div>\n
2. Use a real-world background, like a club\u2019s background to showcase your beer, or a trekking trail to showcase your backpack or shoes. You can always blur the background a little if it takes away attention from your product.<\/div><\/div>\n
3. Shoot multiple images for each product. You should always have multiple options to choose from when it comes to the final editing part of your photography process. Try different angles, different lights, setting, placement, and every idea you want while shooting pictures. You never know which combination might result in the perfect picture for you!<\/div><\/div>\n
4. When in doubt, use a normal lens to capture your product. Why we advise this, is because when you use a macro or zoom lens to capture your product, details like the real size and colour of the product might be misrepresented. At the end of the day, your customer wants to see your product exactly the way they will receive it.<\/div><\/div>\n
5. Represent the true size, colour and shape of your product. Building on the last tip, this one is very important. Sometimes, while editing the picture post-shooting, you might feel that if the colours were changed a little bit, the picture would look better. That might work for the picture but it changes the product’s true colour. The same goes for the size and the shape of the product. If you feel that the pictures don\u2019t do justice to your product, you can always re-shoot them, but it\u2019s a strict no-no when it comes to misrepresentation of your product in any way.<\/div><\/div>\n
6. Edit, edit, edit! Your raw pictures can be good, but you should always retouch your images to fix any imperfections, like a spot on the product or some glare from the lighting, so that the end result is a clear, crisp picture.<\/div><\/div>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n Product photography plays an extremely essential role in determining the sales of a product. You can master the art of professional photography from your home, with minimum equipment & effort, just with the help of this article.<\/p>\n
Now that you have a complete idea of the details like the set-up, lighting, aesthetics, equipment, and everything in between that is needed to capture beautiful product pictures, you can finally get clicking!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Product photography has emerged as an essential part in the world of eCommerce. It is actually one of the most important elements of your product description, and with good reason. Did you know that the human brain processes an image in 13 milliseconds? That\u2019s 60,000 times faster than text! It took you longer to read […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4599","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brand","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/product-photography-600x385.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/product-photography-600x385.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Arunima Singh Researched and edited by Piyush Shah","author_link":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/author\/arunimasingh\/?mab_v3=4599"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4599"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15643,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4599\/revisions\/15643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mydukaan.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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