Product Photography

If you don’t already know, here’s a reminder; a picture is worth a thousand words. It is a powerful line if you are a business owner on Amazon or any other eCommerce site. Most people shopping online or looking for something get intrigued by images. Even if they are only browsing, there is a 50% chance of a sale happening through quality images.

So, now that you have a brief idea of what product photography is capable of; let’s dive into the details. Although it is on a chance basis, the percentile is still very high compared to typical ads. The reason for this is that a picture can explain what a description can not. Also, many people don’t read long details for an overview of an offering. They want to get as much information as possible in a short span of time, and that is where an image comes in.

Still, it is not that simple. You will need good expertise in photography techniques and also on its application and usage. There are many minor details that a non-careful person can miss and lose a potential sale. So, to make things easy for newcomers, here is a brief guide to product photography. Yet, even if you are a veteran in the field, there is nothing wrong with gathering extra information. Moving on, here’s how to get started and what things you need to keep in mind.

How To Get Started?

Without wasting any more of everyone’s precious time, we will get right into the good stuff. Here are some tips and essentials to know before you start filling your product pages with eCommerce product photography. One thing to note before that, this guide involves details from scratch. In simple terms, it includes everything from choosing a capturing device to uploading the final image. Let’s get started.

1.  Choice of Device

It is true that the better the camera, the higher quality will be of the resulting image. Still, you don’t have to go over the sky on spending money over a mere camera. If you can, go for a high megapixels camera for those crisp images. On the flip side, if you don’t have the budget, you can also settle with a smartphone camera.

Nowadays, some smartphone cameras are better than some low to medium-end DSLRs. The best example of this is an iPhone camera or any other with a Carl Zeiss optics lens. These bad boys are capable of shooting outstanding and sharp images with good light-gathering capacity. Moreover, most camera options involve both manual and automatic options. Once you get a hold of the methods, you can switch over to manual mode. Watch some tutorials and videos and start playing with it till you learn that as well.

Although cameras are vital, the person behind the trigger also matters. The technique and skills are just as important as the camera. So, take notes of how the professionals take million-dollar pictures and start learning. Also, pay close attention to exposure, lighting, styling and pre and post-processing choices. After that, start practicing, and you will get the results you desire.

2.  Accessories List

Not that a camera is not enough, some shots and angles are hard to capture. For such scenarios, you might need a tripod stand for your camera. It will enable you to hit the capability of your camera for an in-depth field of view and small apertures.

Also, it is not always about a good angle. Sometimes you have to time the shutter click. For example, if you are capturing a moving target or an about-to-happen scene, you need patience. The patience that your hand is unlikely to be capable of. Also, taking long exposure shots with a slow shutter is hard for a normal human being. You can try, but it is certain that the resulting image will be blurry. Other than this, an f-stop is also vital to understand and make use of for high-quality results.

Remember, a standard tripod will not cost a fortune. You can check online for a cheap and average tripod to attain.

3.  Light Correction

Now that you have fixed up the initial requirements, it is time for some lighting. It is crucial because a good light beam or an optional god-ray can enhance an image’s beauty. It is the main thing that sets apart a professional click from an amateur one.

A good light source can change a whole scene, and many things rely on proper lighting. For example, if capturing a bulb, you need low light to show its light quality. On the flip side, if going for a fresh juice showcase, you need natural light to set the correct scene.

Moving on, you can use windows as a suitable source of natural lighting. You can put a reflector or an LED light on the other side for the desired effect. If you are shooting indoors, soft box lights and product photography lighting are a viable option. Choose the lighting sources wisely, as they can make or break your image.

Start tweaking and customizing with some practise shots to get the right setting. After you have the perfect scene, it’s go-time for light, camera and clicks.

4.  Scene Adjustment

Always remember that a stage has equal importance as that of the artists performing. The same thing applies to professional product photography. Even with a top-class camera and stunning light, a shallow stage setup will ruin the final results.

No matter if you are shooting in your home or a studio, staging the product is vital. For example, here are some things to set up good staging.

You can use white sheets to get good focus and clean images.

For good shadows, you can use flashbulb bounce cards or standalone bounce cards.

The next up is portrait or landscape mode, whichever suits best.

To adjust the height, you can use a foldable table or a pile of boxes, whichever is convenient. It helps give an ideal height and width setting for appropriate results.

Step Up Your Photography

Now that you have several pictures at hand, it is time for post-processing or editing. Transfer your images to a desktop PC and get started on detailing. The first step is to resize your images according to the requirements of the platform. After that, adjust the image’s quality, for which you can use Mr. worldwide software, Adobe Photoshop. The possibilities here are endless. There are plenty of tutorials that can help you to get the basics. Yet, if you are having trouble, you can contact a company that provides product retouching services and can professionally enhance your photos.

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, even if the person is not willing to hear or read.