Mastering Product Photography: Tips for Business Owners

Understand the basics of product photography

Rather than getting caught up in filters, post-production processing, and other factors that many people think will improve their pictures, it's best to start with the fundamentals.

With proper studio lighting used, skillful tripod use, and the correct camera settings, you can take product photos that look great without any digital manipulations.

If you have hundreds of products to photograph, getting the settings right while taking the pictures can save you hours of photo editing time.

The importance of lighting

For product photography, proper lighting is essential. Distracting shadows, dark areas, or unnatural coloring of your products can turn potential customers off and ultimately harm your business's bottom line.

On the other hand, your goods' features, colors, and textures stand out when well-lit.

In product photography, there are many ways to use natural or artificial light. If you are on a tight budget, natural light is best because it does not require purchasing additional equipment. When you shoot near a big window or outside during the day, you can get bright lighting that brings out the best parts of your product.

Instead of shooting in direct sunlight, you can opt for an outdoor shaded area, which reduces shadows and creates an even light. If this is not possible, you can use a reflector or a large piece of white paper or cardboard. If you place the product between the light source and the reflector, the light will bounce off the white surface and fill in the shadow in the picture.

Many people also use studio lights with reflectors or softboxes to add artificial light that doesn't cast a shadow on the product. This additional natural or artificial lighting equipment gives you more freedom to choose how bright the light is, what color it is, and where it comes from in the picture.

Lights can be more convenient, but they require additional purchases.

Camera settings

High-quality product photographs require camera settings that allow the lens to accurately capture the product's details. You need to dial in the proper combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get the desired look and sharpness in your pictures.

A deeper look into those settings reveals that the depth of field, or how much of the image looks in focus, is determined by the aperture setting. In general, you want greater depth of field to ensure the entire image has sharp details. However, these settings can also make the picture too dark if you get too carried away.

Secondly, how long the camera's sensor is exposed to light, controlled by the shutter speed, allows you to freeze or blur motion. You do not want blurry photographs when making product images. However, a slow shutter speed can increase the image's brightness overall.

Lastly, changing the ISO setting on the camera can compensate for low-light product photography.

Finding the best camera settings for your product photography requires trial and error. Taking practice shots and analyzing the outcomes might help you find your project's optimal combination of settings.

Importance of a tripod

When photographing products, a sturdy tripod is an essential piece of equipment. The steadier the camera, the more precise the shots will be.

Using a tripod to take photographs of your products will help you achieve more consistent framing and composition than you would accomplish when shooting handheld. Also, a tripod is necessary for shooting with a slow shutter speed or low light levels. It can give added flexibility by allowing you to take non-blurred pictures at slow shutter speeds.

While purchasing a tripod, you should consider its weight, stability, height, and adjustability. For perfect shots, choose a tripod with a strong base and legs that will support the camera and any additional accessories you may have.

Portability is a top priority if you use the tripod outside or in various locations. You want the ability to take pictures of your products indoors or outdoors, so you do not want a model that is difficult to transport.

If you account for lighting and camera settings and rely on a sturdy tripod, you can take high-quality images of your products to attract clients and boost sales. You can also find the perfect product presentation by experimenting with various lighting setups and camera settings.

Equipment for product photography

The equipment you use can help you take better pictures of your products. Since images play an essential role in on-page marketing, it is worthwhile to ensure you have the correct items in your camera bag.

If you don't, you can invest in what you need to take excellent pictures.

Camera

When taking pictures of your products, the camera is the most critical tool. You will want a camera type with a high resolution that provides clear images in .jpeg or RAW formats.

DSLR (digital single-reflex lens) cameras offer the highest level of control because they allow you to change lenses. Also, you can control settings via knobs and buttons on the camera body.

Mirrorless cameras are another option with interchangeable lenses. These products have the advantage of offering full-screen previews of images before you take a picture.

Other cameras allow you to zoom in on the product but do not allow you to change lenses. Small cameras require you to use digital menus to change shutter speed and aperture, which can be time-consuming and tedious.

Lens

The lens is another essential part. It lets you change the image's focal length and depth of field. A prime lens is great for taking pictures of products because it has a fixed focal length that allows you to focus on settings and framing instead of zooming in on the subject.

If you sell small products, a macro or wide-angle lens can be useful for capturing up-close detail.

Tripod

A tripod prevents fuzzy product photos by steadying the camera. It keeps the camera steady at slow shutter speeds and helps with framing. If you invest in a good tripod, you may not need to spend as much on lighting.

Lighting

Lighting illuminates the product and avoids overexposure. You can consider the lighting type and color temperature. Combining natural light with artificial light creates a balanced image without unsightly shadows. You can also invest in reflectors and diffusers. These fill shadows and create a soft light that does not cause sharp contrast, respectively.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds not only set the scene but also contextualize products.

For instance, you might have noticed that photographs taken against a white or black backdrop make the product stand out and look professional.

However, a more imaginative or colorful background may showcase distinctive features. For example, a product meant for outdoor use might look better placed in a grassy or forest setting or near a stream.

If you sell a range of products, flexibility is key. You will want solid white or black backgrounds, but you should also have a setup that allows you to shoot product photos and use more creative backdrops.

Prepare for your product photoshoot

Equipment, camera, and lighting fundamentals are vital for successful product photography. However, you also need to pay special attention to the product itself.

Here is a step-by-step approach for taking sales-worthy product photos.

Cleaning and preparing the products

Your products need to be cleaned before the photo shoot. Detailed pictures will show dust, fingerprints, and other flaws. Therefore, you must clean and dry all of your products and store them in a place where they will not collect any more dust before their pictures get taken.

You can go over them with a duster or cloth one more time before you take the picture to be sure they are spotless.

Select the appropriate background

You will want a background that allows the product to stand out. You should never choose a background color that matches the product too closely. The two may blend in together, creating an unclear image that does not accurately show the product.

Set up the lighting

You will want a lighting setup that shows the entire product but does not produce excessive shadows. You can use natural light, artificial light with a softbox or diffuser, or fill lights and reflectors to create an appealing setup that shows the entire image without dark shaded areas.

Arrange the products

An engaging product image requires careful product placement. You want an attractive image composition that also highlights product attributes. You may want to shoot the item at several different angles so that you can select the best one later and avoid having to take additional photographs.

You might also want to show the product packaging in the picture. This setup can be helpful if the packaging contains a logo or other branding features that differentiate you from your e-commerce competitors.

Shooting techniques to try

Here are some photographic techniques that often prove successful for product photos.

• Shooting angles: Placing the camera at different angles can create a unique perspective. The different look can highlight your product's attributes or alter its appearance. For instance, you can shoot from a low angle to make the product appear larger or take the picture from a height to create depth and dimension.
• Product composition: Product photo composition can boost your image's attractiveness. Employ the rule of thirds, which includes dividing your frame into three equal portions horizontally and vertically and placing your subject at the intersections of lines. This approach gives the pictures a balanced and symmetrical look.
• Depth of field: A short depth of field might highlight a distinctive product feature, while a deeper one can show more context and help you display the product in a particular setting.
• Focal length: Product photographs are also affected by lens focal length. Wider focal lengths capture more of the product and its surroundings, while longer ones compress and focus the image.

These shooting approaches can give your product shots more diversity and make them stand out.

How to edit your product photos

While camera settings, lighting, and product placement can give you excellent product photos without much photo editing software, you will still want to use image editing software to perfect your pictures before you post them on your product pages.

Here are the steps to remove all the imperfections from your pictures and give them a look that will help drive sales.

• Basic editing techniques: You could modify exposure, contrast, and sharpness in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. There are also many other editing programs and applications that allow you to adjust these fundamental attributes.
• Color correction: Fixing product photo colors ensures accuracy. Some programs have automatic color correction features. If you perform this alteration manually, you will change the image's white balance, saturation, and hue.
• Removing imperfections: Removing any flaws in your product images to improve their appearance is essential. These flaws include blemishes, dust, fingerprints, or digital "noise" that sometimes occurs in low-light settings. Editing software like Photoshop has "clone" and "healing" features. These take pixels from the surrounding area and use duplicates of them to cover the imperfections.
• Resizing: Finally, your product photographs should be appropriately sized and formatted for your website, online store, social media pages, blog posts, or marketing materials. You can use software that adjusts the size while keeping the image in the proper proportion so that it does not get distorted.
• Cropping: If you need to change length and width to meet specifications, you can crop the image to get the exact measurements. Some online stores have very specific requirements, so careful cropping may be necessary to get the correct size.

You may also need to adjust the file format. For example, you may need to switch from RAW, which offers the most detail, to .jpeg or .png, which are more web-friendly formats that load quickly and provide adequate detail.

Tips for effective product photography

Product photography is more than just getting a good, well-lit photo of the item you are selling. It is about capturing the product's essence and presenting it visually and appealingly to potential customers.

Here are some tips for capturing the essence of your products.

• Consistency in product presentation: Product photography needs consistency. Once you figure out what works, you can use the same lighting, background, and props. This creates a cohesive, professional product image collection that customers can easily navigate and compare.
• Use of props: Props enhance product photos. For instance, to create a coffee shop ambiance, you could utilize a bag of coffee beans or a French press if you're selling a coffee mug. You need to ensure that your props do not overshadow the product but that they add context and enhance its appearance.
• Highlighting product features: Product photography highlights characteristics and focuses the viewer on the most important details. In some instances, you want to use close-ups of unusual features, textures, and patterns. In others, you can use angles to ensure the aspects of the product that makes it unique is at the center of the image.
• Using lifestyle shots and images: Lifestyle shots show your product in action. It works well for clothing and home decor shoppers who want to see their purchase in realistic settings.

Because product photography involves consistency, inventiveness, and detail, it is crucial to use the above strategies as they will help you produce captivating product photos that boost sales.

Use your product photography across multiple channels

After learning about product photography foundations, equipment, and tactics for generating appealing product shots, it is time to investigate how to use these high-quality photos for advertising your brand across numerous platforms.

Product promotion requires consistency. If you create a long-term marketing strategy and make unique, recognizable images, you can build brand recognition and trust. These qualities are essential if you want to succeed in your efforts to sell your product online.

MailChimp offers add-ons that help with product advertising across various platforms. In addition to image optimization tools, which ensure pictures are properly formatted for the web, you can also use the content studio feature to keep all pictures organized in one location for easy access and use.