Basics of Product Photography

E-commerce stores and websites have increased massively in popularity over the past few years and have developed into an excellent opportunity for businesses to sell their products. However, there are certain rules that need to be followed while selling products online.

For instance, it’s necessary to have good images of your products on your website. This is because what shoppers view in those images will play a crucial factor in whether they make the purchase or find an alternative to the item. Moreover, since the brain can process pictures within milliseconds, a website needs to make a good impression in that short period.

That’s why the best e-commerce websites shouldn’t only feature amazing products but also have great images of them. Not only do they indicate the quality and usefulness of the products but also help out an e-commerce business improve their sales.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to have the best setup for corporate photography to help you get that perfect shot.

Let’s get started.

1. Proper Lighting

One of the most crucial factors in capturing a great product picture is to find the perfect lighting. Not only does it play a crucial role in the overall quality of the image but also helps make the post-production process easier. Therefore, you need to ensure that you’ve got lighting on the product for it to be highlighted well.

As a photographer, you can choose between two light sources for product photography.

2. Natural Light

Natural light is the best option for photographers on a budget. Although it’s considered the cheaper option, it doesn’t reduce the quality of the images.

This is especially the best option if you’re shooting outdoors or taking portraits of a person. However, you must make sure that you’re taking pictures when the sun shines the brightest during the day for optimal lighting.

While indoors, place your backdrop close to a window to get more natural sunlight and if it’s too bright, use a light sheet to reduce the intensity.

3. Artificial Light

Artificial light is recommended if you have the budget or resources to spend on studio lights or want to take pictures during different times when sunlight isn’t at its peak.

You can adjust the studio lights to get their desired look. However, one should always serve as a key light placed in front of the product. Another one should serve as a backlight, placed on the opposite side of the item.

4. Set up the Right Background

A good background will help in keeping the focus on the production. It’s recommended to have a white or light colour background to help simplify the editing process. These backdrops are used by professional photographers to improve the quality of their images and help in creating a theme for an e-commerce website.

Fortunately, getting a fancy drop isn’t too expensive, and you can get the job done with white craft paper as wallpaper. Photographers can place their product on a table and start taking some pictures.

5. Choose the Right Camera

The most essential step to having the best setup for product photography is choosing the right camera. If you’re on a tight budget or are still trying your hand at photography, you can opt for a smartphone camera instead of a DSLR.

Over the years, smartphone cameras have developed immensely with options like iPhones or any other phone with a good camera suitable to try out product photography. Take advantage of the lighting and backdrop to get that perfect shot of the product with your camera or phone. However, DSLRs are always still preferable so if you have the budget for it, find the right type that meets all your needs.

For those using a DSLR, there are a couple of things they should keep in mind:

Turn the flash setting off, as you’ll be adjusting for the natural or artificial light.

Set the camera to the best image quality setting :- choose RAW or the largest JPG settings.

Match your white balance to the Kelvin temperature on the studio lights.

Once you’ve found the preferred settings, note them down for more convenient setups for future photoshoots.

6. Use a Tripod

Tripods can help make a significant difference and increase the overall quality of product photography. Tripod stands stabilise the camera, which is difficult to do while clicking pictures by hand, and helps the photographer click the perfect shot.

Moreover, a tripod will help remove blur from images, which is crucial while getting professional and high-quality photographs. Whether you choose to click photos from a phone or DSLR, there are several tripods with varying prices photographs can buy.

7. Editing Pictures

Even if photographers have clicked great pictures of their product, editing and retouching the pictures is an important step that is followed by all photographers. Editing images can help you in getting rid of any flaws in a picture and improves the overall quality of it. Also, adding edits and features can help in bringing consistency in the product images in your e-commerce website.

The post-production process can be tedious, but once photographers get used to editing applications like Photoshop, they can get through editing within no time.

The Final Verdict

That wraps everything you need to have the best setup for product photography to get the best pictures for make your business better. However, you don’t need to improve on every aspect at once. The journey to get the perfect click requires patience and practice.

It will take some trial and error, as taking high-quality product pictures isn’t something that happens instantly. By following a few essential tips and enough practice, you will be able to take visually compelling images and help create an appealing e-commerce website.