The importance of product photography cannot be stressed enough. It plays a huge role in helping you sell your products. If you are still using disposable cameras, you are wasting your time. Having experience taking selfies is just not enough. This post aims to help you learn tips from professionals. Whether your boss has told you to capture high-quality product pictures to promote a new brand or you want to take online marketing to the next level, it is important that you learn about the best tips. This is where this post comes into place. It shares some of the top product photography tips that take years to gather. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in.

1. Utilize Proper Lighting

The first tip that you need to consider is using proper lighting. Product photography is pointless if there is no proper lighting. The fact is that your product would not appear in the best light if there is no proper lighting. No matter how beautiful the background might be, it would offer no benefit if there is insufficient lighting.

When it comes to product photography lighting, you have two options. You can either opt for natural lighting or studio lighting. The type of product you are working with and the purpose of the picture will help you determine which type of lighting to go for. Natural lighting works well for pictures of products such as clothing, people, and edible items. The pictures captured in natural light will perform well on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

On the other hand, if you want to photograph inside, it is vital that you set up the product towards the window to let as much natural light in as possible. If possible, it is always better to photograph the products outside. Professional photographers tend to take pictures during the morning or afternoon when the sun is out. They understand that it is best to avoid capturing photos when the sun is very harsh.

When the weather is a bit cloudy, you should still be able to take pictures. Besides, taking pictures during noon will result in a lot of glare. If the product you want to photograph is intended for indoor use such as cookware or artwork, you can opt for softbox lighting. All you need to do is create a simple studio and get sufficient lighting.

2. Consider Getting a Tripod

A tripod can prove extremely helpful when taking Product Photography. Tripods might seem unnecessary. However, they serve a purpose. You will notice a huge difference in terms of quality and clarity. The final outcome will make you realize just how amazing they are. Besides, a tripod is quite affordable. If you are unfamiliar with tripods, they are a piece of equipment that is used for stabilizing the camera and ensuring that it does not shake. By using a camera tripod, the likelihood of blurred pictures being taken would be reduced. Thus, you would get to capture high-quality and professional pictures.

There is a tripod for every type of camera and price range. Hence, you should have no trouble finding one that suits your requirements. Once you have set up the trip, you will be able to take better product pictures in no time. Moreover, tripods are super easy to work with.

3. Shoot for Uploads

Another tip that will help set your product photography apart is shooting for uploads. A common mistake that newbies make is thinking that they can simply take a lousy picture and update it. However, it is not how things work. You cannot expect to edit just about everything. It is important that you take things more seriously. Otherwise, you would just end up wasting time and money.

If the right picture has not been taken, no amount of time or expertise would be able to fix the picture. Staying up all night fixing the issues is just not going to work. You need to take your work more seriously. Therefore, you have to be serious about the photography and leave no room for sloppy product photographs. Keep taking the product pictures until you have taken pictures that are actually good and worth uploading. Then, you can make slight changes to improve the aesthetics. Lazy photographers do not go anywhere in life. You have to take your job seriously if you want to make an impact through your product photography.

The fact is that editing only allows you to make small touch-ups. You cannot expect to change the entire background or crop out everything. Shoot for uploading to have the right mindset. It will allow for minimal editing and boost the chances of taking the best pictures.

4. Sign Up for Basic Photo Editing Class

Although editing needs to be kept at a minimal, it pays to know about basic photo editing. Learn to make small edits such as by tweaking the small flaws and saturation levels in the product photographs. You will be amazed by just how big of a difference they make. The thing about editing is that there is just so much you can do. You can quickly feel overwhelmed and not know what to do. However, with some training, your job will become a whole lot easier. You could always use the foundational knowledge to capture the best product photographs.

Even if you do not have the money for a master class, you can always head to YouTube to watch a few free tutorials and master the basics such as learning how to use basic editing software. Since users rely on social media to make product purchase decisions, you must capture pictures for social media. Hence, learning how to use basic photo editing would pay off.

5. Get Inspired from Brands

There is a lot that we can learn from big brands. If there are certain brands that you are obsessed with, you can look up their product photography and take a page out of their book. Look up their product pictures that have done well and try to mimic what they have achieved. Chances are that you already have certain brands that you like. Think about the techniques used by the company. You should be able to take similar shots of your products. For example, if you have a shoe brand, you could look up your favorite shoe brand and see how it has captured pictures and posted them on social media.

Perhaps, you love a post shared by Nike. The background, the style, or theme of the picture could have been an instant success. You could take advantage of the success by doing something similar. It might also help work wonders for your brand. It makes sense to give it a try. There is no reason for you to sit around. Remember, you can do just about anything.

6. Understand the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is something that you simply cannot afford to overlook. Most photograph classes and even art classes mention it. You can use it to your advantage. The rule aims to teach photographers to visualize their canvas as 9 segments. Thus, you should be able to capture a well-balanced image. In fact, it is useful to determine where the main focus should be. Since the product is the main highlight of the photo, you should position the product in such a way that it is in an optimal position. Most people look at the intersection points of pictures. Hence, you should make sure that the product is set at the center of the photo. It will help ensure that your picture looks natural.

7. Work with Simple Props

When taking product photos, you should always go with simple props. There is no need to get very ambitious as it could easily backfire. The product should be the main focus of the photograph. Therefore, the props should not interfere and come in the way. They should simply work in favor of the product. To choose the best props, you should go for ones that suit the color scheme and the topic. No matter which props you choose, they should only further accentuate the beauty of the product.

8. Capture Multiple Shots from Different Angles

When you have plenty of products that need to be captured, you can easily get tempted and take just one or two pictures of each of the products. However, it is important that you avoid doing this and take multiple shots instead. You will thank yourself for it later. When you start editing the pictures to upload them, you will quickly realize just how important it is to have multiple pictures taken from varying angles.

By taking multiple shots, you get to add variety and show how the product looks from every angle. This would help customers decide whether they want to purchase your product or not. Besides, it is always a good idea to have multiple shots to work with. Even if you do not like the first few pictures, you would still have plenty of options to work with. Shoot the product from above and different side angles to stay on the safe side.

9. The Product Should Be Put In Context

Now, your customers should be able to imagine themselves having a hold of your products. It is the main purpose of the pictures. Besides, it is pointless to take pictures if nobody can see themselves using the product. Since people have limited disposable income, they want to make sure that they purchase the right product. Therefore, you can make them confident about their purchase by putting the product in context. Show how your product could help improve the lives of your prospective customers through your product photography. It will get them to make a purchase immediately. Thus, the purpose of the photography would be solved.

If you fail to put the product in context, customers would struggle to see themselves using it. The fact is that it is extremely effective to put the product in context. By allowing people to envision using the product, you get to market it in the best way possible. Since everyone uses Google to search for new products, you need to take the perfect pictures of your products to get them to take an interest in what you have to offer.

10. Opt for a Plain White Background

When in doubt, it makes sense to opt for a plain white background. The truth is that using plain white background photography is very powerful and can help effectively market your products. When your products have a plain white background, you get to instantly highlight the capabilities of your products. This is not something that a distracting background would be able to achieve. Nothing is more captivating than a delicious cake and a plain background. The picture would help put things into perspective.

By sticking to a plain background, you get to make sure that the product that you intend to sell does not get lost. If you do not want to go with a white background, you can go for light colors such as yellow, pink, and pale blue. Each color works well. However, white is always the best option.

11. Showcase the Details

The product photography should showcase the details rather than hide it. If your product has a lot to offer, it is important that you highlight each feature with the help of photography. You will be amazed by the results.

It is possible to visually describe every single detail of the product through detailed photography. No amount of words would be able to do justice. Hence, you need to consider everything the product has to offer and capture the perfect picture for it.

 

Conclusion

Once you have finished reading this post, you will know the top product photography tips. Each tip will make your life a whole lot easier. You will be glad to know that you have mastered the tips. Give them a try and you will be amazed with the results.