How to Take Good Product Photos for E-Commerce Business
7 seconds. That’s all the time it takes to make a good first impression. And this duration is especially important for e-commerce businesses. In e-commerce, photos speak a thousand words so it is crucial that those photos represent your company and brand.
“The perceived value of your products and the trustworthiness of your brand is often judged based on the quality of your visual presentation.”
It is natural that we link high quality to high service. Hence, having photos that are of the highest possible quality that you can achieve will increase your credibility as a brand.
But of course, having said that, it is not easy to invest in a professional photography studio, especially when you’re just starting out in your business.
So the solution? Set up your own studio using whatever equipment that you already have, and others that can be easily sourced.
Things that you will need:
1. Camera
This is definitely the most important equipment that you need to take your photos, no surprise there. But when it comes to cameras, there are just so many to choose from and you may be bombarded with reviews coming from every angle on what camera you should or should not have. Feel free to check out this list of good cameras for product photography to help you narrow down to your top choice camera.
Some cameras that you can consider include:
- DSLR — These cameras are said to offer high quality images and a lot of control over your shot. However, you would have to pay quite a sum in return for this quality and control. Hence, the DSLR would be a worthy investment if you are planning to take photos very often.
- Point-and-Shoot Camera — The Canon G series are a good choice for point-and-shoots because they can go full manual, and also because they are more affordable than a DSLR. However, they do not give the same quality and control as the latter. Despite so, point-and-shoot cameras can still serve you well for your purpose.
- Smartphone — If you’re not too keen on investing in camera equipment just yet, you can use your smartphone to take stunning photos! With the right apps, you can easily shoot professional photos using your phone.
2. White Background
In the world of product photography, white background is probably the most used background amongst product sites and e-commerce. It is a go-to background that will give your photos the professional touch that they need.
If you need more reasons to convince you to get a white background, here are three:
I) Accentuates your product
Having a plain, white background means that all focus would be on your product. There are no other distractions that come in the way of your product.
II) Ensures consistency
Since the lighting remains the same when you shoot photos with a white background, all the tones of the photo remain consistent throughout. This gives off a professional look to your product which is definitely what you want!
III) Cost-effective
You can easily purchase affordable white backgrounds without much of a hassle. The background makes your photo-taking session seamless and requires less technical expertise.
3. Bounce Cards Made of Foam
To prevent your photos from appearing too flat, it is good to have gradient shadow tones that show the shape of the subject. White bounce cards, specifically those made out of foam, do just the trick. These cards also help to reflect light that it striking too much in a particular angle that causes the shadow to appear too dark. You can use black bounce cards to make your shadows deeper, especially for white products.
4. The Right Shooting Spot
Choose a room with windows that is next to a wall. The natural light that seeps into the room brings out a big effect on your photos and also saves you money since you don’t have to invest in buying lighting equipment. The closer you are to the windows, the softer the shadows will be, and vice versa.
How to photograph your product
Step 1: Setting Up
Once you’ve got all of your gear ready, it’s time to set up your shooting area. Place your table as close as possible to the window. The closer you are to the window, the softer the light will be.
Keep your white background vertical and place your product in the center on the flat part of the background. Make sure that there is enough room for you to place the bounce cards.
Next up is your camera. Make sure that your White Balance (WB) is auto, your flash is turned off, and that your image settings are adjusted to the highest quality.
Set your camera to Manual. This setting is perfect for your product photography since the photographed objects are still and nothing changes as you snap photos.
Step 2: Taking Photos and Evaluating
Once you’ve snapped the photo, take some time to evaluate it. See what you want to change about the photo and what you want to keep. Experiment with different methods to get a variety of images that you can compare. This is the best way to improve your skills!
Step 3: Adding Final Touches
You can choose to upload all the photos you’ve taken onto your computer, and specifically Adobe Lightroom. This software is the best for post-production, for you to do basic editing for the images.
And there you have it! Product photography does not have to be complicated and you don’t have to spend a fortune purchasing expensive equipment just to take good photos of your products. Like we mentioned, you can do just the same with your smartphone! It is really up to how you do it, rather than what you use to do it. So, go ahead and snap those stunning photos!
