We are living in a complicated world where shopping online is a preference. Yet, customers still crave the physical experience of your product. This equation has an easy solution: product photography. How can product images on your website give the customer the same experience of feeling the product or trying it out? The availability of VR technology and 360 degrees photography accounts for an interactive shopping experience. These techniques are known to be expensive, especially for start-ups. Luckily for you, we are here to guide you on how to get the foundation for product photography right that will not only make you seem like an expert but may just be that reason your customers add to cart and giving your sales the push it needs.
Learn how to sell through pictures
Tip #1: Lighting, lighting, lighting
Yes, we said it three times. Why? Because it’s that important. Without a proper lighting setup, both your product and your background will look different in images compared to how they look in reality. Even a simple white cannot be shown as white on a camera without proper lighting. Photographers generally tend to choose between natural light, which is more suitable for lifestyle shots or edible products, or artificial lighting, which is what we are talking about. The latter gives you full control over exactly which features of your product need to be highlighted and eliminate any unwanted glare or reflections so your product can look fantastic the way it actually is.
Tip #2: Stability and Balance
RoboStores can help your business by handling your Product Photography.
Not getting a tripod because you think your hands are as stable as a surgeon? However, even a split-second movement can ruin the shot for you. Trust us, tripods are your friends. Your photography setup takes time and effort to plan and prepare. The last thing you would want is to redo the whole thing again because your raw images were too shaky. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by investing in a decent tripod to make the most out of your photoshoot.
Tip #3: Choose the right lens
Buying the first lens you see or using the stock lens directly might not be the best way to go about your specific product’s photography. Even though your stock lens does an amazing job of capturing more products, products like jewelery or those generally smaller would require a macro lens to deliver a high-quality result. So, before jumping directly into the shoot, we would suggest taking the time and do some research as to what kind of lens would be ideal for the products you have or if you might need more than one lens for different kinds of products.
Tip #4: Don’t Fix Everything in Post
You won’t like a dish that’s full of garnish, and your customers won’t appreciate your product with an insane number of edits and retouching. Yes, Photoshop and other image-editing software can deliver miracles and produce fantastic results that are mesmerizing to the eye, but the entire point of product photography is to ensure that your customers get to see exactly what they are going to buy from you. Plan your shot in a way such that all that’s left for you to edit is basic blemish removal or slight enhancements overall.
Tip #5: Please, Fix Something in Post
Confusing? That’s okay, we’ll explain. Even though we just recommended to keep your post-production to a minimum, it’s not a good idea to entirely ignore that part. Post-production is your last step before your image goes public, so this is your chance to fix anything that’s undesirable. You could adjust simple brightness or contrast, remove slight creases from clothing, heal scratches in jewellery, perform color corrections and so much more. Make sure your product looks its best before you send it down the ramp to dazzle the crowd!
A well-presented product picture speaks a thousand words
Tip #6: Keep it Simple
If it’s the first few times you are doing a photoshoot for your products, you might be tempted to add a variety of props with a colorful background so that you get some amazing shots, and the customers start lining up. Unfortunately, busier backgrounds and prominent props take your customer’s attention away from the one thing that matters the most – your product. You would be surprised how effective simpler backgrounds are when it comes to driving attention to your product. Most e-commerce websites keep a plain white background against their products and we completely endorse this idea. When in doubt, keep your background white.
Tip #7: Perspective is Everything
With product photography, sure there are a few obvious shots that you will need to take, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t play around in a creative manner. Your customers like to see images from a wide variety of angles. They are curious to see what you are ‘hiding’ behind every single edge, because one or two images are simply not enough visual input. So, show it to them.
When product images work as a team, you have a better chance of converting visitors to customers because this is also associated with an increased trust in your brand. Taking multiple shots of every angle allows you to have options while editing and you won’t have to rely on a single shot in case it’s gotten a bit blurry or out of focus.
Tip #8: Provide Some Context
If you ask the pros in the marketing industry, they will tell you that it’s not the product that you sell, it’s the idea of the product. You must help the customer envision using your product through your photography. So, when you are done with the basic shots, it’s time to find inspiration from nature. Put your product out there take some shots while it’s being used. Hire a model to wear your latest line of denim or take a shot of a falling smartphone being protected by your premium phone cases. There are unlimited possibilities of where you can place your products in a more practical and natural setting. This, when combined with pure product photography will be one of your major tools to contribute towards the success of your online store.
Need more help? We are here to do exactly just that…
Product photography is an underrated component in your online store since customers evaluate your product images before going ahead to read your descriptions and additional features. We at RoboStores aim to provide a solution to all barriers e-commerce store owners face to ensure a smooth operation. So, we have a dedicated studio for product photography with a team of professional photographers and designers to help you take your product photography to the next level!
If you just want our studio and lighting for rental, we’ve got you covered. If you need our equipment and some models along with your studio booking, we have got you covered. If you have no idea how to go about shooting you products and would like us to take care of it, we’ve got you covered. Please get in touch to know more about our studio and photography services.