Product Photography Basics You Should Know!

There are many genres when it comes to photography, and Product Photography is one of them. Here’s what I will cover in this article:

What is Product Photography
What are some of the Product Photography Basics
When and how Product Photography came to be
Social Media influence
Accessibility

— What is Product Photography?

Product Photography is the ability to take pictures of an item (could be anything for sale or exhibition) in a certain setting (outdoors, indoors..) to make it look appealing to customers or bystanders, so they feel compelled to buy or admire it.

This type of photography, just like any other photography genre, requires the art of making the product look alluring and interesting, so it catches one’s attention and makes it so people want to take a second look when they come across it. Or better yet, purchase the item.

It may seem like an easy task, as one might think that you just need the product, beautiful background, and start taking pictures.

This is far from the truth as only a photographer who knows some Product Photography basics can tell you which elements there are, and that one has to keep an eye out for, such as lighting, angles, proper equipment, the way the product is positioned, and more.

— Product Photography basics

Steady your camera with a tripod: When taking a picture of a product, always use a tripod to avoid any movement as it can introduce blur. Shooting with a tripod allows you to get the sharpest quality image possible.
However, you can use a stable and steady surface instead of a tripod. This can be anything from a stool to a box, and you can always create towers of hardback books if you need to adjust the height of your camera slightly.
High-Quality Images: as explained on OneBase Media, high-quality images translate to more conversion. Images allow you to tell a story, present your product from your perspective.
By using high-quality images, you will build credibility, and recognition for your brand.
Which can lead to an increase in user engagement, getting more views, and share to the products page. Google also encourages high-quality images and you can read more about other benefits here.
Multiple shots for different views: Having multiple high-quality and appealing product images helps the customer in their decision-making because it provides more angles, which results in a better view of the product.
With more images for your customers to share, you’re increasing the likelihood for your products to be discovered by potential shoppers as well.
Different images for different colors: Assuming your products come in different colors, providing different images and colors offers another range of options for your consumers during their decision-making process.
People respond to colors differently and their color choices are different as well. Displaying different colors provide more options to your potential buyer
Consistency: (Same image size) When uploading your images online, you also have to check the image size, especially if they will be uploaded on your website. On the web, the larger the image size the longer it will take the web page to load. If you are uploading the image on a social platform, it is still recommended to optimize your images so they have the same dimensions (Pixels). Different sizes can look unorganized for Product Photography.
Ability to manipulate image: This could be a 3D integration so the customer can have a 3D view of the product, or simply just being able to zoom in and out of the image.
According to Cylindo, The magnified view option shows that you are confident in the products that you are selling, and it helps the customer get more details and the item they are about to purchase.
On the other hand, customers love the zoom feature because it reassures them that they are making the right decision.

— Ascending Success

Product Photography gained popularity when online shopping became prevalent. People started understanding the concept of online shopping and then receiving the items at their doorstep.

This led to businesses making sure that their products looked interesting enough to get more sales, more shares, boost the brand reputation, and create a loyal fanbase.

Although it became popular much later, there have been reports showing that Product Photography was first adopted in the 1800s by wealthy people as a hobby. At that time, the photography equipment was not portable, so it was rarely done and only as a hobby. Not to make any commercial use of it.

As online shopping became popular and deemed more convenient than physically going to an actual store, the focus on Product Photography increased, and brands keep hiring professional photographers to get some nice shots of their products these days, the demand has only been increasing over the years. However, keep in mind that these Product Photography basics will remain the same for a very long time.

— Social media and product photography

Have you ever come across those sponsored products on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook? Those ads usually contain products of a brand/business, a beautifully captured shot that aims to catch the consumer’s attention at a first glance, usually followed with a nice caption as well.

If the photography or the result is not appealing, there are high chances that people will scroll past the post/ad and ignore the product.

But if done the right way, making sure everything is perfect, it catches the consumer’s attention, and it could turn into a potential sale.

This can be explained by how the product is presented. The presentation plays a very important role in whether or not the ad or the post will convert into a sale.

If the photograph has a nice background, great focus on the item, perfect lighting, the right angle, and a good description, it increases the chances that make the customer feel confident about pulling the trigger, in other words, making the purchase.

— Accessibility

In today’s time, with so much progress made in the technological field, Product Photography has become much easier than it was 15 years ago.

If you own a small business and you are not willing to pay to get your products photographed, you can easily watch tutorials on Youtube or read some blogs so you can easily photograph your products using your cell phone. Phone cameras have come a long way and have closed a huge gap between traditional cameras (DSLR) and portable devices.

You do not need to have the best camera or 10 years of experience. Your phone alone can help you go a long way. Of course, it takes time and patience to get the right photo, but once you get the hang of it, you will be good to go! And these are some Product Photography basics you can put to the test!

For other types of Photography, click here.