Beginners Guide To Product Photography At Home In 2023
In today's digital world, online shopping has become a staple for consumers, with a staggering 80% of Americans choosing to shop online. Therefore, it's crucial for businesses to have clear and eye-catching product imagery that stands out in this vast digital market. In this article, we'll guide you through a step-by-step process on how to take product pictures at home and help you decide if it's worth considering professional product photography to take your business to the next level.
Product Picture for Nexxus Created by Mainstream Multi-Media
Why is product photography important?
According to a study conducted by Salsify, 87% of consumers rank product visuals as very important in their purchasing decisions, while only 50% considered product descriptions and 22% relied on reviews. This highlights the crucial role of product photography in attracting and retaining customers. High-quality images not only increase the perceived value of your product but also help to build trust with potential customers. With good product photography, customers can accurately visualize the product before making a purchase, reducing the likelihood of returns. Therefore, investing in good product photography is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the competitive online marketplace.
What equipment do I need for product photography?
There are endless equipment options for product photography but what you need depends on what type of product you are photographing. Some things to consider when selecting gear are the size, shape, and texture of the product you’ll be photographing. At the very least, you will need a camera and a tripod. Some items that may be useful early on to help add visual interest to your images are backdrops, riser blocks, artificial light, and possibly a backdrop stand.
How do I get good lighting for product photography?
Good lighting is essential for product photography, and while not everyone has access to professional studio lights, natural light can still produce high-quality product images. To enhance your natural light setup, we recommend using a whiteboard or bounce card like the one we recommend below. Bounce cards redirect light that would otherwise be lost, helping to fill in shadows and create a more even lighting situation. You can even adjust the angle and position of your card to control the direction and intensity of the light, giving you more control over your scene.
While natural light can be effective, artificial light has several advantages that make it a more convenient and consistent option. With artificial lighting, you can capture images at any time of day or night, regardless of outdoor weather conditions. You can also control the intensity of the light, allowing you to highlight specific product features or create a particular mood. Most importantly, artificial lighting allows you to easily recreate a lighting setup for future photo shoots, ensuring consistency in your product photography.
What is the best camera angle for product photography?
Capturing multiple image angles is essential to providing consumers with a comprehensive understanding of your product. According to Shopify, product pages with three or more images have a 91% higher chance of converting than those with only one image. Amazon also recommends using at least seven images per product listing. When choosing image angles, it's important to consider eye level, high angle, low angle, and bird's eye view. These angles allow customers to see different perspectives of the product and make informed purchasing decisions.
How can I make my product photography stand out?
Experimenting with various angles, lighting, and props can help you discover a photography style that aligns with your brand's values and resonates with your target audience. However, one of the most effective forms of product photography is showcasing your product in a lifestyle context, such as in use or in its natural environment. This approach enables consumers to visualize how your product fits into their daily life. To take this a step further you can incorporate a human element, which makes your product more relatable and appealing to potential customers. Regardless of the photography style you choose remember, consistency is key. It creates a cohesive brand image and reinforces your brand's messaging to your target audience.
How do I edit my product photos?
Capturing high-quality product photos is only half the battle. Knowing how to edit them is just as crucial. While basic editing can involve simple adjustments to brightness, contrast, and color balance, more advanced techniques focus on enhancing details that highlight key features of the product. These details can include texture, shape, or design elements that make the product more attractive to potential customers.
Traditionally, most professionals edit product photos on a PC or Mac computer using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. However, there are a few impressive smartphone apps such as Adobe Lightroom Mobile, Snapseed, and VSCO that offer advanced editing capabilities.
Can I take product photos with my smartphone?
Yes, it is possible to take product photos with your smartphone however, the quality of the images will not compare to a DSLR camera. Utilizing the tools and tips we recommend in this article such as good lighting, a tripod, and creative angles can help you overcome some roadblocks faced with a phone camera. Here are 5 technical reasons why a professional camera is a better choice when photographing product pictures:
Image quality: A DSLR camera typically has a larger sensor size, which results in higher image quality with better clarity, sharpness, and color accuracy, compared to cellphone cameras.
Flexibility: A DSLR camera offers more flexibility in terms of adjusting settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, which allows for more precise control over the final image, and allows the photographer to achieve the desired depth of field and exposure.
Lens selection: DSLR cameras offer a wide range of lens options, including macro lenses for capturing close-up product shots, and zoom lenses for capturing products from different angles and distances. Cellphone cameras are typically limited in their lens selection and don't offer the same level of versatility.
Consistency: Consistency is important in product photography for e-commerce. Using a DSLR camera with a tripod and consistent lighting setups ensures that all product photos are consistent in terms of framing, lighting, and color accuracy, which helps to build a strong brand identity.
Efficiency: With a DSLR camera, it's possible to capture multiple high-quality product shots in a shorter amount of time compared to using a cellphone. This makes the process more efficient and allows for a higher volume of photos to be captured and edited, which is important for e-commerce businesses with large product catalogs.
What are the benefits of outsourcing product photography?
By outsourcing your product photography to a professional, you can ensure consistent, high-quality images that accurately depict your product. Professionals come equipped with top-of-the-line gear and a comprehensive understanding of current online trends. This enables them to produce compelling imagery that elevates your brand and captivates your target audience. Additionally, outsourcing photography allows you to channel your energy into other essential areas of your business. At Mainstream Multi-Media, we strive to make the photography process stress-free for our clients. With extensive experience working with brands featured in Sephora, Target, JCPenny, and more, we understand the importance of delivering high-quality images that convert. Our team crafts unique, custom-tailored content that resonates with your brand story.
How can I optimize my product photos for e-commerce?
To improve your e-commerce presence, it's crucial to ensure that your product photos are high-quality, accurately represent the product, and align with your brand image. Optimizing the image file size and format for faster loading times can also improve the overall customer experience. According to a study by Google, as page load time goes from one second to five seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%. Additionally, the same study also found that increasing mobile site speed by one second can result in up to a 27% increase in conversion rate.
Ultimately, product photography plays a critical role in the success of your e-commerce, advertising, and marketing efforts. By investing in the right equipment or professional photographer, you can take your brand image to the next level and create a loyal customer base that resonates with your vision.
