You can view many more examples of my product photography at MamaCoyote.com
If you’re selling anything online, your product photography is your first impression and often is the defining factor in whether your item gets added to your customer’s cart. Not only do your photographs portray the size, color, texture and shape of your item, but it also inspires the viewer to imagine how the product could be used, displayed or worn. You can show a lot of valuable information in a few key photos, and when customers can visualize how your item fits into their life, it makes them more likely to buy.
If there’s one aspect of your business you don’t want to skimp on it’s your photos - but there’s no need to invest a lot of money into product photography, nor do you have to be a professional photographer to take excellent photographs. You can take all the photos you need right from your smartphone, as many small business owners do! Here’s some tips to keep in mind that will help you put your best foot forward when it comes to photographing your products:
Strive to shoot in natural daylight as much as possible – this ensures colors will be more true to life, and the image will be more crisp and clear.
Shoot facing away from the light source rather than into it - remember, if your back’s to the light, you’re doin’ alright! Be aware of your shadow, though; don’t let it get in the way of a great photo. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your house, you can stage an area outside (a covered porch is perfect).
An overcast day is the perfect lighting for product photos, because the clouds act as a natural diffuser to mitigate reflections or harsh shadows cast upon your products.
If you’re working around a day job, it isn’t always convenient timing to utilize natural daylight. I like to shoot in the morning while I’m enjoying my coffee and warming up for the day, and if I can’t do that I tend to save my photography til I have a free day. If you have to resort to evening hours, strategically place some lamps (the neutral LED bulbs work best) around your shooting space to mimic natural light. Diffuse the bulbs with some sheets of paper - parchment paper works great, but even printer paper will do.
If you’re photographing small items, like jewelry, invest in a sheet of white foam board. It provides a nice bright background without producing reflections. Position the white foam board around your shooting space to maximize the amount of light available.
Product photography is fun but it can certainly get a little tedious when you have a lot of products to shoot. Making sure you multiple angles and enough details captured is time-consuming! I personally take about 20 shots of each product, and I transfer them from my phone to computer to sift through them, deleting duplicates and any pics that aren’t up to snuff. I edit the remaining photos by cropping them into a square, and occasionally I edit the sharpness or color balance just to ensure it is the most accurate representation of the product possible. I strive to have 10 great photos of each item by the time I’m done and ready to list the products on my site. I do this because I also list my items on Etsy, and they favor your listing when you utilize all 10 photo slots. If you aren’t using Etsy, you don’t have to go so hard in the paint, but it’s good to have the following pics regardless of your seller platform:
Thumbnail/Primary photo - The thumbnail photo should show your entire product, and it will be the main photo that encourages people to click through the rest of your pictures. Because my work is 3D, I take photos from different angles, rotating the item as I go, so I end up with multiple options that would work as the main photo. Obviously if your work is two-dimensional, you don’t have to do that!
Details - Using the macro or portrait mode on your camera or smartphone, get up-close and personal showing the texture and details of your item. Be careful not to get so close that your image becomes out of focus, though! I tend to take a couple of close-up photos of various details so the viewer gets a thorough sense of the quality of each item.
Scale - Staging your item next to a common object will show the scale of the item so buyers can visualize the size. You can list measurements all you want in your product copy, but not everyone reads item descriptions, unfortunately - and even if they do, it can be hard to visualize an object if they don’t have a measuring tape handy. A great way to show scale is to photograph the item being held by someone, especially if it’s being shown in use. If you can’t photograph and hold the object at the same time (a juggle, for sure, if you’re a one-person-show!) you can include other common objects in the photograph. Coins are commonly used to show scale, but consider other common objects that your product might be elegantly staged next to - tea lights, for example, or a wine bottle, a smartphone, a chair?
Uncommon angles - If your customer was shopping in person, they’d be able to turn the item over in their hands to see all 360 degrees of your beautiful piece. Consider showing the back or the bottom of your item, too - how your work is finished, even if it’s not an angle that’s visible during normal use, is a huge indicator of quality of workmanship!
“Lifestyle” shots, or other selling points - Stage your item with other items that will help your customer visualize how your product fits into their everyday life. You may have covered this in your scale shots, but you can also create a vignette that shows it displayed with other items (especially if they are other items that you sell!) to encourage a purchase of many pieces. If your item comes in multiple colors, you can show them all together. Another great option, if you have beautiful packaging - show it off! Especially if people are planning to buy your item as a gift, this could be exactly the push they need to add your product to their cart.
Now that we’ve covered all the do’s, there are a couple of don’ts that you should keep in mind, too:
Avoid over-editing - filters or excessive editing can improve the overall appearance of your photo, but it can also make your product appear less realistic - remember that the goal is to portray your item as true-to-life as possible.
Flash should be avoided at all costs - it distorts colors and can create unnecessary reflections.
Backgrounds - How embarrassing to post a photo without considering the pile of dirty laundry in the background, or other unsavory imagery reflected on shiny objects that might be surrounding your product. The background is just as important as the foreground! Pay attention to any incriminating evidence that may be hiding in plain sight. :)
I hope these tips have been helpful for you - if you have other tips for taking stellar product photography, sound off in the comments!
