Guest blog by Photographer Ashley Aukes at Beruck Studios. Ashley is also our website project manager at RVT Solutions.
Product photos are necessary in today’s marketplace. Consumers are more likely to purchase if they can see your product. Here are five tips to help you capture attractive product photos that sell:
Stick to your brand style
Your business brand doesn’t stop at your logo! Having a consistent style for your product photos is important to your brand. This can be accomplished by using the same, or very similar set ups for all your product photography and keeping your light source the same.
When deciding on your style, consider the use of your product. Is your product something you wear, for example a ring? If so, consider photographing the ring on hand or mannequin. Does your product get used outdoors, for example a lawn mower? You may want to photograph the lawn mower outside in the grass. Having photos of your products both alone and in use can help your consumer visualize themselves with your product.
Watch your surroundings
Make sure your area for product photos is clean, uncluttered and attractive. You want the focus to be on the product, not on what is going on in the background. If you’re working in an area where clean and uncluttered doesn’t exist, consider purchasing a studio box. This can work with a smart phone or camera.
Be in line with your product
Your product should be photographed straight on to give the consumer the best view. You can achieve this several ways. By moving your body to be inline with the product, you can quickly capture your shot. If you’re photographing multiple products you may find a tripod to be handy to keep the camera placement as you move products in and out of the shot. You can also try laying your product on the floor and shooting from above. You can play with angles from all these options to give a more creative look.
You can use your smart phone
Smart phones are a great way to capture product photos without purchasing a lot of equipment. To get the best looks, use the portrait mode to add more focus on your product, avoid using your flash, stay away from filters, and consider purchasing a phone tripod.
Know your end goal
It’s helpful to know before hand how you will be using your product photos. This will help you determine how much space to leave around your photo for cropping across different platforms. For example, your crop for your website may be wider than the square used on Instagram.
Sometimes you need a professional
You may want to consider hiring a professional product photographer if:
- You have a lot of products to capture and not a lot of time.
- Your products are difficult to photograph due to reflectiveness, color or shape.
- You’re not achieving the brand look you want for your products on your own.
- You need high resolution images for a billboard or other large-scale ad.
If you need assistance or advice about your product photography, contact Ashley Aukes at Beruck Studios.
