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A Snapshot of Success: How to Take Better Product Photos

In the world of digital marketing and e-commerce, the first impression your customer has of you is often online. Or maybe your business is completely online and you rely solely on digital means to display your products or services. Whatever your situation may be, your product photos say a lot about your business! It’s important that you display them to the highest standard possible. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take good photos or stand out—you just need to take a few important aspects into consideration.

Your equipment

You don’t need to purchase thousands of dollars in photography equipment to take good photos. Taking quality product photos can be done with good lighting and your cell phone! This is not the case for EVERY cell phone, but the age of the smartphone has pushed the quality of a cell phone camera to an all-new high. Typically, the higher the megapixel count on your camera, the better the quality. Try to look for a phone with a 12-megapixel camera or higher. If you already own a high-end camera then, by all means, use it! The goal is to shoot for quality, so we aren’t knocking a good camera. However, you do not HAVE to purchase one to take great photos.

Another great tool to have is a tripod. These are great for when you don’t have a lot of hands, are taking highly detailed shots, or you’re shooting with your camera on a low shutter speed. Try to shoot for consistency and standardize your photoshoot process. There’s absolutely no harm in taking photos with just your hands, but a tripod can assist in overall quality and speed.

Lighting

Finding good lighting tends to be a practiced skill. Depending on your overall vision for your photos, your lighting can change drastically. A good rule of thumb for good photography lighting is to choose a natural light source like a large window. It creates soft light with dark shadows that provide good contrast and sharpness in all the right places. Natural lighting isn’t always the way to go though, and that’s okay! There are plenty of options to choose from to find your perfect light. If you are going down the artificial light route, we suggest investing in good equipment that isn’t too stark. Light diffusers and light tents are a great way to distribute light evenly around your product and can be created with things you probably have at home! When you’re trying to find the lighting for your shoot, remember you may not always get it perfect the first time. Don’t be afraid to play around and try different positions and types of lighting.

Deciding your backdrop

Your backdrop can be completely customizable based on the message you want to send about your brand. If you’re just getting started with taking product photos, we suggest starting on a white background. A white background gives your photographs a clean and consistent look while not being too distracting. It’s also easy to find surfaces to shoot on! This can range from a piece of paper to a large table—whatever gets the job done. You won’t have to worry about editing out unsightly blemishes or doing a lot of color correcting, so it makes for a great beginner setup. Regardless of your type of backdrop, keep your lighting in mind. Ideally, you’ll want to place your light source 90 degrees to the left or right of your setup, starting your photo shoot at the brightest time of day. Take your photos from different angles to showcase different features of your product like texture, color, design, etc. The most common angles to shoot from are eye level, high angle, low angle, bird’s eye, stand, and more. We’ve put an example of each one below!

No matter how you pose your images or what you’re photographing, the most important thing is to make sure you are taking high-quality images. High-resolution images are considered the cleanest and sharpest in terms of quality. By shooting high-quality images, you’re showcasing your product in the best way possible and setting yourself up for success from the very beginning. Having quality images as the first thing your customers see helps them better understand your product, can help boost your brand, and gives you a competitive advantage in your industry. So take the time to invest in your product photography and take your business to the next level!

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