10 Tips For Photographing Your Products
Photographing your products is one thing. Doing product photography well is another thing entirely. In this post we’re giving you 10 tips for photographing your products.
Look at the light
No matter what product you’re photographing, having the right amount of light is important. To avoid harsh shadows, try and use a large light source. Setting up next to a large window with natural daylight tends to work well.
Think angles
After you have a shot of your product in its entirety, it’s time to get some close ups. Customers love to see the details in your products, so getting close or using a slightly different angle can help to show the different aspects of a product more effectively than an overall shot.
Choose your backgrounds
The background is important, so choose it wisely. A plain backdrop may work well for some products, where a lifestyle setting may work best for others. If you’re using props, try not to clutter the image so much it takes away from your main product.
Stick with your style
When you’ve found your style, stick with it. Whether that’s plain backgrounds, outdoor images or using a particular lighting style, sticking to your style will help you become instantly recognisable. If you don’t already have a style guide, we suggest creating one. Here’s how.
Vary your images
Having multiple images of the same product keeps your photography interesting. If you often use a lifestyle setting, you can add variety by changing the props you use every now and then. By adding variety in your product photography you keep your images relevant and fresh.
Varying your images doesn’t mean you compromise on consistency. Refer to your style guide and be sure to use the same variations on all of your products.
Keep it bright
Brighter images show your products more clearly. Unless darker images fit your brand, we always suggest sticking to clear, bright images.
Use a tripod
Using a tripod will make photographing your products a much simpler process. By keeping your camera still you avoid camera shake and know that each of your images will have the exact same angle (important for your consistency).
Be a perfectionist
Before you capture your photograph, check everything. Is your product clear of dust, marks or fingerprints? Has a stray hair found its way onto your backdrop? Spending a few seconds checking for all the imperfections before you capture the photograph will save hours in post-production.
Rotate
Capture your images in both landscape and portrait orientation. This will give you more options when it comes to using the photographs online and in your marketing materials.
Practice
The final tip we’re giving you, practice. Just like anything else, when it comes to product photography practice makes perfect.
At Fat Cats Photography we create beautiful product images to help your business grow. If you’d like to have a chat to see how we can help you, get in touch here.
