Professional product photos help businesses, such as e-commerce sites, attract more customers online. If you’ve been struggling to take good product photos and haven’t been happy with the results, it’s not necessarily down to a bad photographer — it’s simply not the easiest skill to master. Here are a few tips for taking great product photos.
Lighting:
Lighting is one of the most important factors in photography. The quality of your final image comes down largely to how well it’s lit, so it’s worth putting real effort into lighting your products properly. With product photography, artificial lighting is often essential, so set it up carefully to get the best results. Use reflectors and diffusers in the right places to make the most of your setup. You can also make use of flashes, or constant lighting such as lamps or dedicated photo lights.
Try different angles:
When it comes to product photography, people browsing tend to want to view products from a range of angles rather than just one. So try shooting from several different angles under good lighting conditions — capture the product from the top, bottom and sides too.
Background:
Take care with the background you choose for your shots. Lighter-coloured products may call for a dark background, while others suit a white one better. Choose your background based on the product itself to get the best results. Use a tripod rather than shooting handheld, as this will help you keep the subject in sharper focus.