Photo products are a huge aspect that you need to think about when trying to convince people to buy your stuff. Online shopping is apparently growing more and more especially during pandemic. Not only you can find almost everything you need with a simple search, online shopping is time efficient, and often economical. The power of an image is hard to ignore, and if you’re not including exceptional images of your products, then you could be losing out on many good sales. No matter who your customers are or what you are selling, high quality of product photography is an important asset for your business that will contribute to your overall branding and success.
Some research from ViSenze says that 62% of generation Z and Millennial consumers want visual search capabilities. Pinterest CEO, Ben Silbermann says: “The future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords”. Instead of searching for words, users can drag or snap a photo of clothes, furniture or home decor, etc, without having to describe what they are looking for in a search box with Google Lens.
Are you ready to dive in into the world of product photography business? Let us start with simple definition.
What is Product Photography?
Product photography is a kind of commercial photography meant to help you present product as well as possible. Product photography requires a photographer’s creativity ensuring products appear memorable.
A great product photos portfolio will attract people more quickly and attract the right audience. Let us start with putting some basic online assets to use. Product photographs are more than photos of the pictures on display.
There are other ways to make the photos engaging, the sales stand out and convert customers to purchase products. For example if you are an eco-friendly product you can opt for colours and backgrounds which contain nature, wood, or plants.
Here are five of the numerous reasons that a product photography is important for your business. Check it out.
Why Product Photography is Important
1. Your Photo Represent your Brand
Low quality, unprofessional photos on your website or social media will communicate the same about your organization and the products and services you offer. Your photos and your website are hugely important when it comes to making a first impression on customers. They can be used to build your brand on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more.
2. Photo Products are Link to Your SEO
The images on your website, including photo products, can contribute to your SEO. Optimizing your product images and photos for search engines is a great way to gain interested customers for your products. No matter how amazing your products are, taking compelling photos of your products is critical to succeed. You have to bear in mind that buyers can’t touch or hold your products in their hands, they only have the photos.
3. Make the Most of Your Marketing Strategies
Quality e-commerce photos do more than just sell products and represent your brand. They can help to expand your reach and bring in new audiences. For starters, photos can be used across platforms, creating consistent messaging on your website, in advertising, and on social media accounts. Good photos can increase engagement and sharing, essentially crowdsourcing your marketing efforts. This level of audience participation can expand your reach without any additional effort or expense on your part.
Read also: 4 Digital Marketing Trends Forecast on 2021
4. Building The Uniqueness of Your Brand
76% of product photos are on white backgrounds. This means if you’re looking to build a unique brand, there’s room to use bright colors, prints, or lifestyle settings to help display your products in an attractive and exciting setting. Just remember, if you want to sell on marketplaces, white’s unavoidable. In Dropicts, with Retouch Background Services in professional photo retouching services we can change your photo more attractive and better quality.
5. Choosing the Product Photographer
Look for a photographer who is happy to show you plenty of examples of their previous work, this will give you an idea of what they are capable of. You might like to consider a company who can offer you 360-degree photography as well, as this will give you the opportunity to really show off your products to their full advantage. Sometimes there is an issue of finding the right one for your requirements. Whether you can hire a third-part such as photographer, agency, or product image editing services. You should know what’s the best for your brands and choose wisely.
Good product photography can mean the difference between that potential customer choosing your product or one from a competitor, and if you think that hiring a product photography business or using professional photo editing services is too expensive, you are going in the wrong direction, this can actually save you money in the long run. Make sure the images are blur, noise and pixelation free. So, never underestimate how powerful a tool the work of a good product photographer can be to your business.
What Equipment Do I Need to Take High-Quality Images?
Product photography occurs often inside the studio. Some equipment can really do the difference between a mediocre photograph or a memorable one. Ideally it is a studio strobe which aims at providing softer shadow than natural light creates. With a tripod you can frame an image the way you like with varying angles. Background can be seamless paper, tile, painted plywood, textured wallpaper or fabric. There are many choices and so you can get creative with what you use. Plinth and riser can be either wood or acrylic and are quite handy when trying to provide measurable dimensions.
Camera
Some of the Top Professional Photographers have the high-end camera that can be purchased for approximately US $1500-4999 USD. Many of them rent on-site. It doesn’t matter if you’re got a very advanced camera for a successful filming business. The artwork must differentiate you from other photographers. But, you still need a camera which has some very important features.
Find and Use The Right Lenses
It is sufficient to buy some common 20-54 mm kits on most devices. If you want to film an object less than one inch wide then consider gaining a macro lens. For electronic commerce or catalogue, such levels of detail and clarity are sufficient.
Grip Equipment
All this kinds of equipment requires the grip equipment. Such as 5 in 1 reflector that will bounce light in dark area. Another item of equipment that is necessary is the C-stand, or light stand with a longer arm. When you take a top-down shot it is not possible to hold the camera in this position. The camera stands on lights for protection from sunlight.
Backdrops
The next important item is product background. A photo shoot can’t start without a properly setup background. You need more than a single backdrop. It’s very easy to begin with white background for your business.
Reflectors
Reflectors are used to reflect on the product. This might not be necessary depending upon the type of product you’re filming. For reflective devices like glass or metal, it is useful to minimise reflections and control light.
Light stands
LED sticks can serve as a good tool to support lighting. If you get one from a lighter-weight manufacturer, ensure that it is light enough to be carried with you during photos if needed. For stacking lighter modifier and boom arms, you need something that supports the weight. Ensure the stand is sturdy enough.
Tripod
When using products, it is important to adjust the height so you want a device easy to use and less intrusive. Another tripod characteristic useful is a horizontal arm. It also allows shooting from the overhead – something that’s usually done for product photography. If you want to get a closer picture of larger sections on this image then you would need to consider using Macro lenses.
Product Photography Tips
In studio with white backdrop
About 95% of garment designers have photos surrounded by simple white background. Cosmetic and beauty brands most likely use white backgrounds. This allows customers to see what they get and know what they want. By eliminating visual barriers the characteristics of a product can be highlighted with a white backing for product-only photographs.
For examples think about how brands can create product catalogues online with product only image to highlight the products features. The best part of using a white background is it lets you highlight a product with minimal distortion and distraction.
Scale photos
For many products, showcasing the size is a major marketing point. At scale photos it is important to pay attention to your needs and decide whether or not you want the scale conveyed explicitly or by using any other object in the frame.
Learn the basics of image making
Automatic mode is over. Learn about Exposure Triangle – Aperture how shutter speeds and ISO affect images. How Should a photograph be viewed? Find out about composition and what makes pictures more beautiful.
Understand lighting fundamentals
Lighting is a critical part in product photography. The light defines your products photography, whether professionals or amateur. How does light function? How they fall and how they respond to their opponent? Learn to light, so you’re aware of what’s not lit.
This crucial element separates the high quality results from average product photography result. Even if you are a beginner and just beginning this post shows you how to light a product photo with just a small amount of light. Start from here and then start adding further lighting at some point.
Learn how to edit product photos efficiently
You’d need a professional in Photoshop. Learn colour managers and maintain consistent colours in every image of their respective series. Some of the products photos require compositing, so learn them also.
Set up your studio
When it comes time to start your studio the location will require plenty of space for your movements. The location should have large spaces that have lighting stations and tables and table for various products. You could use your garage, the small living area or the small storage area. It should have plenty of venting and ventilation. The space you choose is the location of installation. If you’re taking photos with small equipment on tabletop it’s okay. Or, you can buy the lit tent.
Keep it clean
The one drawback to taking sharp, detailed images of objects on white background is that sharp detail includes bits of dirt and debris and all of the nooks and crannies covered in dust. A handy clone stamp tool in Photoshop can solve your picture’s imperfections. Please avoid too much of this trick as it can take too long and decrease the quality of your photo.
Learn the craft thoroughly
Product photography is a patience game. You have to constantly develop an image before it will catch up to your expectations. Even minor details matter.
Every professional product photographers start small. You can still learn and improve yourself with having minimal equipment; do not wait until you have all the tools you need to start learning!
That’s a brief explanation about product photography business. Don’t forget to elevate your product photos for your businesses by using product image editing services and professional photo retouching services, all available at Dropicts.
