Product photos play a decisive role in driving conversions. In the competitive e-commerce world, knowing how to optimize your product photography can determine whether customers hit “buy now” or bounce away.
If you want to boost your online sales without hiring a professional, here are eight powerful tips to help you optimize your product photography, from photo types to DIY techniques and post-production hacks.
Before we dive into optimization, let’s first understand the basic types of product photography you can apply to your brand.
Individual shots are one of the most common forms of product photography.
As the name implies, in this type of product photo, you will only include one product in the image. Generally, this type of product photo will use a white or light background.
Also Read: Tips for Great and Affordable Product Photography
As the name implies, a group shot is a type of product photo that displays multiple variants of a single product in a single image.
This type of product photo will certainly be more effective than individual shots if your product has many variants.
Additionally, group photos can be easily shared on social media.
Lifestyle itself is a branch of photography. This branch of photography tries to capture the everyday life around us.
In the context of product photography, lifestyle photography is a type of product photography that displays your products in everyday life.
For example, you sell a dining table. Instead of just taking pictures of the table with a plain background, you can capture the atmosphere of a family dinner using your table as a backdrop.
Lifestyle photos not only make people more interested in your product photos but can also help them determine if the product suits their lifestyle when they actually buy it.
Also Read: Convincing Value Shoppers for Shopping Online
One of the obstacles faced by online shoppers when shopping on an e-commerce website is that they cannot accurately measure the size of an item.
Not infrequently, people feel disappointed because they ordered a size that was too big or too small. To assist your customers, you can utilize a type of product photo known as scale shots.
As the name suggests, this type of photo displays the scale of your product. This type of photo may resemble a lifestyle photo, where you place the product in the context of everyday life.
However, in scale shots, size becomes the focus of the image. You can place relevant objects around your products to give customers an idea of the product’s size and scale.
If your product features intricate details, such as an engraving on a ring, then this type of product photo will be ideal for you.
This type of product photo initially looks similar to individual shots. The difference is that you will focus more on capturing all the small details of your product.
Typically, you’ll need specialized lighting tools and camera lenses, such as macro lenses, to capture details that the built-in lens might overlook.
Packaging is one aspect that new business owners often overlook.
Visuals are the first element that customers will notice, and having memorable packaging, whether premium, cute, or otherwise, can quickly attract their attention away from competing products.
To be more effective, consider displaying your product packaging in product photos. This way, customers will be able to quickly assess whether they like the look of your product or not before investing time in it.
Now, let’s break down actionable steps to optimize your product photography so it looks polished and professional, even without fancy gear.
Prepare your product by cleaning and setting it.
Preparation is a matter. Make sure you are prepared to present your product first. For example, you can clean it and then position it correctly as you intended. If you sell a secondhand product, never hide its imperfections. If you can’t fix it, leave it as is and let customers see it naturally, which will help them understand the condition of your product. Shooting accurately will give customer satisfaction, and the result will be a good reputation as a seller.
Also Read: 7 Perfect Product Photography Lighting Setups
Position your tripod and camera directly in front of your product
Choose a spacious room that suits your studio needs. You don’t want something blocking your product while you’re shooting. In some conditions, you can use some natural light from your window. Don’t forget to use a white background to achieve the best results. Use a seamless backdrop that can’t create any shadow.
Also Read: 5 Guide to Awesome DIY Product Photography Table
Lens between 24-70mm, giving a good result if used in a small studio area.
Choosing a camera lens is crucial because you don’t want to get any distortion. You can set your camera to use a macro or wide-angle lens in these conditions. A multipurpose lens (versatile lens) will be helpful. The lens range between 50-70mm gives you results with minimal distortion. A good lens option is available, which is a prime lens. The prime lens has a range of 24-70mm and is suitable for use in a smaller area because of its frame ability to zoom in and out. Keep in mind that your aperture must be above f/8, and the ideal aperture is f/16.
Position your tripod and camera in front of your product directly
It is essential to use a tripod in this condition. A tripod will keep your camera steady from one shot to the next. A tripod also helps keep the camera steady, preventing shaking and blurring. Your tripod must be positioned straight in front of your product.
Do not add something to your product that may result in dishonesty
In some conditions, you may be satisfied with this style, but not with the customer. What the customer wants is to see the product in perfect condition. The customer may not have been satisfied with the way you handled the product. Changing your product may affect distraction and mislead.
Try to take your photo from a different angle to give a clear image.
Showing the product from different angles benefits you and captures the customer’s attention. Shoot your product from as many angles as possible. Use zoom in and out, front and back, and the detail though. Shoot your specific character like a scratch or a bump. The more images you provide from different angles, the more confident customers feel in making a decision.
For example, you can use dropicts to optimize your image
After capturing an image, you may need to optimize it in post-production. Many photo editing apps can help with your post-production process. Starting from simple background removal applications that you can get for free on the internet, to super complete applications like Photoshop.
You can remove any mark that you don’t want in your image. Don’t forget to use highlights if you shoot a large product or a reflective one. Soften them and add a shadow if necessary. Please read our guide to optimize your image in post-production.
However, be sure not to overdo it when editing photos. You have to make your product look as attractive as possible. However, adding too many effects or changing the image too much can cause problems. You will only make customers feel uncomfortable with your product photos.
You can use this DIY technique to produce other images with the same steps. All you need is knowing your product, your equipment, and your technique, both in capturing and post-production.
To stand out in a crowded e-commerce market, you must consistently optimize your product photography. Great product photos build trust, enhance professionalism, and, most importantly, boost sales.
Need help? Dropicts offers professional product image editing services. Let us optimize your product photography into high-converting images.
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