Product photography: 5 tips for stunning shots

Getting great product photos often seems daunting, but it's easier than you might think.

As a creative director and photographer, I've spent years learning the ins and outs of the craft, even from the more experienced photographers I've worked with than myself. And in this article, I aim to share everything I've learned, explaining to you:

• How to keep your images of the highest quality
• How to light your product photography to get great results
• How to ensure your customers remain as satisfied as possible
• and much more!

Are you ready to improve your product photography skills? So let's dive right in, starting with my first tip.

1. Put your camera on a tripod

In product photography, tripods are essential .

First, they protect against blur and blur. Once you've mounted your camera (or smartphone) on a tripod, you can stretch the shutter speed as long as you like without risking camera shake.

And as to be expected, keeping your images sharp is of the utmost importance.

After all, if viewers can't see the product clearly, they risk going ahead and choosing another vendor – blurry photos are never desirable for product photography. You need to make sure the product is clear and sharp!! Take a look at the two images below and ask yourself: which one is more likely to make me buy dice?

Blurry images are never desirable for product photography. You have to make sure that the product is clear and crunchy!

So which tripod should you buy? There is a huge variety of tripods available , all with different features and at different price points. As long as the tripod is strong enough to hold your gear, you'll probably be fine – although, if you can afford it, consider getting a tripod that can bend your camera to ninety degrees. In this way, you can easily capture the famous flat shots for Instagram.

If you're working on a budget and can't get a tripod yet, then you have two options:

• You can prop up the camera on a stable surface, such as a table or stack of books
• You can shoot using a relatively fast shutter speed (to avoid blurring from camera shake)

The first option works, but doesn't offer much flexibility (and you can't use it to capture those beautiful flat-lay images that are so popular!) The second option is often better, especially if you want to shoot your product from many different angles, but you Warning: Unless you're working in strong light, you'll need to raise your ISO (which will increase image noise).

By the way, another advantage of tripods is that they hold the camera in one place while working on the composition. If you're creating styled images (as opposed to taking flat e-commerce photos), then it might take a couple of tries to get just the right shot. You can set up your camera, take some time to arrange your products and take a photo. You can then check the result, make some adjustments to the layout and shoot some more – without changing the camera angle.

2. Use the right lighting for the product

Let's bust a myth: Good product lighting doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.

Yes, there are some product photographers who spend hours or even days lighting a single setup and making it perfect. And there are product photographers working in a studio with a handful of flashes and dozens of modifiers. But while there's a time and place for slow, complex product photography, it's not necessary for all product photos, and you can certainly capture great product shots without such difficult lighting arrangements.

In fact, you can only take product photography in natural window light; simply place the product on the table (or even the floor) near a window, make sure it's angled right, and start shooting. (Many people successfully photograph products on a table against a bright window!)

Alternatively, you can take the product outside and still get great results (try shooting during golden hour or on overcast days for a nice soft light).

With the right backgrounds and props, a product photo doesn't need to look like it was shot in your kitchen, living room or backyard.

At the same time, you shouldn't use just any light. Analyze your product carefully, think about the brand you're working with, and choose a form of lighting that fits .

For example, if you're shooting a sleek, high-tech product like a laptop, you'll want more artificial light. On the other hand, if you're photographing rawhide boots, you'll get great results going outside. Does this make sense?

3. Photograph the product from multiple angles

Product photography is to help the customer understand exactly what they are getting. And when people shop online, they can't pick up the product, or even touch it.

So it's your job, as a photographer, to convey all the little details to a potential buyer.

The best way to do it? Be sure to capture a variety of angles of the product.

Shoot from above. Shoot left and right. Make sure you emphasize every portion of the product, including all the little details.

In fact, if the product includes intricate details, be sure to get close. Here's what I did while photographing this beautiful object:

Close-up shots are especially important if the item is handmade. By getting closer, you can convey the care and attention that the craftsman puts into his work. These little details are what differentiate handmade products from their mass-produced counterparts, so be sure to show them off!

Shooting from multiple angles has one big advantage: it generates much more content for social media accounts. Many entrepreneurs want to post on social media regularly, but struggle to generate enough content; if you provide them with dozens of pictures, all taken from different angles, it can really help them.

4. Find out how the images will be displayed

Different product images are used in different ways.

For example, a client might want to use your photos for social media – or they might plan to use your photos on an e-commerce site. Also, different sellers will have different specifications on how photographs look best on their sites. Some may prefer 3:2 aspect ratio images, while others will only work with square aspect ratio files.

Bottom line: You should ask clients in advance how your photos will be used. And then you should tailor your product photos to their specifications.

For example, if you're shooting for someone with an Etsy shop, they might want photos that look good on their product page (typically portrait-oriented shots) and also work well as search thumbnails (these are landscape-oriented). So you should carefully capture images that look great when cropped in both portrait and landscape orientations. (You may need to leave a lot of white space around the product, which you can then delete in post-processing).

Instagram can be a particularly difficult platform to photograph. Images should ideally be posted in a 5:4 ratio to take up as much space as possible when viewers scroll through their feeds – but on user profile grids, images are automatically cropped to a 1:1 square format, meaning details at the top and bottom are lost! And the Instagram Stories feature uses images in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is much taller and thinner than the feed.

You can handle this in a number of ways, but I generally shoot with the 16:9 ratio in mind, because I know I can almost always crop other ratios out of that base image.

Also, be sure to research or ask about the image sizes each online platform uses. If your product images are too small, they will end up looking pixelated or blurry when uploaded.

5. Don't forget the packaging

A huge percentage of product sales happen online, so a product's packaging contributes heavily to a brand's first impression.

As a result, craft businesses and small businesses often spend a lot of time studying their packaging and branding – which means you'll have a nice complementary prop to include in your shoots.

You can capture many photos of both the product and the box. Try photographing the product in the box, the product on top of the box, and the product next to the box. And if the packaging is interesting enough, photograph it yourself.

This will add some spice to your photos, emphasize your brand , and show the buyer that their purchase will arrive safely. (This last point is especially important if you're photographing a product that can break or is likely to be given as a gift. If you can show off well-done packaging, this will help build trust in the brand)!

Also, on platforms like Etsy, the shop owner will have multiple slots to upload images of his or her product. Packaging photos are great for showcasing the product in a new way!

Product photography: the last words

Hopefully, now you feel ready to capture some great photos of your products.

Just remember the tips I shared with you and you will do just fine. Of course, make sure you take the time to practice; you'll soon be shooting product shots like a pro.