Product Photography
What is product photography? You surely have things at home that you no longer use and would like to sell. As we all know, the way a product is presented is the key to selling it successfully. This is where a field...
You surely have things at home that you no longer use and would like to sell. As we all know, the way a product is presented is the key to selling it successfully. This is where a field of photography called product photography, also known as packshot, comes in handy. Product photography is about presenting the details and quality of a product as well as possible through photos. A big role is played by the completeness of the photos, i.e. showing the product from different sides so that the customer does not have to ask, for example, what the back of a camera looks like.
What do I need to get started?
Actually, nothing apart from a camera and, of course, the product you want to photograph. However, you need to remember a few important rules. Firstly, choose the right light – daylight works well here. Photos taken in the early afternoon will turn out best. If, however, you decide to spend a bit of money, I recommend getting a light tent (shadowless tent), which will certainly make it easier to light your product.
The next thing is the background – a white, neutral one works best. It is worth removing any accessories and eye-catching colours that could draw the buyer's attention away from the product itself. If you do not have a light box, that is no problem. Find a white wall at home, push something the product can stand on up against it and put a white sheet of paper on top.
The last rule, and one that many people often forget, is to prepare the product being photographed. No matter how beautiful the photo is, nobody will buy dirty shoes or a dusty radio. Remember to check before taking photos whether anything needs wiping.
Above: a makeshift light box, and next to it a regular one.
What about the camera?
You can take photos even with a phone. One piece of advice I can give everyone, whatever equipment they use, is to get a tripod. It will help you achieve proper sharpness even if you are taking photos with an ordinary smartphone. You can find many inexpensive models for phones or cameras online.
Photo editing
If you want to improve things a little in post-production, go for a natural look. Using filters is not recommended. The photo should reflect reality as closely as possible – after all, that is what the customer cares about. Things like artificially removing scratches or dents are out of the question. Of course, removing your reflection in, say, a mirror or adding a shadow to a jar of honey is nothing wrong.
As you can see, product photography is not difficult and helps you achieve great results. If you are looking for a way to present your product even better, you can also read our article on Packshot 360.
