The right images will always spark the difference in boosting conversions on ecommerce platforms. So, you must establish an online store that seizes your audience’s eye and keeps them intrigued.
One of the main ways to achieve this is through excellent ecommerce product photography. If you run an online store, you probably have fantastic products in your stock. And the only way to communicate their charm is via photography. This is why ecommerce websites flaunt impressive visuals of the items they sell.
However, if you’ve looked around, you’ve probably understood that professional photographers are expensive. So, is there a way to improve your website without significantly raising your expenses? Fortunately, with a few tricks and tips, you can take up the mantle yourself. This blog will share the full rundown of every aspect of professional e-commerce product photography.
Options for Ecommerce Product Photography:
Any business looking to improve sales through photography must first understand which kind of images will have products flying off shelves. So, here are some photography options for your website:
Individual Shots:
Individual shots often feature in product catalogs, banners, and websites to showcase the item individually. This ensures a clean, simple, and focused product visualization.
Group Shots:
You’ve probably guessed it too! Group shots showcase more than one product. This type of ecommerce product photography illustrates the variety of products and gives shoppers a taste of your brand as a whole.
Lifestyle Shots:
Don’t you want your audience to experience the stuff you are selling? A good hack? Show them in action. Because this form of imagery feels so personal, they are perfect for social media, ads, and other visual channels.
Scale Shots:
Your audience often recedes from shopping because they cannot gauge the product’s size. While a product description may list the dimensions of a product, the images may be highly deceiving. But with scale shots, you can let your customers get a better concept of the dimensions of the products by comparing them to everyday items. Once your audience gets a rough sketch of the things they will purchase, get ready to experience an augmentation in sales.
Detailed Shots:
If you’re selling jewelry or products with intricacies, you already know the importance of detailed shots. This form of imagery highlights specific product features that a traditional image might miss.
Now that you’ve learned about the different photography options let’s hop on to the detailed guide on ecommerce product photography.
The Ultimate Guide for Ecommerce Product Photography:
Here’s how amateurs can become an expert in ecommerce product photography:
Select the Right Camera & Settings:
The correct camera will do wonders as they ensure precise, crisp photos. You can use a DSLR or smartphone camera for photography. However, adjust the camera settings before snapping the images.
Wide-angled lenses on DSLRs might easily distort your product photo. On the other hand, a small aperture, say, f8 or f11, keeps your entire product focused. In ecommerce product photography, you can easily use a low shutter speed since you aren’t dealing with motion.
If you don’t have the budget for DSLRs, a smartphone will get the work done. But, in this case, you must watch out for the background and lighting equipment, which may require practice and patience.
Use Proper Lighting:
Your products might boast bright colors, but if the lighting is dull, they won’t be viewed pleasingly. Usually, there are two lighting options for e-commerce product photography:
- Natural Lighting
- Studio Lighting
Naturally lit images work great for social media platforms, and these options work best for edible items, people, and clothing. If you opt for natural lights, you will want to set up your product facing a window in the early mornings or late afternoons. Use this option if you are a small start-up and don’t have a sufficient budget.
Artificial lights ensure you are always on the go if you work in a studio. When shooting indoors, you should use two lightboxes to soften shadows. You can easily find light clamps and intense LEDs in the market for about $30. But, if you have the bucks to splurge, there are plenty of high-end options.
Set Up the Background:
When capturing the photos, you want to have two images– one with the product against crisp white settings and the other to showcase the product in use. You don’t have to spend arms and legs for background settings. You can always use craft paper or sheets to prepare DIY backdrops. If you are not satisfied with how the backgrounds turned in the photos, switch to autoRetouch to automatically customize backdrops in a cinch.
Shooting Table:
Since you are dealing with ecommerce product photography, it’s best to order a white sweep from Amazon. However, if you feel crafty and have the hands of a magician, take the homemade route. Did you know you could make your chair-mounted sweep using rolls of white craft paper? Just push the back of the paper against a wall and tape the craft paper above the chair. After that, allow it to fall freely to create a clear transition between vertical and horizontal planes. You will still need to invest in a long stand-mounted sweep for more oversized products.
Get Inspired:
Have a brand to love and follow? Why not get inspired by what they are doing? Take a closer look at their photos and figure out what you love about their pictures. Ask yourself how a similar shot could work for your products.
Set Up the Product:
Now, it’s time to bring your goods to the spotlight. It may seem simple, but setting up your product can take hours. Finding the correct spot, centering it evenly, evenly lighting the product…the list goes on. But here’s how you can get started:
- Use mannequins to shoot clothes.
- Use glue dots and tapes to keep small articles like jewelry in place.
- Use hangers for flat lays.
- Experiment with angles.
- Focus on lifestyle shots.
- Capture some action photos, like syrup drizzling over cakes, and shoot using a tripod.
Master the Rule of Thirds:
The rule of thirds was invented to help artists create a balanced work of art. It allows photographers to divide the canvas into 9 segments and determine where to place the focus of the product. The goal is to put your product where two lines intersect, and this intersecting point is where your eyes are naturally propelled in a photograph.
Use Simpler Props:
Ecommerce product photography is all about keeping things simple. The main subject of your photo is the thing you are selling. So, don’t clutter the pictures with loud stuff. Instead, keep the props subtle, aligned with the color technique, and pertinent to the product.
Finish it off With Retouching:
None of your images are prepped for the ecommerce industry unless they receive a few retouching strokes. This prevents your photos from looking mediocre and adds professionalism to your ecommerce product photography. Retouching is a time-consuming process if you are doing it manually. However, with the help of technology, tools like autoRetouch were invented to help you edit like a pro automatically. The best part is that no editing experience is required when using AI-driven editors. Select the setting you want, and voila– get fresh and web-ready images in seconds.
Conclusion
If you want to become successful at selling online, become an expert in ecommerce product photography. It may require a bit of trial and error, but a bit of practice ensures you are on the right track. Happy Selling!