5 Product Photography Tips That Make You Shoot Like A Pro
OK. First thing’s first. I’m not a pro at product photography. In fact, I’d be more likely known as a ‘noob’ at product photography… but! Here’s the ‘but’. I did look up a whole bunch of articles and videos online about getting into product photography. It’s something that interests me so I thought if I did a bit of research on it all first, I could then take those tips and apply them myself. I have the results in the images below, which I’m proud of, so I thought I would share the most helpful tips with you all.
Give texture to your image
When you’re shooting the products make sure that you show off the texture of the product. It’s got to pop, so that the viewer can almost taste it. If it’s wooden, then make sure that surface - that rugged texture and all its tiny bumps really stand out. The product literally needs to be felt through the photo. Show what it feels like to hold it or to wear it.
This image was to capture the logo of the company that made it, but still using the same techniques I wanted to use with the ring itself.
2. Light your scene carefully
Depending on what your product is, make sure you adjust your light to match it’s texture. Sunlight from one angle is a great way to do this. You need to balance the contrast of shadows and reflections from the product. In the photo’s I took I went for an orangey glow. Something that could match the wood colour to give off a warm tungsten feel, as well as reflection a yellowy glint from the ring. I wanted to appeal to the rich, oaky texture that I wanted to capture.
3. Decorate your scene with appropriate props
Look at your product and think about how it makes you feel. Does it give off a clean, metallic and reflective simplicity? Or is it something that deserves to be comforted by unique and unusual antiques that time has forgotten. You’ve got to accent the product, so if you’re taking images of a piece of tech or some gadget, then maybe some cables, LED lighting or an open computer might work well. Or if it’s pure simplicity you’re looking for then maybe create a white surface with a monochrome backdrop? Just take a look at any Apple product. In my case, I went with my oak table for the surface, some images, a light and a drawer unit in the background to create that cozy, house feel which matched the lighting of my scene.
4. Use a macro lens for detail
When you get down to taking the photo, you need to attach a macro lens. Something that’s going to focus directly onto your product and give that bokeh feel to everything else. Ya know, that lovely blurred vignette to the surrounding objects. This directs all your attention to the product itself, without the disruption of all the other props. They’re important to keep in the peripherals as they build an image in the mind of the viewer. The macro lens simply highlights your texture, harnesses your lighting and builds a story of the product from the props.
I’ve focused on the ring, capturing the reflection from the tungsten lighting, as well as highlighting the texture of the box to allow you to “feel” it.
5. Edit your photos
Once you’ve captured the image as best as you can in the real world, you then just need to tweak it using some simple editing. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I’m not talking some hefty photoshop wizardry here. I’m talking about the photo editing settings you get as standard on your computer to view your photos or the functions you get on your phone if that’s where you’re editing them. My photos were taken with my iPhone XS by the way. All you’re looking to do is enhance a little bit of the saturation, brighten any images up that might be too dark and adjust the shadows and contrast of the image. This will make it pop and look great on Instagram.
And there you have it. My favourite five tips that will make you take professional product photo’s that sell.
