If you sell anything online, good photos are essential. Without the ability to hold, touch and feel your product, a potential buyer is banking on those photos to give them all the information they need to make that purchase.
And you don’t need a fancy camera and a studio set-up to take nice product photos. The key is simplicity and consistency.
Here are some simple things to consider when photographing your products.
- Background: Keep it simple. Ensure it doesn’t clash with or distract from the star of your photo – your product. A roll of white paper or a sheet {make sure you iron it first as wrinkles will show in your photo} or some pretty vintage wallpaper all make lovely backgrounds. And once you find a background that works for you, stick with it. A gallery of consistent product photos is always very pleasing the eye.
- Make it macro: Not everyone can splash out on a fancy macro lens, but it doesn’t matter, you don’t need it. Most cameras from DSLRs to point and shoots have a macro setting. Use it. This puts together the optimum settings for your shot that will give you a crisp and close image.
- Focus: This is two-fold. Make sure your item is in focus, blurry photos help no-one and look unprofessional. And make sure your item is the focus. Your product needs to take centre stage, so get rid of any clutter.
- Let there be light: Natural is best. Flash photography is harsh and unflattering, not only for you but for your products. Experiment with different places around your house and at different times of day to find the best light for your products. The key tip is to watch for the shadows and reflections. Tissue paper or a light linen can help diffuse harsh sunlight from a window.
- Size does matter: With some items, like jewellery, it is important for the product to be in context. Include a photo of your product being modeled or next to a standard size object like a piece of fruit or even a ruler, to give the buyer some idea of its proportions.
And thanks to the digital age, you will never run out of film. So keep just snapping until you get something you like.