Product photos for eCommerce have been a significant selling point in every enterprise. As eCommerce gains popularity, it has become imperative for sellers to have the right product photos. It’s not enough to simply post product photos on your website— the photos you use must highlight the best features of your merchandise.
When it comes to product photography, there are a few tricks to getting great shots that show off the true beauty of your products. These are the kinds of tricks that highlight the care, precision, and aesthetic value that sets product photography apart from the competition. If you’re looking for ways to elevate your product photos, read on as we share some of our top eCommerce product photography tips to help you capture crisp product photos
Why Are Ecommerce Product Photoshoots Important?
You might be asking yourself, “What is product photography, and how does it differ from other types of photography?”
Basically, product photography is the process of capturing photos of a product and posting them on a website or on social media to drive traffic and boost sales. Commercial photography differs from other forms in that its primary purpose is to attract paying customers from a defined demographic. Consider this data; in 2021, the Philippine eCommerce market hit $17 billion. By 2025, it’s projected to grow by 17%, with an estimated $24 billion reach. This goes to show that product photography has been a significant factor in these sales.
Product photoshoots for eCommerce are important because it’s can be an investment. It takes time, effort, and money to create high-quality product images that will attract customers and drive sales. Photos are also the first thing customers see when they shop online, making them great marketing tools. 75% of online customers depend on product photos when making a purchase. This confirms that product photos affect a customer’s decision-making process. By seeing images, you want customers to know what they see is what they get. This is why marketers invest in product shoots.
Lastly, good eCommerce product photography differentiates you from competitors. In a market where companies frequently compete over the same products, it’s crucial to stand out with superior product photography. Having great photos on your site helps persuade shoppers to buy from you because they know they’re getting quality products they won’t find elsewhere.
Ecommerce Product Photography Tips
If you’re an online startup business, having great product photos is critical for your success. Remember, product photos are the first thing customers observe when they’re buying a product. That’s why it’s really important to produce and capture outstanding product photos.
If you’re planning on having your own product shoot for eCommerce, here are some tips and tricks you can try:
Have the Right Equipment
You can’t take photos without a camera, right?
You don’t need to be a professional photographer to produce sales-boosting shots. All it takes is perseverance and the right equipment. You can easily capture a product photo using your smartphone, but if you want to get quality photos, consider having the following accessories:
DSLR Camera / Smartphone with good camera features: A DSLR with a large sensor, in-body stabilization, and high ISO capabilities is your best bet for product photography. The DSLR camera should have at least 10 megapixels to produce high-resolution images. You can also opt for a smartphone camera but make sure it has impressive features. For crisp, clear photos, the camera on your smartphone should have at least 32 megapixels of resolution.
Tripod: Tripods make camera placement easier and more stable. Tripods prevent you from taking shaky and blurry pictures that will lessen the quality of your product photoshoots.
Backdrops: Backdrops also make your products more visible. Having backgrounds add more focus to your products so your customers can look without distractions. Remember to use neutral colors to keep your products the center of attention.
Set Up Your Product Photoshoot with Good Lighting
A well-lit shot is a good shot.
Lighting is the most crucial factor in eCommerce product photography. It can make or break your photos and can affect a viewer’s perception of your product. Your goal here is to take pictures that don’t look cheap or overdone. Here are some peripherals you can use to have good lighting:
Softbox: As a soft light source, softboxes are frequently used in photography to reduce the appearance of shadows. It makes the colors of your product pop and helps the camera capture better-looking photographs.
LED Panel: LED panels are flexible lighting devices positioned in various ways to illuminate a scene for photography or videography. Because of the diffuse quality of their light, they are commonly utilized in photography as fill lights and backlights.
Choose the Right Background Color
When doing an eCommerce product shoot, choosing the right background is important. You want to make sure that it complements the product and does not distract from it.
To avoid diverting the viewer’s attention from the product you’re trying to sell, it’s best to keep the background as simple as possible. White is a great choice to make your product stand out against a clean and uncluttered background. Other light colors like pale blue, pink, and yellow can also work nicely.
You can also opt for a transparent background that removes the image background. By doing this, you can achieve a sleek and contemporary look for your eCommerce store.
Use Props to Accentuate Your Product
Adding props to your photos is another eCommerce product photography tip you should consider.
You can add props on or off-frame to help contextualize your products. They add context and help make an item look more appealing. Props are also handy for showing different uses of a product. For example, if you’re selling water bottles, you could add one in the photo with someone holding it while they talk on their phone! This would give viewers an idea of how much they like this water bottle.
Props can be anything: a whiteboard, a laptop, a phone, or even something that’s already in the background of your photo. You just have to make sure it’s relevant to what you’re trying to sell.
Capture Images from Multiple Angles
At Stellar Studios, we take pictures from different angles to show every detail of our client’s products.
Capturing images from multiple angles is one of the most important things to do during your eCommerce product photoshoot. Multiple angles of a product give customers a better reference. It also shows them how your product works, what it looks like, and what it can do for them.
Allowing customers to see your product from different angles makes visualization easier. It also helps them decide whether or not they want to purchase it. This is especially helpful if you’re selling something that has a lot of different parts.
Use an Editing Software
There’s nothing wrong with using an editing software!
An editing software helps you adjust product photo lighting and colors. A photo and design tool lets you adjust the color and lighting of your photos to make them more appealing. In these editing programs, you can use layers, masks, and curves to add shadows or highlights as needed. With this level of flexibility comes many possibilities for creativity on your eCommerce product shoots!
Additionally, editing software allows you to adjust the background of your photos to look more professional. If possible, find a simple background that doesn’t distract from what’s being photographed. It’s important to remember that you should only edit your product photos to make them look better, not to the point where they no longer resemble the real thing. In addition to making your company more trustworthy, this practice will help you give customers exactly what they want.
Put Watermarks on Your Photos
One last product photography tip for eCommerce: get rights to your product images.
Copyright law also applies to product photos and watermarking is a great way to protect them. Image owners are safeguarded by copyright laws that grant them exclusive use of the image and prevent its unauthorized use or distribution. That means you have exclusive rights to determine the final use and distribution of your photos.
Watermarks in commercial product photography can make items look professional. It’s also a great way to add brand-specific text or an image to your photos to really add a unique personality to your business. When adding watermarks, make sure they don’t steal attention from the products themselves. See to it that your watermarks are the right size and opacity so that they still serve their purpose on your product photos.
Start Your Ecommerce Product Photography Today
It’s not a hyperbole to say that product photos are everything when it comes to eCommerce success.
Product photography for eCommerce is not just about the pictures. It’s also about how your images will be used in the marketing materials. This means that it’s important for you to spend time thinking about the type of images you want to use and how they will work best for your online business.
We hope this article has inspired you to up your photography game and boost your eCommerce sales. Contact us today for any photography concerns you may have!