7 Tips for Shooting Great Product Photos
Taking your own product photos is not a big deal. But when you’re required to re-shoot all the photos because the first shots were not good, it can be a challenging task. A professional product photographer must know exactly which lights are required, what backdrop color is suitable to look exceptionally presentable to the end user. Poor quality photos kill the entire hard work given by the client. Most digital cameras have advanced features that play a great role in improving the quality of product photos. If you want to take great product photos, you must have a good digital camera that has all the necessary features.
Shooting product photos mean delivering quality work. The quality of the picture is very important. If you would like photos of your products to be posted on your site, you must ensure the photos are of high quality and attractive to your audience. The quality of your photos determines the traffic and relevance of your site.
In this article, we will discuss 7 tips for shooting product photos
1. Place your camera on a tripod
Place your camera on a tripod to be sure it is steady. Add soft lighting. It is usually helpful to place diffusers over the lights to soften the effect. You want to avoid casting harsh shadows on your subject. If you have an unwanted shadow, try adding white paper, tilted at a 45-degree angle to that side of the product. This prop may create a light reflection that reduces or eliminates the shadow. You should also avoid lighting the product from the back which will cause outlining to occur.
2. Shoot with a remote or delay
If you’d like to take product photos while you’re using a tripod you can either use delay or remote. You can set either 2,3, 4 or 5-second delay depending on your convenience. As soon as you’re set, you can walk away so that you don’t cast any shadows. This will help improve the quality of your photos. You can also buy a remote for convenience purposes. Remote makes it easier and allows you to take pictures when your product is set. Remote will also save time and make it possible for you to take as many photos as possible.
3. Always increase the depth of your field when you’re shooting flat
When you’re shooting flat, you need to increase the depth of your field. You can set the aperture of your camera at f/18. This will allow your lens to focus on the whole product or the full surface. The quality of your photos matters a lot. You need to focus on the whole product so that viewers will have a perfect view of the product.
4. Never ignore white balance settings
The way you set up your camera will determine the outcome and quality of your photos. Your white balance settings depend on the type of products and photos needed. If you want great photos for your audience, you need to be cautious with your white balance settings. Those who ignore white balance setting end up having poor quality photos.
5. Shoot Mid-day
If you want great product photos, it is good to shoot them during the daytime. Mid-day is the best time if you want great photos. Always look at the weather before taking photos. Bad weather can negatively affect the quality of your photos. You can take photos between 11:00am - 3:00pm. Always take product photos on a sunny day.
6. Using reflectors to brighten pictures and even shadows
It is very important to use reflectors if you want high-quality product photos. You can choose to use a big piece of white cardboard or any DIY reflector. A reflector will also help even out the shadows and improve the overall quality of the photos. The products will need to be manually moved into position, keeping in mind lighting, reflections, and angles.
7. Post Processing in product photography
It's amazing how much a little post-processing programs like Lightroom and Photoshop can improve a digital photo. You can check our Product Perfection Collection for Lightroom, which was created to rescue your product images. Just run the preset or sweep the brush over the areas of the picture that you'd like sharper or brighter (you can choose between 15 Lightroom brushes and 79 Lightroom Presets and can adjust according to your taste).
Mastering the art of photography gives shape, size, texture and sense to the finish products. Once your photos are taken, use your computer's photo editing program to crop out an extraneous background, correct lighting and add any necessary contrast. If you want your photos to be great and win the trust of your client, it is important to have a great camera for the job. Your camera determines the outcome of your work.
