After working as a Product Photographer for 4 years, I’ve some super useful Product Photography tips to share with you.
If you’re new to product photography, you might feel overwhelmed with the numerous things that have to be taken care of.
Or you might feel it’s pretty simple.
But it’s not. Until you get into it and really try your hands at product photography, you can’t know about the hundreds of things you have to plan out for one single epic shot.
Brainstorming ideas, finding the right props, selecting the backdrops, what lights have to be used, etc.
Let me take some things off your plate and share product photography tips from the experience I’ve gained in the last 4 years.
If you want to have a look at some of my work – here’s my portfolio link.
To me, product photography is the medium through which I can hone my creativity and use my artistic ability to bring simple pictures to life.
Table Of Contents
6 Product Photography tips for beginners
Set the right aperture
The simplest way in which I can explain aperture to you is – the more number of things you want to be in focus > the higher f-stop you should shoot with.
This is one of the most important product photography tips that I want to emphasize.
It is of utmost importance that all the right things are in focus in your product photos.
You can fix minor errors in Photoshop but you can’t really bring back product that’s blurred. At least not in the sharpest resolution.
The aperture also depends on the kind of product shot you’re planning to take. Here’s an example:
I styled and shot this image for an eyewear brand. In order to take product photos like this one, an image that has a smooth bokeh that differentiates the product from the background – you need the widest possible aperture or the lowest f-stop.
The kit lens that comes with the camera body generally doesn’t offer a wider aperture for a smooth bokeh in pictures.
The nifty-fifty lens is a popular choice for getting bokehlicious photographs. It’s a 50mm f/1.8 lens available in all camera brands, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.
I shot the image below using the Nikon prime lens 50mm f/1.8G.
On the other hand, for a product photo like this one, you should shoot with a higher aperture.
This is because the setup has different elements in it, and the focus needs to be on the entire frame not on just the hero product.
- White loofah
- White hand towel
- Pink artificial flowers
- White candle
- Pink tiled backdrop, use ‘GARIMABHASKAR’ for 10% off
- Light used
Also Read: 10 EASY Reels Ideas For Photographers
Make light your best friend
Practice, practice, and practice!
When I started out, I shot flatlays and products in daylight. Although it gave satisfactory results, it limited the possibilities.
You need to invest in artificial light, either continuous or strobe/flash to get more creative.
Product photography equipment is an expensive investment but each investment levels up the results a notch higher!
Strobes give you super bright product photos that your client would fall in love with.
Whereas a strobe paired with a softbox gives an aesthetic soft light. Use a reflector on the opposite side or another strobe to lighten the shadows.
Some points to remember (related to lighting):
– Use lighting creatively to introduce drama into your product photos
– Always make sure that the brand’s logo is completely visible
– Fix odd reflections in the setup itself, don’t leave everything for Photoshop
– Pay extra attention while shooting reflective product items
– Use image stacking to get perfect reflections on shiny lids
Also Read: I Found The Perfect Backdrop Stand For Product Photography On Amazon
Follow other product photographers & hunt for inspiration
If you feel like you’re on a creative block, go out there and follow other amazing product photographers.
I find Pinterest and Behance to be great sources of inspiration. Although be mindful that your inspirations are purely inspirations and not exact xerox of someone’s idea.
I’ve curated a few Pinterest boards that might help you-
1. Creative Product Photography Ideas
2. Flatlay Photography Ideas
3. Product Stop Motion Ideas
You can also check out these Affordable Photography Courses to learn more. It’s always a good decision to invest in yourself, your business, and in honing your skills to level up.
Enhance your styling skills
The styling really brings the best out of a picture.
Follow other product photographers on Instagram or find new inspirations on Pinterest and Behance.
Play with elements in your photos. Use the ingredients used in making the product you’re shooting, use water to create interesting ripples, add a pop of color with flowers and leaves, etc.
For example, this mask contains charcoal, so I used charcoal in the setup which has a great texture.
Sames goes for this product shot of coconut milk by Dabur-
You don’t always need multiple props
Sometimes simplicity, and minimalism is the answer.
When the product is a hero in itself, a minimal setup compliments it.
Pair your product with only a few relevant props instead of styling with 4-5 items to fill the frame.
Some examples (shot only in daylight! 😮 )-
Avoid making your image way too busy and distracting with too many elements in it. Remember, your goal is to sell the product.
Keep the background simple, with one or two solid colors or subtle patterns. Ensure you don’t have anything in the photo that isn’t relevant or doesn’t add any value. Try to keep the product at the center of attention, whether it be through composition or clever lighting.
For studio shots, you should restrict the number of items to only the product and one or two props. For lifestyle product photography, we recommend focusing only on the model. Avoid any distractions in the background. You can also practice the rules of the minimalist style.
Post-processing of product photos
You shouldn’t color grade product photos, only color correct them.
Color grading product photos like photos are edited in other genres of photography can alter the actual colors of the product and its packaging.
The brand has to sell the products through your images, by using them on their social media profiles, website, or online stores.
The product should look exactly what it looks like in real life.
Keep the colors, and warmth as close to natural as possible.
Edit out each speck of dirt from your image, zoom in! If you’re not yet using Photoshop to retouch your product photos, you are missing out on a lot of things.
Also Read: How To Shoot Flatlays With A Color Palette
Conclusion
Good product photography can improve a brand’s presence on social media and as a result boost sales.
If you have some product photography tips of your own, share them in the comment sections below. Let me know if these 6 tips were wre helpful to you 🙂
I’m a Delhi-based Product Photographer, and if you’re looking for someone to capture your products, shoot me an email!
FAQ
Is Product Photography profitable?
Absolutely! As a brand, you can’t use e-commerce shots on social media or graphically designed posts. It makes the account look spammy and is a major turn-off for the new generation of customers.
How do I become a Product Photographer?
Talked about this in detail here
How do we hire you as a Product Photographer?
Drop me an email sharing a brief and I’ll get back to you 🙂
