How to Take Great Product Photographs for Your Website

A picture might be worth a thousand words – but an amazing product photograph may well be worth a thousand sales, so it pays to get it right. Too many businesses rely on manufacturer images, or (worse) a quick snap with a smartphone camera. 

Remember we’re talking here about the products that you want your customers to pay for. Low quality images and standard product shots aren’t going to help you stand out from your competitors. 

Thankfully, it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to take your own product photography. In this article, we explore the basics of taking simple and fantastic-looking photos of your products in order to help you sell more of them. 

Essential Equipment

If you’re going to do your own product photography, you’re going to need the right equipment for the job. Thankfully it doesn’t take a huge amount to get started, however, there is, of course, always room to grow and improve your photography setup. But for now, let’s get started with understanding the basics of what you’ll need:

• A high-quality camera
• A tripod
• A white background
• Bounce cards
• A table

Naturally, the most important of these is the camera. And it’s also the most expensive. If you already have a camera but it is quite old, you might find it’s a great idea to trade it in so that you can upgrade without having a huge outlay. Many major camera sellers offer a trade-in service that brings down the cost of your next camera.

Setting up a Space for Photography

It’s tempting to just lay out your products in a way that looks good to you. But to get started, it’s important to set up a neutral space and simply present the products directly. This will mean setting up your table with the white background sheet attached with tape. It is also important to ensure that you have appropriate lighting (more on than in a moment). 

Set up your tripod and attach the camera. You can then play around with the exact positioning of the camera, remembering that you might have to reposition the camera depending on the specifics of the product (such as its dimensions and overall size) that you are photographing. 

“Make sure the room is set up in a way that will enable you to take the photos you want,” advises Julia Giec, writing for Tagvenue. “It should also have enough space for the equipment, and must be big enough for everyone who will be coming to the session.”

Natural or Artificial Light?

One of the major decisions that you’ll have to make before you get started photographing is whether to use natural or artificial light. The right lighting can provide your photos with richer detail and a more realistic appreciation of the colours – so making the right decision here can have a huge impact on the final result of your product photos.

Of course, when making your decision it will come down in part to where you are working and the kind of natural light that you can achieve. Factor this in when you have chosen the area that you are going to be working in – does it have large windows that can provide natural light for all of the angles you need? You may need to work with a mixture of natural and artificial light to get the balance right. 

Remember that customers make their decisions on whether to buy based on small details. If your photography doesn’t capture the specifics of the product just right, it can put them off buying. 

It’s worth noting that sometimes when choosing the lighting for the shot, you need to think about how that product is going to be used. If the product is mainly used outside, it may photograph best with natural sunlight.

“It’s best to consider the ongoing photography trends and the type of lighting that’ll help produce “en vogue” photos,” says David Wellbelove, of DW Images. “While for some commercial shoots artificial lighting would work best, for others it could be the natural light. Either way, the key here is to determine which kind of lighting is appropriate for your shoot.”

Opt for Variety

While you might be supplied with product photos from the manufacturer, these are always likely to be very standard photos. They are also almost certain to be used across a huge range of websites – functionally, by anyone who stocks the same products as you. That’s why when you take your own product photos, you should not only create a range of standard white background shots, you should also experiment with other options.

You can utilise multiple images on your site – and customers will love to see the product in a range of different settings, including in proximity to a real person to get a sense of how it appears in real life. 

Having great quality photography for your products isn’t just for aesthetics – it makes a difference to your bottom line. In fact, 75% of online customers rely solely on photos when they are making their purchasing decision. So if you’re concerned about the outlay on equipment or the time you’ll be spending – don’t let it stop you. Ultimately, putting in the effort will help your products stand out from your competition, and help the perception of your brand as one that provides useful content to your audience.