High-quality product photography is crucial for increasing your ecommerce sales. Stunning product images can make a great first impression and simplify the final purchasing decision. Here are 5 best product photography tips to help you shoot and optimize your products for ecommerce success.
1. Perfect Your Product Photography Setup
The setup is half the battle in product photography. For the best results, use a white photography sweep—a white backdrop that transitions seamlessly from vertical to horizontal surfaces. This setup reflects light onto your product and captures its true colors. You can use materials like white wrapping paper or any shiny white material. Ensure the sweep is larger than the product and fills the entire camera frame.
For smaller products, create a DIY product photography table. Use a small table, two pieces of wood, spring clamps, and sweep material. Attach the wood to the back edge of the table, clamp the sweep to the top, and let it fall across the table. For larger products, consider buying a professional photography sweep with a stand for ease of use.
2. Utilize Natural Lighting
Natural lighting can enhance your product photos, but use it indirectly. Set up near a bright window, placing your product to the left or right of the light source. Use a fill light or a DIY reflector (a white card covered in aluminum foil) on the opposite side to balance the lighting and avoid harsh shadows.
3. Offer Multiple Product Photos
Providing multiple photos is essential for giving customers a comprehensive view of your product. Start with a compelling hero image that highlights the product’s main features. Then, add photos from different angles to show all sides of the product. Include close-ups of special features, patterns, or textures to give a detailed view. For products available in multiple colors, photograph each color variant to help customers make an informed decision.
Adding in-context shots, where the product is shown in a real-life setting, can also be very effective. These shots can showcase the product’s use and appeal to the customer’s lifestyle.
4. Remove Backgrounds and Optimize Your Photos
A clean background keeps the focus on the product. Use tools like Adobe Photoshop’s pen tool to manually remove backgrounds, or use automated photo editors for quicker results. Once the background is removed, you can add a consistent backdrop color, such as white (#ffffff) or light grey, to maintain a professional and cohesive look.
Consistent background colors help your store look polished and ensure that your products stand out. If you prefer not to have a “floating” look, light grey can provide a subtle but effective alternative.
5. Create a Consistent Template
To maintain consistency, create a template for all your product images. Use editing software to paste images onto a blank canvas with your desired dimensions. A recommended size is around 1600px on the longest side, ensuring optimal viewing on mobile devices and effective zoom functionality.
Align your products so they’re centered and occupy 80-90% of the canvas. Use guidelines in Photoshop to ensure perfect alignment every time. Consistent image sizing and placement enhance the overall professionalism of your online store.
Conclusion
Product photography is an art that requires practice and patience. Establish a routine for shooting and editing your photos, and don’t be discouraged by initial challenges. High-quality product images can significantly enhance your ecommerce site, attract customers, and boost sales. For efficient image editing, consider using tools like Pixc’s Image Editing App, which can streamline the process and allow you to focus on growing your business.
