In this age of online shopping, good product photography can do most of the heavy lifting in convincing customers to make a purchase.
Shine a light on your products, literally and figuratively, and it might equate to more sales for your business.
In a previous article, we talked about why food photography helps F&B establishments, as well as covered tips on taking better photos of dishes. In this article, let us switch focus to other products, and look at tips on better photography to boost your brand.
Better pics = More clicks
Research shows that product photography can boost conversion rate, and here are some reasons why.
Build customer trust
Populating your site with quality product photos assures your customers – showing authenticity, and transparency of your wares. It also portrays to customers a confidence in your brand and product, and a standard in quality.
Aid in customer decision making
According to research by Etsy, photos were “extremely important” or “very important” for 90% of consumers when making the decision to purchase. People are more likely to invest in a product when they see high-quality pictures of it, compared to low quality ones. Furthermore, pictures enable a customer to see what the product actually looks like, and if it meets their expectations.
More likely to be shared
If your pictures are good, people would more likely want to share it among their circles as a product recommendation.
To reach a wider audience and increase its shareability, you can even leverage the influence of social media platforms to share product photos. All the more reason to take ‘insta-worthy’ photos of your products!
So, are you ready to take your product photography to the next level? Here are some tips to get you started!
Tips For Better Product Photography
Get yourself a camera
This is a no-brainer – in order to take pictures, you need a camera. However, you need a camera that takes high quality images.
If you have the means, you can invest in a good DSLR camera that comes with many different settings and features. If you don’t, no problem! These days, smartphones also have the best camera functions too. Furthermore, you can add-on lenses to your smartphone for a more cinematic look.
It’s all about the lighting
The biggest, most evenly lit, and brightest light is the one in the sky. And it’s free.
If you have taken or seen a ‘golden hour’ picture before, you would definitely understand how much difference lighting can make! This is an example of using natural lighting which can be used to showcase your product in a natural setting.
Get out there, and shoot your products in the sun. Use blinds or curtains to create mood lighting by the window.
To help, you can use artificial lighting such as studio lighting, or even adjustable LED lights to be in control of the lighting.
If your product has intricate details that you would like to focus on, such as jewellery and tech devices, you should consider investing in a lightbox. Or you could even make your own!
You just need to place the product inside, and the photos results are shadow-free, with plain even backgrounds and professional quality lighting.
Background check
While we are talking about backgrounds, plain white ones are perfect if you want your product to be the focal point and stand out. This is a good option for photos that you want to display on the catalogue if you have an e-commerce platform.
If you want to add in a splash of colour, but still keep it simple – try muted colours such as plain pastels or light grey tones. You can refer to a colour wheel to see which colours complement each other and choose accordingly.
You can make use of creative backdrops as well! Try out different textures and materials, which can add in a little more life to your photo for those who may not want a plain background.
Or you can use a natural background if you wish to take more lifestyle shots featuring your product! Use a wall at home, or find an interesting building with character, and let the environment be your studio for the day.
Need another set of hands? Get a Tripod
A shaky shot makes a blurry photo, which makes the photo practically unusable. Unless you’re going for that look, you need to get a tripod.
Secondly, if you get a smaller flexible tripod, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities! You can experiment, reaching angles that may not be feasible by just using your hand – such as extremely low shots or top-angles for a bird’s eye view.
Yes to props
Props can add more ‘flavour’ to your photos, but use them in moderation. Remember, the focus should be on your products, not the props!
The props should also complement the background and the lighting you choose – so it makes for a cohesive shot. To decide what kind of props you should use, think about the story you want to convey using your props!
For example, if your product is made of certain ingredients that you want to feature, use the ingredients as the props!
Another idea is to add props you think might go well with your product. if you are featuring jewellery or accessories, the props could be outfit pieces that go well with it.
At the end of the day, you want your customer to have their eyes on the product – so use the props to support your product.
Fix it in post!
You’re on your way to taking good photos – the better the photo you take in camera, means less post-production work you need to do. But with the right software, and a few quick tutorials, you’ll be able to take your photography to the next level. Photo editing apps such as VSCO and Adobe Photoshop Express make your photos look more professional!
Draw attention to certain colours. Crop your photos for an artistic style that accentuates certain angles of your products. Zoom to feature textures. Post-production work can enhance a photo, or save one you thought wasn’t worth featuring.
Pull your viewers in, and let them see your photo like they never thought was possible.
Conclusion
Remember, you are the director of this photoshoot, so make use of all the creative control that you have on your side.
Different products require different approaches. For example, for clothing, you are more inclined to take lifestyle shots of people wearing it in order to make your target audience relate to your brand more. For tech products, you might want to emphasise more on its form factor in relation to physical space it may be in. These let your customers know exactly what to expect when they receive the product.
The approach really depends on how you want your product to be seen. Think about how you want to portray your brand, what you want to highlight, the colour scheme to express aesthetics and the mood, and the target audience you want to reach!
The more unique your branding is, the more it stands out – and that’s how you get people interested in your product.
We hope this article was useful in getting you started with product photography! These tips can elevate your company branding to the next level, paving the way to boost your sales.
However, as a small business owner, there are definitely more things to factor in when getting started. Let us at Qashier help you out with solutions that fit your business needs!
Qashier offers multiple digital solutions, including QR code table ordering, table management (F&B), employee management, customer relationship management (loyalty programs), inventory management, data analytics, and cashless payments, in an all-in-one device.
Qashier promises a seamless setup within 10 minutes, without any need for technical expertise. It boasts a user-friendly interface that is simple for anyone to learn and use. You’ll find 7-days-a-week responsive technical support from the local team if you require assistance.
Qashier is also affordable, with prices starting from as low as SGD1/day (in Singapore with a PSG grant), and this includes hardware, software, setup, training and 7-days-a-week local support.
Speak to us to see if Qashier’s Smart POS can meet your business needs. Schedule a meeting with us here, call us at (+65) 3165 0155, WhatsApp (+65) 8882 8912, or email [email protected].