5 Tips to Create Product Photos at Home
Product photography is everywhere now. You see posts and advertisements on social media daily. What photos stand out to you the most and make you stop scrolling? Product photography should be bright, unique and tell the story of your product and your company's vision.
Here are 5 tips to help you create strong product photos in the comfort of your home.
1.
Lighting is everything!! Always photograph your product in a room with a lot of indirect and even lighting. Think of a room that has large windows, but not a lot of direct sunlight and shadows coming through. You want your product to be evenly lit, especially if you have a label that needs to be visible. Don't create harsh shadows on the product. If you need to diffuse light, use a sheer white curtain or sheet over the window.
2.
Photograph in a unique environment that describes your product and company's vision. For example, this local candle company produces seasonal scents. I photographed each season in a different location (poolside for summer, by a fireplace for fall, and in the snow for winter). I also photographed the bottles below in the mountains for a local Colorado liquor company. Think of what makes your company stand out from the rest and bring a creative twist to your photos.
3.
Add people to your product photos! The strongest product photos are when you show people using and interacting with your product. This creates an emotional connection between your customer and the product. They can then see themselves using the product in that setting. Always have models that feel natural in front of the camera, and make sure that fingernails are cleaned and painted with neutral colors.
4.
Use the "portrait mode" on your phone camera. If you don't have access to a DSLR camera, then you can use your phone camera. The images won't be as great of quality, but will be good enough for you to showcase your product professionally on your website and social media. Using the "portrait mode" will tell the phone camera to blur the background so only your product is in focus.
5.
Edit your photos in Adobe Lightroom! I use Adobe Lightroom for every single one of my photo shoots. I have created specific presets for how I edit my photos. I don't do any crazy filters, and keep the editing to a minimum. Find a preset or filter that matches your brand, and stick with it for every photo you edit. This will make the editing time significantly less because you can just copy and paste the settings from photo to photo. After the photos are edited, make sure you have a place to store them all and the folders are organized. Then you can add them to your website, social media, blog posts and newsletters.
I hope this post inspired you to create some fun content for your business! If you have any questions about photography feel free to reach out.