Ecommerce product photography is a term used to define shooting and editing images that are used in website or on store displays, commercials, print ads and social media. It covers e-mails, ads on newspaper or magazines, website banners and many other traditional means that businesses use internally or externally. The importance of this stage cannot be understated because it plays a vital role in driving sales for your company whether you’re selling products online or offline.
Tips to take Ecommerce product photography
1. Composition
Composition is the first and most important step in your ecommerce product photography. This is mainly because the way you pan, shoot and edit your image will determine how it will be received by consumers. You should avoid cutting off body parts of your product, showing close-ups of details or showing images that portray something other than what you are trying to sell. Why would someone want to buy a catchy looking watch when it looks like a bath toy? You should also keep in mind that whatever background you use should not distract from what you’re selling. Your product(s) should stand out and look appealing enough for people to want to own them.
2. Lighting
Many people believe that the best lighting for a photo is natural lighting but this is not always the case. Natural light is usually too bright and does not work well in every situation. It can cast shadows that may or may not look good. This means you will have to purchase additional lighting units or try using artificial lighting instead but this has its own advantages and disadvantages. Artificial lights are cheaper, easier to use and they do not require you to place your products outside during bad weather conditions.
3. Background
What makes an image work is whether you like what you see in front of your eyes. The best tool to achieve this is the background in which the image will be placed over. An effective background becomes the cornerstone for the photo. It can be distracting in some cases but in others, it can play a huge role. A substantial part of your product will have to be in focus or at least in the center of your frame because it’s going to play a pivotal role in how well people react to buying your product or service.
4. Know your market
Whether you are selling dog treats, jewelry or any other merchandise, you need to know who is going to be happy buying items that come with those images and what kind of photographs they want to see. Do not just take whatever photograph you did the last time you were online shopping and post it regardless if it’s attractive at all. If your audience is as diverse as the market you are trying to sell your products to, the more you are going to have to take into account.
5. Focus on what matters
A product is only as good as it looks and when a product looks bad, people will not buy it. That’s why taking care of what people see in front of them will make a huge difference in how your business grows or how much you make from each sale. You will want to focus on what matters and do not think of anything else besides that. This means that images that show details such as the brims on a hat or the lining inside shoes should be taken into consideration before being published online or in print.
