The online world is overflowing with competition. To stand out, you’ll need to make sure your images are a notch above the rest. Here are our top 10 tips to making sure you get your customers attention (the right way)!
1. Make sure you photograph the entire product
It may seem a little silly but it happens! Sometimes, we fail to notice that we cropped out a small part of the product while shooting it. Things like the foot of a stool or the top of a bush. Make yourself seem as professional as possible by photographing the product in its entirety.
2. Check your lighting
Sometimes, one lighting source is not enough. If you’re using professional lighting equipment, it’s best to have two different lighting sources to avoid having hot spots. If you don’t have access to professional lighting, natural light will do. Remember that it’s better to have underexposed photos than overexposed ones. You can always add light in post-processing but it’s difficult to take it away.
3. Use a standard lens
You don’t want to distort your products in any way. Wide angle lenses and effect lenses mess with the proportions of your image. Stick with standard lenses such as ones with a focal length of 50mm.
4. Think about margins
When photographing your products, make sure to leave some space in between the frame and the actual product. You’ll need some wiggle room for editing as well as for cropping. Stick to a common size for all of your product photos. The best practice is to use squares (1000 x 1000, for example).
5. Keep it centered
Your product is the highlight of the photo, so make sure it’s in the center of your frame!
6. Remove the background
While having a fun background may help you look artistic, this will only distract your customers and take away focus from the product. Having a neutral background, typically white or black, gives your site a clean and uniform look. You can remove the background in post-production when you clean up your images.
7. Mind the reflections
When photographing shiny products, such as jewelry and metals, it’s common for things such as the camera and the light to be reflected on the product’s shiny surface. When editing your photos, carefully go through each one to ensure you’ve edited each one out. This can be a tedious and time-consuming process so it may be best to invest in jewelry photo retouching services. These professional retouchers will not only remove any reflected equipment but also color correct the metals, make the gems shine, and even add natural shadows back to your products.
8. Limit your use of props
Props may seem like a fun idea but they can be distracting. Remember, the main focus should be your products! If you decide to use them, remember to keep them simple and aligned with your color scheme.
9. Display the details
The details are the USP of your product, so display them proudly! Take as many photos of it as possible, from as many angles as you can.
10. Hang products
The days of flat lays are over. These days, it’s all about hanging them around. Don’t be afraid to play around with it and get creative.
