Are you ready to start selling your super awesome product online? When stepping into the world of ecommerce, one of the biggest tasks you will be faced with is getting quality photographs of your products. But it’s also one of the most important. This is what will ultimately sell to the customer who isn’t there to see it in person.
2nd Story offers product photography as one of our many services to help market your business. And we will be there to guide you through the planning process, because there is a lot to think about. So here’s just a few things to consider when planning for your photoshoot.
Get Inspired
Take a look at what other brands are doing to show off their products. If there are brands out there you like and admire, get inspiration from them to come up with ideas for your product photos. It doesn’t even have to be from brands in the same product category.
Get Multiple
Atlas Beads - Mardi Gras Purse
Use Simple Props
Having something other than the product in the product shot can help everyone get a better idea of how big your product is, how it’s used, what it’s made of, etc. Also, having additional items in the photo can help enforce your brand.
Hippie Gypsy - Tie Dye Headscarf
Use a Model
A model, in a way, is a form of a prop. Models can also help people get a better understanding of your product. Especially if your product is wearable (clothes, jewelry, accessories) it can be a good idea to show how the product is supposed to be worn and how it should fit so the customer knows what to expect.
Arc GNO - Zulu Coconuts
Isolate Your Product
Shooting against a solid, usually white, seamless backdrop with no props will show off your product in a clean, direct, and professional way. It reduces and often eliminates the chances of distraction or confusion. And if it’s well lit and displayed clearly, it can still be a very eye-catching.
Good For Me - Love Me Better Butter
Create a Setting
Photographing your product against something other than a solid backdrop can also be very appealing as long as you have the right environment. You want the setting to enhance your product, not distract from it. Make sure the colors
Hippie Gypsy - Halter Top & Skirt
Consider Lifestyle Shots
Lifestyle shots really develop your brand more than any other form of product photography. It’s a chance to show not only the product, but also the vibe of your brand and gives a better understanding of who you’re selling to. This is the kind of photography that should be used in advertising, website headers, and social media.
Stay on Brand
Everything your business puts out there visually should be within your brand. This includes photography. All of the variables you consider when planning your product shots should be measured against your brand and that should ultimately be what influences your decisions. Everything from the setting to the way the photo is cropped and edited should adhere to, or create, the rules of your brand.
Get Multiple Shots
You may think you need just one photo of each product to use on your website. Not always true. Having shots from multiple angles for each product will help the customer understand your product better since they will be looking at it in 2D. Also it’s always good to have extra shots to feature in social media, advertising and various places on your website.
We hope this gets your wheels turning and gives you a better understanding of what all can be involved in product photography. And 2nd Story would love to be there to help you get the shots you need to really stand out from the competition. So contact us and we’ll help you take that first step to start selling online.