eCommerce research shows that 75% of shoppers depend on product photos when making online purchase decisions. This is why having great quality images is so important to display your product accurately.
But how can you get top-quality photos if you don’t have the budget to hire a professional photographer? Well, if you have your own digital camera (yes, even your smartphone’s camera), it’s not as difficult as you think.
If this interests you, follow along as we lay down some excellent product photography tips to take your online business to the next level.
Table of Contents
1. Your Background Matters
The first on our list of e-commerce tips for photography is that selecting the perfect background can make a massive impact on your product photos. You want your product to stand out against the backdrop, so your customers can see exactly what they will be buying. On the other hand, if your background and product are too similar in color, they can blend together, making your product more difficult for the customer to distinguish.
If you’re interested in more information on choosing the color of your backdrop, you can visit this link.
2. Pick the Best Light Source for Your Product
The lighting source you pick will vary depending on your product. For example, if you have a clothing line, you may want outdoor lifestyle product shots and then use the sun as the light source. On the other hand, if your product is a smaller item, you can place it next to a window for natural light or in a small lightbox for studio-type lighting.
3. Use a Tripod for Every Shot
If you’re offering high-resolution images to your customers, they’re going to use the zoom-in option to take a closer look. Don’t get stuck with motion-blurred shots where the close-up looks fuzzy and unprofessional.
There are several types of tripods you can choose from, so find one that best suits your needs. If you’re using your smartphone to take the images (remember, we said you don’t need a professional camera), consider a tripod with a mobile grip.
You also have the choice between the traditional rigid tripod or one with flexible legs. These are often handy to wrap around things so you can get some interesting angles.
4. Choose the Correct Aperture
Ok, so professional cameras are not the only way to shoot with great bokeh (aka a blurred background). Chances are your smartphone has the same options if you switch to Pro mode. This will give you control over your white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
You may have to become a bit more familiar with each setting, but once you know what you’re doing, selecting the perfect aperture to make your product stand out is a cinch.
5. Don’t Over Edit (That Includes Filters!)
A common mistake that beginners make (and what unfortunately makes them stand out as beginners) is overediting. Whether it’s as simple as adding mega-filters over your Instagram shots or adding heavy vignetting in Adobe Lightroom, you want to stick to the adage “less is more.”
Keeping your product images accurate to the original product is crucial to selling products online, so customers always know what they’re buying.
Product Photography Tips That Count
Getting the right shot for your business products can make all the difference between a customer skipping over your product or clicking purchase. But the great news is that if you’re willing to put a bit of thought into it, you don’t need expensive professional equipment to get great photos. Smartphones today have powerful lenses which can get the job done just the same.
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