So you have this great product you want to sell online! Well after the e-store is set up, prices have been set and production is a go next is PHOTOGRAPHY! Today I want to specifically focus on the clean white background product photo, and what makes a great one that brings out all the best aspects of the product vs a bad one that will do the exact opposite!
The demo product I am shooting is a 10 way spray nozzle I bought to replace the one I had accidently run over with my car after a wash. I think it’s a good example of vibrant colors, high contrast and lots of nooks that are hard to light.
Since I was the one that took all of the photos I wanted to take the “photographer’s skill” element out of the equation, you know for science! So the variables that are being changed are camera, light treatment and post production.
Let’s jump in!
This is the first photo, shot on the tried and trusted Iphone, in this case my 11 pro. I used the ambient room lights, and just reflectors to light the scene. Once shot, the image was then clipped in photoshop, this is so the product would have a clean white background, and the hanging wires were brushed out, much like a 3rd party editing service might do. At first glance, it’s not that bad, you can see detail, it’s sharp, but does it pop? Is that the true color of the product, does it show the value and jump off the screen?
Though phone camera technology has skyrocketed over the years, it’s just not a professional photography tool in my opinion. We are missing essential elements of control over how the image is taken and lack the color depth and resolution for proper editing and treatments. In a pinch it will get the job done but it's also giving a sense of cheapness to the product that can do a lot of harm if you are trying for a higher level of product and quality.
Now let’s crank it up a bit!
For this image, I used my main Sony camera, and lens, lit the scene with 300W flashes and did a proper clean up job in photoshop. So are we pro yet?!? Well… yes and no! This is the imagery I would use for wholesale scenarios, where we are working in high volume, low cost procuts. For example, a screw, or cheap plastic parts, where it’s thousands of different SKUs that all need to be photographed. It’s not practical to spend an hour shooting each image, by the time you finish the first catalog the next one is coming out.
However, this photo can be pushed so much further.
This is where the pro level comes in!
In this photo I combined 3 photos at different exposures to give a fuller range of color and depth, as well as filling in dark areas without over exposing others. Along with that I took multiple shots showing all the different features and design elements. Lastly I put in the reflection underneath giving a sense of grounding. All this together creates these elevated images that make products pop off the screen!
There is a lot of room for improvement still, we can go into digital rendering regions of the product, or even VIDEO! In reality for most vendors this pro level of photography is more than adequate, it will meet budgetary and timeline needs and get the product moving!
I hope you enjoyed a little behind the scenes, and feel free to reach out with any questions about photo, video or any other type of creative services!
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