Great Product Photography

by Jul 17, 2013Website Tips0 comments

Recently I had the opportunity to open an Etsy shop for my client, Mercader Antiques. Selling online with Etsy is easy and FUN! Fun is a big thing to me, so when I find something that is not only fun but profitable I have to jump on it. I have many clients who sell online so I wanted to provide them with some tips on how to make their products stand out from the crowd. After all, that is what it is all about!

Lighting

use a simple bean bag as a tripod for great product photographyMake sure you have clear beautiful images. Use natural and even lighting. Be sure to use a tripod or something to keep your camera steady. Some people have used beanbags or a pile of books or a bag of rice. You can purchase special beanbags or make your own.

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Overcast days provide the most even lighting. You can reflect light onto your subject using a piece of cardboard wrapped in tin foil. You can use a white card too, which provides a soft light. If you have to use a flash you can soften it by placing a sheet of tissue over the flash.

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A great product for reflective photography that is very portable is a car sun shade. These are inexpensive, portable and make a perfect reflective material for great product photography.

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Lighting shiny or semi-translucent items, such as gemstones, glass and metal from behind is the best way to illuminate them. Lighting from behind gives these items a wonderful shine. If you light from in front of them you will get glare.

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Backdrops

using glass as a reflective material makes using a tin foil backed piece of cardboard for reflection in great product photographyUse of backgrounds vary, but you don’t have to purchase expensive photographer backdrops. If you lay a sheet of glass or plexiglass over colored paper you get a high shine surface. You can even purchase a sheet of tile or laminate.
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using a white backdrop and taking a photo from a distance creates a grey background product photographyBright white and jet black do NOT make the perfect neutral background. If you shoot your subject from a distance using a white backdrop you will get a soft grey which is easier on the eye than bright white and will be more flattering.
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backlighting with a dark backdrop for great product photographyIf you want to use black you should choose an “almost” black background with texture. Using a textured background gives your photograph interest.
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Composition

Grouping products can make them more eye-catching (especially for small items). When grouping objects you can focus on one closer to you than the other, creating a depth of field.
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Size

Use props to show scale. Make sure your prop is something people associate with a size for great product photographyUse props to show scale. Make sure your prop is something people associate with a size. Showing a small item with a coin or measuring stick works well.
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Show different versions of the same product for great product photographyVariations

If you offer variations variations for size, material and color you can show them in a unique way by contrasting them or showing them being used the way they would be used in real life. This helps people identify with your product and want to purchase it.

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