Hello Everyone,
You have come to the right place if you want some tips on how to shoot your products, especially if you are not trained photographers.
I have composed a small list with some important elements and I do hope it helps you.
You can always ask me any questions in as a comment below and there are so many resources for this online that you can answer your own questions if need be.
I also have a link below of a guy on youtube visually showing you how the light works and how easy it is to make your images look soft, clean and professional. Just wanted to give a shot out to his casual, relaxed delivery. https://youtu.be/Eb3sSJTF5Og
Back to us…I basically broke it down into 3 main concepts and these are: Tools, Styling and Light. Without these elements there is no shoot or a very bad and uninteresting one.
First I will make a list of the materials highly suggested to begin your shoot.
TOOLS:
White Foam board ( you can buy this at any supply/craft store and super cheap)
Color poster boards or paper or Fabric to use as Backgrounds
White poster board, flexible to use as a “seamless”.
Masking tape or Moshi tape. I use masking tape because it is what I have available and it doesn’t ruin your boards when you peel it off.
A Smartphone or any camera really.
Props, simple is better to not take away from your product. But products are always lovely for creative shots.
Here are some tips to consider for the highest quality image from your phone:
Always adjust the phone screen brightness to the highest setting
Set up FLASH to OFF, disable it.
Do not Zoom in, because it is enlarging not actually Zooming. The quality and resolution typically suffer if you zoom. You can crop later and not affect the quality.
Make sure the lens is clean…clean the lens on your camera before any shot.
If using a Tripod or anything to hold the phone to get selfies- use the Timer, tripods help with shaking.
NOW Styling
Now, before you start shooting I highly suggest that you write down the way you want to shoot your items. Consistency is key, so think about it. Know what you actually want to capture and write down a shot list. (For example: “All shirts will be shot frontal and back on Pink background”.)
Then figure out how you will compose these items. You will have to understand some composition “rules”.
Okay, there are not actual “rules” to composition but there are suggestions.
First “rule” is the Rule of Thirds. This is very popular and effective for your images. It is basically imagining a grid split in 3 ways and placing your product on the intersecting lines of the grid. I will add a photo for you to understand this. it is basically, putting your subject off to one side versus smack in the center.
The next “rule” suggested is use of negative space. This is where you shoot the subject anywhere but leave a lot of empty room above or to the side or below it. This is beautiful when it is well done and it is a good way to think about any text to add for marketing or for your Social media formats, etc.
The third “rule”, I suggest for products, if you are keeping it simple and consistent, place your product in the center with a clean seamless background and soft shadows. This is very beautiful and minimal and has no distractions that take away from your product.
Now let’s talk about backgrounds. It is very easy. Pick a background you want and use it. if you cannot decide always start with a white board. Keep it simple.
Keeping it simple also applies to Color usage and Prop usage. If you are doing your website think about your color palette. Stick to this throughout the shoot. The props help with scaling( the true size) the items or products and also telling a story. Remember, you need to be clear about your BRANDING. This is where the props and different color backgrounds help add the personality of your brand.
Let’s say you want to do a flat lay of all the jewelry you made or sweaters you sell, you will need to shoot from above the image, like a bird’s view and you can choose the background to be something with texture or color but that will not take away from your products.
Lastly, Lighting…
Light is everything! Here are simple suggestions, the best Light is early morning or late afternoon. So find that window and space where you can see that light and set up there to shoot. Pay attention to where the Sun is in your home and how it comes in through the window.
Now, unfortunately, natural light is not consistent, in this case, to save you from frustration and give you more control you will need artificial light and you can easily use a lamp or light bulb and try to diffuse it with some sheer curtains or buy a collapsible diffuser and set it up in front of the bare bulb. To create a soft light, use the foam boards as white walls for the light to bounce around the object and fill in the areas that are too dark.
So remember “less is more” especially in the creative realm, most of the time.
Do you have a photography business and are looking to move to the next level? To do that you need to open your studio. Pixpa.com has recently written a guide on setting up your own photography studio. It is a must-read!
