Starting up your own business, but your photography’s holding you back and you can’t afford a professional photographer? Here are a few easy tips to create a professional looking product shot!
Hello, Amy here! You might have seen my previous blogs talking all things KOHR - my sustainable, slow fashion ecommerce business here in Morecambe! I will show you how I created this product shot of my new organic cotton face cloths using a cushion and good lighting. This was taken on my iPhone, yes that’s right, no fancy cameras here!
WHAT YOU NEED:
First things first, your subject (this is your product). Make sure you clean, iron, fold, dust, whatever to make your subject look its absolute best! This is what you are selling, it needs to be on top form!
Next, is your background. It is vital your background is clean, simple and TIDY!!! But it doesn’t always have to be plain white. It just needs to not take any attention away from your subject!
This next one is optional, but it adds dimension, texture and makes your images a little more interesting: a prop! Now, don’t just add a prop for the sake of it, it has to uplift your image in some way. Using props is great to show your products in a real-life situation and it allows your customer to imagine how they would use it. For example, selling a vase? Put some flowers in it!
So, now you have everything you need, let’s break down my product shot and show you how I did it!
Subject: Organic Cotton face cloth
Background: Fluffy cushion
Prop: Dried pampas grass (Even though pampas grass doesn’t show the product in a real-life situation, it still adds to the image. Using something natural as the prop automatically creates a feeling of sustainability without me having to say it’s sustainable)
Firstly, I folded the face cloth, made sure it had no fluff on it and laid it on the cushion and I positioned the pampas grass around the facecloth.
Let me show you what it looked like before I cropped and played around with angles.
It’s important to remember when you have an online presence as a business, the customer cannot see or feel your product in real life. So, taking as many detail shots as you can to show the texture of your product, is vital for the customer to imagine what it feels and looks like in person.
Let’s talk lighting.
Product photography 101: Lighting has to be behind the camera. This includes both natural and artificial lighting.
Let me show you an example! This photo to the left has a window behind the camera letting all the natural light hit the subject.
This photo to the right has the lighting in front of the camera. Can you see the difference?
So now you have all of the tools to create the perfect product shot, it’s time to have some fun with it! The advantage of using a smart phone, or a digital camera if you have one, is you can take as many photos as you like! I normally take at least 50+ photos and then spend 10/20 minutes after the shoot choosing the best few. Making sure I have enough images that includes the whole product, front and back, and close up detail shots.
Remember, there is also options to edit your photo post shoot, where you can crop and change the colour profile. But, that’s for another time. Have a go, see what works best for you and your product!
Here’s a recap and some extra do’s and don’ts:
DO remove all distractions from the background
DON’T have the lighting in front of you
DO take all your fingers away from the lens
DO clean your lens
DON’T just take one photo
DO make sure your camera is in focus (this can be done by tapping on the subject on the screen of your phone)
DO get inspiration from your favourite brands, if you are stuck for ideas!
This blog will give you the basics to create a professional looking product shot. Good photos will elevate your business online and make it more attractive to your customers!
You can shop KOHRs Organic Cotton double sided face cloth on KOHRs website: https://www.kohrfashion.com/product-page/organic-cotton-double-sided-face-cloth
Much love,
Amy xo
@kohrfashion
Blog By Amy Joanne Kohl
Amy Joanne Kohl is the founder of KOHR a sustainable slow fashion brand. Amy is a Fashion Designer with a vision for a better industry.
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