How to Successfully Take Your Own Product Photos

Ways you can take professional-grade photos of your products from home or the office

When COVID-19 hit, our world came to a halt. Business slowed, schools closed, and the majority of the world was working from home and finding new ways to collaborate with their colleagues. Because of this, businesses had to get creative. With many still operating from home and e-commerce businesses continuing to grow and develop, many are wanting to find ways to take their product photos to the next level without hiring professional help.

Although it may be hard to believe, you can produce professional quality photos from home. Getting started may seem overwhelming, but with just a few tips and tricks, you can create your own product photos from your home or office!

Steps to Taking Your Own Product Photos

To start, you want to build your own product photography studio. With a few basic household materials, your own at-home or in-office studio can come to life. 

There are four simple items you need to start your studio:

  1. Table
  2. Backdrop
  3. Tripod
  4. Light

The table acts as your “home base.” This is a place where you can build and develop your “scenes.” Following this, when focusing on your backdrop, you want to keep it clean and simple. Consider using a white or black sheet or any other solid color fabric. When photographing your products, you want to ensure you are producing quality photographs. To do this, a tripod is necessary. This will be the easiest way to keep the camera steady while shooting. However, if you do not have a tripod, you can use household items such as books to prop your camera up. For final touches, you want to focus on lighting. This can make or break your photo. Lighting can be intimidating and while it seems you need expensive equipment to produce great lighting, that is not the case. Natural light peeking through windows or lamps will do the trick. 

 

There are a few rules you should follow when taking your own product photos. Whether it is with your smartphone or camera, to take high-quality photographs, you must:

  1. Position your products
    1. Watch your backgrounds
    2. Get your lighting right
    3. Shoot multiple angles and details
  2. Choose your camera
    1. If using a smartphone, your best choices for high-quality photos are an iPhone 8 or newer, Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S8 or S9, and Samsung Galaxy 8 Note 
  3. The Basics
    1. Choose the highest quality setting you can
    2. Do not zoom in
  4. Use your rear-facing camera rather than a selfie camera
  5. Make sure your lens is clean
  6. Do not use flash
  7. Ensure your camera is steady

The quality of your product photos will increase if you implement these techniques and rules when taking your photos. To produce eye-catching photos that go the extra mile, you can edit your photos in a clean, simple way to enhance colors and overall quality. Doing this either on your phone, computer or in an application, will make your photos pop!

Editing can be daunting if you do not have a creative past. However, with Lightroom Presets, editing can be as simple as the click of a button. Using a preset can not only enhance your image but also assist with branding as your product photos will be consistent across all platforms including your website.

Along with these items, you can spice up your photos by adding household items that pertain to the product you are shooting. These can be used to “set the scene” and add dimension. Utilizing items outside of your product itself can help it stand out and allow the consumer to see the product in “action.” 

Final Thoughts

As the world we live in is shifting and working from home is becoming our new normal, there are aspects to business that must shift as well. If you are interested in producing your own product images, there are ways to do so while keeping it within your budget. Producing quality images is crucial in selling products especially in a world like today where e-commerce is dominating the market. With the right phone or camera, props, and space, you can develop quality photos that represent your product and company well. 


For more tips and tricks on personal brand strategy, check out the rest of Power Move Marketing’s blogs!

 

 

Author: Savannah Bennett

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