Retail product photography plays a key role in encouraging shoppers to make a purchase. In fact, 75% of online shoppers rely on retail product photography when deciding on a potential purchase.
The great news is that ecommerce photography doesn’t have to be overcomplicated, or expensive… all you need is the know-how, minimal equipment and a little patience!
This article looks at how to take the best product photos, revealing 10 top tips to help you upgrade your product photography today.
1. Find the best lighting
You always want to show your products in the best possible light… quite literally. Putting consideration into your retail product photography lighting is a great way to highlight your products and make them look great!
When to use natural light for retail product photography
Natural light is a great choice for food items, clothing, people, or items that could be found outside, such as flowers.
To make the most of natural light, you can carry out a photoshoot outdoors, or set up your product facing a window. It is best to photograph in natural light in the early morning or late afternoon, when you can benefit from sunlight without it being too harsh. Choosing a day where it is a little cloudy can also help, as it reduces the likelihood of glare in your product photography. If you’re finding natural light is still too bright, diffuser sheets are a great purchase to reduce the brightness of natural light.
When to use artificial lighting for retail product photography
Artificial lighting can work best on products that are intended to be used indoors, those with small details, or anything that doesn’t look true-to-life in natural lighting.
To find the best artificial lighting for retail product photography, keep it simple and begin by exploring with different lighting and flash settings. If there is a specific effect you’re looking to achieve, look online to find examples. To prevent shadows in studio lighting, aim to have light shining on every side of the product.
Here’s a great guide on how to take product photography at home with a smartphone.
2. Learn basic photo editing
Knowing how to make simple visual improvements is a fantastic tool for retail product photography. With so many different types of software available and some having countless features, it is best to keep it simple.2.
If you’re not looking to invest into a paid course, there are plenty of free tutorials available that will teach you everything that you need to know to begin photo editing.
Here is a YouTube tutorial that teaches the basics of Photoshop for beginners.
3. Take the best pictures you can
While some people are able to work wonders on photo editing software, it is far easier to take the best possible product images and then make any small tweaks when editing.
By keeping this mindset, it makes it possible to make small enhancements that take minimal time, as opposed to attempting to fully redesign the image after taking it.
Remember, you don’t have to buy the most expensive camera – modern phones are good enough to take great quality product imagery with the right know-how!
4. Use simple props
The goal is to keep the main focus on the product, so don’t overcomplicate your props.
When choosing props, keep them relevant to the product theme, check the colours complement each other and make sure they don’t overshadow the main product on display.
In this example, IKEA has showcased the effectiveness of using simple props that show the uses of an item, without overshadowing it.
5. Invest in a tripod
A mini tripod is a fantastic addition to any retail photographer’s kit. Benefits of using a tripod for retail product photography include having standardised photo angles, reducing blur and allowing you to stand away and avoid shadows when the photo is taken.
6. Think about angles
The purpose of retail product photography is to give the consumer an understanding of what an item looks like. Take photos from various angles so they can see what it looks like. For example, you could take pictures of overviews, side angles and zoomed in imagery, choosing your favourites.
Remember to check that your pictures are an accurate representation of the product, to avoid an increased risk of returns!
7. Give context
Having a standalone product image doesn’t always give the consumer enough of an idea of how they could use it. Capture their attention and touch on their emotions, by showcasing the product being used in lifestyle shots.
This is a retail product photography tactic used by many brands. As an example, this guitar picture shows it being played to bring character to the shot, as opposed to having it lying on a flat surface.
8. Choose a backdrop
If you’re not using a natural backdrop, a white backdrop can be made from a white paper sweep, or poster boards, which also helps to produce even lighting, as well as removing any distractions.
9. Don’t be afraid of plain backgrounds
For some product imagery, a plain white background is the best choice. Particularly if the product you want to highlight is pale in colour, having a crisp edge and white background can help it to stand out. You can go one step further by using a transparent background tool that will then allow you to display your product image on any background of your choice.
10. Show the entire range
Many marketplace sellers benefit from including one image that showcases the full range of products, for example, various colours of a specific shoe. By doing this on marketplaces, it can appeal to a wide range of shoppers and allow them to select their favourite.
Make the most of these 10 retail photography tips
Now you’ve read these 10 retail product photography tips, it’s time to put them to the test! Begin by finding examples of product imagery that you’d like to recreate and use this guide to help sell your products.
Retail product photography FAQ
What are the types of product photography?
Types of product photography or ecommerce pictures include individual shots, group shots, scale shots, lifestyle shots, detailed shots and packaging shots.
How do you photograph ecommerce products?
For ecommerce photography, you can see 10 top tips in this guide. Ways to improve your ecommerce photography include finding the right lighting, using simple props, considering angles, investing in a tripod and choosing the perfect background.
How do I take photos of Amazon products?
There are specific product imagery guidelines and requirements that ecommerce sellers on marketplaces such as Amazon must follow. By using a tripod and taking a range of high-quality photos, you can then fit them to fit Amazon’s image size requirements.
Where can I learn Retail product photography?
This guide is a great place to begin learning how to do your own product photography. You can then learn and adapt as required, using consumer feedback and data to find the most effective type of photography for your audience.
How do you take photos in retail?
Once you understand the basics and have found inspiration online, it can be easy to take photos in retail. Simply begin to take the best photos you can and then make tweaks to get the visual effects you would like to achieve.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
