What is product photography?
Product photography is the photography of manufacturers’ or retailers’ products, generally, the shots will be used for advertising the products, whether it be online, in a brochure, or magazine advertisement, the product should be photographed in such a way so that the viewer can see exactly what the product looks like.
Is Product Photography in demand?
There is probably more demand for product photography than ever before, this is almost entirely due to the huge growth in online sales, so as the customer is able to see what they are buying in person, they like to see clear photography of the product they are considering buying.
Is product photography expensive?
Product photography need not be expensive, but generally the more expensive the product, the more time and effort goes into the photography.
How hard is product photography?
I think this really depends on the type of products that you are photographing, as every product poses its own challenges, for example, clothing can be relatively easy to light and shoot, although some colours pose difficulties, then you have to be an expert with an iron or steamer, and often fabrics don’t do what you want them to do. Shiny objects and jewellery can be a challenge sometimes because of their reflectiveness, but also because of their size, you try and get the very fine gold chain of a neckless in a perfect circle!
What are the main types of Product photography?
Firstly the most common is the product shot at various angles, on a pure white background, as required by companies such as Amazon, the background will need masking off and cutting out to pure white, but it’s nice to leave the natural shadow in. Secondly, instead of using a pure white background, maybe use a background that has some texture with even a few simple props, for example, highly polished or precision objects always tend to look good on a textured surface, for example, weathered wood or textured concrete or stone.
Lastly, the product in a lifestyle setting, can be very simple for smaller products, or very complex, I have built complete rooms in the studio for large items such as furniture, this is expensive, so it would usually only be for a relatively expensive product. I always think with lifestyle, unless you have the budget to do it properly, you are probably better off taking a different approach.
What equipment do you need for product photography?
Any good DSLR from the likes of Canon or Nikon should be perfectly adequate for just about any product photography, avoid using wide-angle lenses, as if you are too near the subject, the perspective will distort the product, and the aim is to show the product at the best angles if you are shooting small items such as small pieces of jewellery, you would be advised to use a macro lens, and maybe extension tubes if you need to go in really close.
With the lighting, most products will look good lit from the top with a large soft light.
Any other things that need to be taken into account?
If I am photographing packaging, for example, the box containing the product, do make sure that the box is neat and tidy, and there are no gaps around the top flap, this involves sticking the lid and base of the box down perfectly square using double sided tape so it looks really neat and tidy. If it’s a fairly plain box it’s good to get each face of the box that you see a different tone to emphasise the shape.
