How do I start?
To make your webshop extra appealing, it is important to use inviting pictures of your products. But where to begin and to what should we pay attention to? Find out all about it in our product photography tutorial.
First of all, it is important to identify your target audience, the look and feel, and the personality of your products.
Are you mainly targeting teenagers? Then you could use bright colors. However, those colors won’t work if you’re targeting an audience of older people. It is, in other words, better to first look for the identity of your products before making decisions about photography.
Styles of photography
We are all proud of our products, so our products deserve to shine on our webshops. But which sort of pictures make them stand out?
Fashion photography is used to tell a story and puts the focus on branding. With the help of beautiful images, fashion pictures tell the unique story behind your products. The pictures can show more than one product at once because they concentrate on the personality and the look and feel of your webshop. That’s why fashion pictures are such an important part of an online shop: they introduce your brand to visitors. Fashion photography is mainly used on the homepage of webshops or on pages that require a sphere, a feeling you want to introduce. Choose pictures that represent the target audience and the values of your brand and webshop.
Product photography concentrates on only one element: the product. Product photography is crucial to a webshop. Without pictures of the things you sell, the client will feel lost. And we all know beautiful and professional pictures are more attractive than boring images. There are several possibilities to present your product. You could, for instance, go for pictures with or without models. Let’s discover the do’s and don’ts of product photography in this blog post.
Types of product photography
Products can be photographed in different ways:
- Flat shoot: the pictures are taken from above. However, this technique could cause wrinkled clothes.
- On a dummy: pictures of clothes can also be taken on a dummy which will be erased afterward. The result: the clothes show more volume and the fabric is smooth.
- On a model: the model can be photographed in all sorts of ways. They could be shown from head to toe, from head to knees, etc.
Tips
DO: Consistency is key
in product photography, if you choose to work with models, make sure there is consistency in the use of background color. Models can use different positions. It gives them more character if they appear dynamic. The color of the background creates coherence and puts your products in the spotlight.
A lot of online shops use a neutral color as a background color. Light grey is a popular one because it has almost no influence on the color of the clothes worn by the models. If you are set on working with multiple background colors, make sure the different colors still work as a whole. It is better to use light colors to combine with other light colors (such as pastel on pastel). Or if you use bright colors, combine it with a colorful background.
DON’T: Unequal proportions
Always work with realistic representations of your products. Make sure the proportions between the pictures of models and the pictures of products are equal. It looks a bit weird if a product looks twice as big as the model next to it. So always verify that the different pictures are in balance. If the proportion of one picture is wrong, the total of pictures gets an unprofessional and sloppy feeling. Below is an example of what you should never do: the dresses are way too big compared to the model.
Trends
Use of smartphones (Compact photos)
Smartphones have become a primary device for online searches. Therefore pictures on websites and webshops should be adapted to be compatible. Much of this is caused by the limitations of screen space on mobile devices. Meaning that pictures should be more compact and vertical-oriented. This is important to consider for product and fashion photography. In this way, you can ensure your images are mobile-optimized.
Authenticity
Consumers are more and more looking for unedited pictures. A little editing of the lighting or other simple things is no problem as long as it is not noticeable and still looks natural. The time of overusing editing and photoshop software has passed. Consumers will no longer accept this. To achieve good looking pictures without editing it is important to put more time and effort into the photoshoot.
360 Degree photography and movies
New technologies are taking over the marketing scene fast. 360-degree video or photography are incorporated into websites to create an interactive experience for your clients and increase engagement. It’s a trend that looks here to stay, with more and more brands beginning to take advantage of this technology.
In recent years there has been a shift largely to video. Consumers pay more attention to videos than they do to pictures. Alongside technology has allowed video to be more compact. Therefore it is important to integrate some product videos for products at a higher price or importance.
We hope you learned something new from our product photography tutorial. We are sure that you feel inspired to create your own product photography so you can upgrade your online visibility and attract new customers. But it doesn’t stop with great photography.
User experience and an easy to navigate website are key for an e-commerce success story.
If you are looking to create your own webshop, Baldwin has already created beautiful examples such as Laballov. Don’t hesitate to contact us and get to know our team.
