E-Commerce Photography refers to images that are shared online in order to promote products (particularly digital products) and encourage consumers to buy them. It can be a highly effective marketing technique, but it requires the right tools and knowledge of how the market works.
The Following are 10 E-Commerce Photography Tips and Tricks;
1. Have an artistic eye and a good grasp of basic photography
It might sound redundant for someone that is not a professional photographer, but it’s essential to have some knowledge and artistic ability when you’re taking photos of your products online. E-Commerce photography is not documentary photography, it’s a composition of beautiful and eye-catching images that encourage people to click on the link or buy the product. This is achieved by having the right amount of back-lighting, proper white balance, offset-focused objects, and lighting.
2. Do your research before choosing a camera
A camera might seem like an accessory for an E-Commerce photographer but it’s actually very important for every E-Commerce photographer to understand that not every camera can capture high-resolution images suitable for selling online. Choosing the right camera for your product is essential because different cameras could produce very different images. You will find a variety of options when looking for a camera online and it’s important to understand that some products may be better suited to other types of cameras.
3. Have a good understanding of photography principles
You may have heard about f-stops, shutter speed, ISO settings, and more that can influence your photos in the recording process, but it’s important that you understand these concepts and how they affect your end result. E-Commerce photography is not something that you can learn as you go, it needs a lot of effort and understanding in order to capture the right images using the right settings. Many people use an automatic setting on their camera, but not everyone has a good understanding of how those automatic settings work.
4. Choose the best background for your product
That’s one of the most important factors when taking E-Commerce photography because it affects your photographs greatly. It’s not an easy task because you need to have a good understanding of what is the best background for your product. The background can change the mood of your photography and affect the entire look and feel of the image, so it’s important that you choose carefully.
5. Learn how to achieve off-set lighting
One of the most important factors when taking E-Commerce photography is achieving off-set lighting. This is something that should be in your mind before you start taking photos because it’s essential that your images have a good background light to make the product stand out from the background. Photographing products alone will not do the job, make sure to ensure you are capturing the image with good offset lighting.
6. Learn all about white balance
You can’t be an E-Commerce photographer if you don’t know how to properly set your camera for white balance. This is one of the most important factors that determine the quality of your shot and it needs to be fully understood before you start taking pictures. If you’re not knowing how to properly set the white balance, you risk making the photograph look like it was taken from a completely different environment and no amount of post-processing will fix this.
7. Understand the importance of a high-resolution image
Images with good resolution are essential for selling products online. They are the first thing that people see when they visit your page and they can make or break your conversion rate. Make sure to take your time while capturing those images and make sure that you don’t compromise with the quality of the image. Poor quality images will make customers lose interest in your product, so putting some extra effort into taking photos will pay off greatly in the long run.
8. Organize your images properly
You will be capturing a lot of photographs while taking E-Commerce photography, so make sure to organize them properly to avoid any confusion during your post-processing. Most importantly you should also back up all of your images in a separate location before you start uploading them online. Proper organization will save you a lot of time in the editing process and make it easier for you to identify what has been done or not.
9. Learn how to use your camera’s tripod
Many E-Commerce photographers choose to take a lot of pictures using their camera’s tripod mode, but this is not recommended because it will cause the camera to move or shake. You should be using your hands when you want to take pictures because it will avoid any camera shake. It can be a tedious task, but it’s essential that you use your hands instead of your equipment since the picture quality is much better with the use of hands than with a tripod.
10. Make sure to have the right lens for your camera
The lens is another aspect that can affect the quality of your picture, so make sure to look for the one that is suitable for your type of product. If you’re selling jewellery, for example, you will need a different lens than if you’re selling sports equipment. Hold your camera in front of you and look through the lens to see how big or small objects are when shown in the viewfinder. That will give you a clear picture of what kind of lens would be most appropriate for you.
Additional Trick
You probably have a good idea of how to take E-Commerce photography, but there are some things that you can do in the post-processing stage to make those processions look more professional. You will need to use the various options available in Photoshop or other photo editing software and adjust them to fit your brand and style. Image editing is one of the most important factors of E-Commerce photography because it can make or break your conversion rate.
Conclusion
E-Commerce photography is one of the most important aspects of selling products online since it can determine how potential customers will view the product. Learning how to take your E-Commerce photographs and making them look professional can be a difficult task, but with practice and the willingness to learn, you will see great results in the long run.