How do I best present my products in the image?

Product images can help potential customers decide quickly whether or not to buy an item. Images address the visual sensory channel. It’s crucial to present the products correctly. This blog provides advice on how to go about it.

Location for product photos

To start with, decide where you will take the product image. Then ask yourself where the image will be published afterwards.

For lifestyle products, it makes sense to take the photos outside in nature. In other words, where the product will also be used.

Another question is whether the images should be reproducible or not. Should the perspective always be the same or can it differ from image to image?

Set up a photo corner where the equipment is ready to use and where you can quickly shoot the photos as needed.

Lighting is everything

The best kind of light is daylight. It helps to produce good product images, especially when starting out. Find a large window front where you can position your product on a chair or table, for example.

For smaller products, there are photo-shooting tents and light boxes. These ensure that the light is evenly distributed and the images have a uniform style.

Do you have larger products and want them to be illuminated correctly? Then it’s worth investing in lighting. For example, there are dimmable LED panels available in different price ranges, or inexpensive reflectors which create light accents. NB: Avoid using too many different light sources at the same time.

Equipment and tripod

When starting an e-commerce shop, expenses have to be kept low, and this should also be reflected in the camera equipment used. To start off, it’s fine to take photos with your smartphone. If the light is right, you can take excellent photos with it.

More important is the tripod. When using one, the images won’t blur and will remain sharp. A tripod also allows you to always shoot the products from the same angle. Tripods are available in different sizes. There are small ones, which can be placed on the table, or really large ones.

Photo technique

Before taking a photo, first make sure the camera lens is clean. This ensures clear shots. The same applies to the product. Make sure it is clean and remove any dirt if necessary. Photograph the whole item and take care of the details later. Don’t cut off any sides. It helps to leave space around the product.

Turn on the grid lines function on your camera. These will help you ensure that the product is correctly aligned and that the shot is aesthetically pleasing.

Perspectives

First take frontal view shots. Then rotate the item and shoot more views of it. Photograph the product symmetrically, centrally, at a 45° angle or from above. This will help the viewer get a better idea of the product. Other sensory channels are not addressed through the image. What effect does it have on you?

Place something underneath the product so that it doesn’t look flat. Shadows and depths are created. If you include a background, make sure there’s still space around the product in the upper third of the image. That will make the image look more attractive. This is called the rule of thirds, which divides the image into nine rectangles of equal size.

It’s best to keep the image sharp across all corners when shooting product photos. Photograph details of your product, such as a shoelace or zip. Close-ups make it look more interesting.

Should you use backgrounds, or is it better to crop the images?

Household objects such as aluminium foil, black or white paper, cardboard or a wooden board are great accessories for an interesting background. What mood do you want the photo to convey? For example, place the packaging next to it.

Cropping images and separating them from the background can be helpful. In addition to Photoshop, there are online tools that can help you do this in just a few clicks (Remove.bg or Canva). Then save the image as a PNG file so that the background remains transparent.

Image processing

The photos have been taken, and now comes the most exciting part: editing the image. This gives you the option to create your own templates. The products always appear in the same style. There are many apps such as Adobe Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed that can be used to edit images directly on your smartphone. For advanced users, Adobe Lightroom Classic for PC is ideal, especially if you’re editing several hundred images in the same style.

Take the photos in RAW file mode (raw files contain more image details). This is possible with most smartphones, and will give you more options when editing the photos afterwards.

Colour the background using a complementary colour, i.e. opposite colours in the colour wheel. This can also make your products more easily recognizable.

Compressing photos

Images need to be suitably compressed for use on an e-commerce website. Otherwise it will take too long for the images to load on the page. There are a few tools to help you do this without loss of image quality. Try these: Tinypng or Compressjpeg.

Using just a few tools, the photos can already be presented. Create your own personal effect that suits the brand or product and makes it easily recognizable. With this setup, you can create images in no time at all.