Product photography is a field of action that aims to present a catalog of products to customers to awaken their interest until they generate a need for purchase.

On the other hand, product photography is widely used in print media advertising such as newspapers and magazines; also in digital media: websites, news portals, digital magazines, blogs, photo galleries, among others.

Likewise, the products differ from others by some particular characteristics that allow them to stand out in the market.

For this reason, when we are going to take product photographs, the most important thing is to identify those qualities that we must highlight to achieve the images we want. For example: size, texture, shape and color.

One of the factors that most influences the result of a product photograph is lighting. If we know how to play with light, we can highlight the characteristics of the product to present it in the most attractive way possible to customers.

In product photography, it is necessary to exercise control over lights, shadows, glare and reflections to highlight those qualities that identify the object, therefore, the product must be in perfect condition because any detail will be visible.

In addition, there are other aspects that we must consider such as the point of view, the angles and the backgrounds that accompany the product photography. For example: neutral backgrounds or with models interacting with the object.

Now that we know what product photography consists of, let’s learn some technical tips that can be very useful for future productions.

HOW WE DO IT: KNOW STEP BY STEP

1. NEUTRAL BACKGROUNDS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE PRODUCT

To take product photographs, it is best to choose black or white backgrounds, for example: white backgrounds are very well suited for printed and digital catalogs.

On the other hand, in the market we can find specific light boxes for product photography or to reduce costs we can also use materials such as a sheet, cardboard or the black or white parts of a 5 in 1 reflector.

2. ORGANIZE THE LIGHTING SCHEME

If we can carry out the production on the street or in open places, natural light will offer us many possibilities, to soften or blur this type of lighting we can use reflectors or diffusers according to the needs.

Likewise, if we decide to work in the studio and use a white background, a softbox, a paper, fabric or vinyl background can work very well

If the product that we are going to photograph is large, we should think about other possible resources or effects using lamps, flashes, sheets, papers, umbrellas or other accessories for product photography.

There are also very complete light kits that offer continuous light, studio flashes or strobist photography kits. To fill in the harsh shadows that can be generated by the use of artificial light, a home or commercial reflector is the most appropriate to obtain the desired effects.

3. PREPARE AND TAKE CARE OF ALL THE DETAILS OF THE PRODUCT

When we are going to take product photography, every detail is important, therefore, it is necessary to clean, locate and observe that everything is in order.

Once we begin to photograph the product, let’s play with its components or parts, varying the positions in front of the camera or adding elements that enrich the scene, to obtain different images that we can later select.

4. CHOOSE QUALITY LENSES

Although the human eye is the best lens that can exist, in product photography, it is essential to have a good lens that gives us a professional result.

To highlight the qualities of the product and show essential characteristics such as its shape, color, material and texture, it is best to take advantage of the advantages offered by a zoom lens or a fixed focal point.

5. USE THE TRIPOD

Product photography requires several tests to make sure everything is in order – product position, lighting conditions, background, camera settings, etc.

So to achieve the objectives, whether for a catalog or an advertising campaign, having a tripod will be of great help because it will facilitate us to establish the frame, a perfect composition , optimize the focus and work with longer exposure times.

Furthermore, if we have a remote trigger or adjust the camera so that I shot after the timer, we will surely achieve better results.

6. SET THE CAMERA IN MANUAL MODE

The manual setting is ideal when we are going to take product photography, because it allows us to adjust and control: the aperture, exposure time, focus, depth of field and film sensitivity.

At the same time, we make changes to the location of the product, adjust the intensity of the light and take care of all the details of the framing and composition.

In the same way, it is advisable to use apertures f / 11, f / 13, f / 14 f / 16 f / 18 f / 20 …, that is, high so that the aperture is reduced and thus achieve a greater depth of field.

In contrast, we must choose a low film sensitivity to avoid the presence of noise in the images.

It is also convenient to use the flash in manual mode to control the flashes and also the focus, so that we can adjust it when necessary.

7. PLAY WITH ANGLES AND PERSPECTIVE

Product photography requires a lot of creativity from us, since the idea is to offer images to the consumer, attractive and desirable.

So to meet this objective, we must propose different angles and perspectives or change the position of the product to gradually obtain variations in the images that will be very useful at the time of editing.

Some accessories that we can use to play with the position of the object are platforms, invisible threads or structures.

This is important to bear in mind, because it is not the same to photograph a pair of shoes on a cloth bag or a glass goblet on a desk table.

Each product has specific properties that will imply special adjustments in terms of lighting, location, background, perspective and other parameters that we must consider so that the product photography is perfect.

8. EDIT THE PRODUCT PHOTO

After the photographic production, the best thing to do is to correctly edit the images.

For this we must start by making a selection of the best photographs and adjust the white balance in them, define the whites and shadows, apply a focus filter and if necessary, re-frame the image.

Editing advertising photography or product photography helps us to polish all those details that we seek to improve or highlight.