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Product photography - packshot - Some basics
Packshot - the basics you need to know
Packshot, or in other words a product photograph taken against a white background, is a rapidly growing field in product photography - and one that is readily used, above all, in online marketing. An attractive photo, highlighting the qualities of a particular product, is very powerful and can effectively encourage potential customers to buy a particular item.
Perfect product photos - what should they be like?
It is not easy to take professional, eye-catching product photos. In order for such photographs to have the necessary strength and marketing potential, they must meet several conditions. One of the most important rules when it comes to product photography is to ensure that it is of the highest quality and that it presents the item in a complete, holistic way. For example, if a handbag is to be sold, it must be photographed not only on the outside, but also on the inside, so that it is clear whether it has internal pockets and compartments and whether it has any additional features that may be of interest to potential customers. When photographing footwear, it is also important to take as many pictures as possible and in different shots. It is a good idea if a particular model of footwear is presented on the foot of a model. This gives the customer an idea of how they look when worn.
Advertising photography - basic principles
It is not without reason that product photography is usually outsourced to professionals. This is an activity which requires not only a certain amount of knowledge, but above all a lot of time. Culinary photography and photos of clothing, footwear, cosmetics, jewellery, accessories and many other products on sale should be taken under professional studio lighting - preferably with a mandatory camera on a tripod. When it comes to the background, many professionals point to the so-called infinity curve as the most favourable setting, allowing the focus to be solely on the object being presented. The background colour should be as neutral as possible - white works best. If you want to take these photos yourself, just use a white cardboard box, bent in half. It is also worth investing in the purchase of a tripod. Even if you are taking photographs with a budget SLR camera, a suitable tripod will enable you to achieve very good sharpness, which is very important in this type of photography.
Taking a photo in the studio is only the first step.
Refining a photograph using specialised photo editing software is often as much as two-thirds of the work on a single image. However, it is important to remember to focus on naturalness in product photography. The item to be sold should look exactly as it does in reality in the photo. Otherwise, the customer may feel cheated and have grounds for a claim. In the case of a series of products with the same shape - differing only in colour, for example - it is not worth using artificial graphic modifications, it is worth taking a separate product photograph for each product.
These few key rules and tips will enable even beginners to take good quality product photos. However, to achieve the best results, especially if you are selling online on a large scale, it is advisable to invite professionals.
Are you interested in this article? Check out the other posts about product and advertising photography!
Are you looking for a professional photo studio? Get in touch with us:
503 772 774 / 722 772 774 / biuro@snapshot-studio.pl
Michał
Współzałożyciel. Specjalista ds. Marketingu i Reklamy
Ekonomista ze specjalizacją marketingu w biznesie oraz w handlu międzynarodowym. Współzałożyciel spółki Snapshot Studio. Na co dzień odpowiada za promocję i budowanie wizerunku firmy. W biznesie i w życiu kieruje się filozofią Kaizen.