Product photography is crucial for e-commerce websites to effectively communicate the quality, texture, fit, and appearance of products. Online customers cannot physically touch or feel products, so providing more than just a basic frontal image is essential. Photography not only reflects the product’s quality but also your brand’s image, creating a lasting first impression. Taking effective product photos can improve the appearance and feel of your e-commerce website, and this post will tell you how.
What distinguishes the images of products from those of lifestyles?
When creating your e-commerce website, it’s important to understand that you’ll need two types of images: product shots and lifestyle shots. Product shots are sharp, product-only images on a white background, whereas lifestyle shots show your product in its intended setting or alongside other complementary products.
Product images are typically shot against a light-coloured or white background to highlight your product from all angles. These images depict your product visually on your product pages. Mixed in with a couple of lifestyle shots, it can help visitors form an emotional bond with your product and encourage them to buy. Lifestyle photos, on the other hand, are ideal for social media, blog posts, emails, and your website because they tell a story. Because they provide more creative freedom, you can shoot indoor or outdoor images that are appropriate for your brand.
How Do You Get Started With Your E-Commerce Product Photos?
Before you start, ensure you have all the necessary equipment and setup. Below is the equipment you need to photograph your inventory:
- Camera
Today’s smartphones are ideal for those on a tight budget. However, DSLR cameras may help improve photo quality.
- Lighting
Lighting is essential for photography, so make sure both natural and artificial light sources are working properly.
- Backdrop
A white backdrop or a lightbox will highlight your product and improve its overall quality.
- Tripod
Using a tripod, whether designed for a smartphone or a DSLR, can help reduce camera shake and keep your photos consistent.
- Image Editing
An image editing app will help you give your images a polished look and add finishing touches. Fortunately, there are numerous free image editing apps available for download on your smartphone.
Even if you’re new to using a camera, with a little trial and error, you can capture great product shots to help you sell more online. The key is to find a process that works best for you so that each step becomes more natural over time.
How can you master e-commerce product photography?
A little DIY can go a long way toward making your website appear more professional and, as a result, more likely to assist you in selecting products and services online. These DIY Ecommerce Photography Montreal tips are designed to help you start taking great photos right away, so you can get started on creating a website that reflects your vision.
- Prepare your background for pictures of your products.
Use a white or light background to simplify the editing process when retouching your images. Create your light box to make a low-cost backdrop. It’s a box-shaped device with translucent walls that evenly distribute light around your product. Make sure your lightbox is on a flat, stable surface, with your product in the centre Use glue dots or tape to secure difficult-to-photograph products in place. You’re almost ready to start shooting once you’ve figured out the lighting.
- Find the proper lighting for your shots.
Setting up lighting for product shoots can be time-consuming, but it can yield high-quality images. Natural lighting is recommended for budget-conscious shoots, especially during the brightest part of the day. To diffuse light, use white tissue paper or a thin sheet over the window. If natural light isn’t available, use artificial lighting, such as inexpensive table lamps with cool white bulbs, to create soft shadows around products. This gives more control over the entire process, especially when shooting multiple products over several hours. Creating a lightbox with inexpensive table lamps can also help create soft shadows.
- Use the appropriate camera and tripod for your shoot
You don’t need to buy an expensive camera to take great photos. Smartphone camera technology has advanced significantly over the years. As long as your background and lighting are properly set up, your smartphone can take high-quality product photos. To improve the consistency and stability of your photos, consider investing in a smartphone stabilizer or tripod because, when you hold the camera in your hands, it can produce blurry and inconsistent images.
- Edit your photos for a polished appearance.
A little image retouching after the shoot can mean the difference between mediocre and professional outcomes. When you first start with Montreal product photography, getting the background and lighting right requires some trial and error. Fortunately, there are many free image-editing apps available for your smartphone that can help with everything from background removal to colour correction via prebuilt filters.
- Boost performance by optimizing your images.
Optimizing your e-commerce site’s image files can significantly improve its performance and reduce loading time. To achieve this, compress your photos using free image optimization tools before uploading them to your website. When saving images, name them correctly with relevant keywords, such as “red-tshirt-blue-collars.jpg” for a t-shirt of red colour with blue collars. This helps Google understand the content, boosting product ranking and website traffic.
Additionally, adding an image-alt tag with detailed descriptions of your items improves site accessibility and provides search engines with additional information, potentially increasing product visibility in photo search results. Overall, optimizing your images can significantly improve your e-commerce site’s performance.
Summary
This post emphasizes the importance of good product photography Montreal for e-commerce success, as it enhances professionalism, aesthetic appeal, customer engagement, and sales. Even beginners can create stunning product photos using appropriate tools, lighting, and editing methods, thereby improving website functionality and search engine rankings.
