Product photography is a type of commercial photography in which professional photos are taken and used on eCommerce websites, social media platforms, and stores to increase sales of the featured product. If you want to be a professional product photographer Montreal and want to start your own business, here is what you need. Keep reading!
How do you launch a product photography business?
To get started with your product photography business, refer to the checklist below:
- Identify a specific niche.
Seek inspiration from social media and magazines to determine the specific niche of product photography in which you can specialize. You will need to invest some time in learning about product photography. Try shooting a variety of products and projects to see what you enjoy most. Take guidance from reputed sources like Amazon Product Photography Montreal.
- Prepare your gear.
Make sure you have the necessary equipment to get started. This consists of a camera body, a few lenses, and choices for backgrounds, lighting, and accessories. Don’t forget you’ll need a way to edit your photos. Consider editing software such as Photoshop or Lightroom.
- Create a business plan.
A business plan helps to organize your thoughts and directs you toward your goals. It functions as a guide that explains your brand and how it will generate revenue. Creating a business plan allows you to consider your pricing structure, target audience, financial projections, marketing strategies, and potential challenges. If you start preparing early on, you’ll feel more confident and prepared to navigate the business side of your photography.
- Keep up with the trends.
As technology advances and consumer preferences shift, trends in professional product photography Montreal evolve. To remain competitive in a highly competitive market, companies must keep abreast of these trends. Researching social media trends can help you determine what types of product photographs are in demand. However, don’t get caught up in simply following and replicating trends. Push yourself creatively, stay true to your vision, and be unique.
- Develop a portfolio.
Create a portfolio and make sure you have somewhere to showcase your hard work. As a Montreal product photographer, having a portfolio website will be critical to expanding your business. Portfolios allow you to show off your best work and skill sets to clients.
- Acquire new customers
We don’t typically recommend working for free, but if you can contact brands you like and support, we’d be happy to propose a shoot to get your foot in the door. You can also ask clients to recommend you when they need more work, run paid advertising campaigns, and advertise your work online.
- Networking
A key tactic for photographers looking to build their brand and become more visible in the field is networking. Sharing work and interacting with others can lead to new opportunities and collaborations. Attending networking events and joining social media groups can also help connect with other photographers and entrepreneurs.
What product photography equipment are you required to use?
Although appropriate skills and techniques are essential for creating a perfect photo, the quality of your equipment is extremely important in product photography. Equipment that can draw attention to details is crucial when working with products that have a lot of detail. We’ll recommend the best lenses, cameras, lights, tripods, and other product photography accessories.
- Lens
- The best lenses for product photography are typically a 50mm prime lens, a 105mm prime lens, or a 24-70mm zoom lens.
- A 50mm lens’s field of view is comparable to that of the human eye, making it versatile and perfect for product and portrait photography.
- A 105mm prime lens creates more separation between subject and background, ideal for macro product images.
- The greatest choice for flexibility might be a quick 24-70mm lens.
- The zoom lens allows for tailoring the field of view to the shooting location.
- Macro lenses, like the 105mm, are recommended for close-up shots to render high-detail features.
- Camera
- Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) or mirrorless cameras with detachable lenses, quick autofocus, and manual mode are perfect for product photography.
- DSLRs are preferred for longer battery life and optical viewfinder features, while mirrorless cameras are preferred for their smaller size, lighter weight, and superior autofocus.
- Full-frame cameras are recommended for premium product photography due to their higher-quality images.
- Medium-format mirrorless cameras, with larger sensors, are recommended for their sharp detail capture and larger image sizes.
- Lighting
- Product photographers use natural and artificial lighting, with artificial studio lighting providing more control.
- Primary lighting sources are continuous and strobe lights.
- Ideal lighting is high-quality LED continuous lights mimicking daylight.
- Ring lights work well for short product shots, but you should take shadows into account.
- Softboxes provide soft, flattering light, ideal for photographing large products.
- Suitable for octagonal, round, and rectangular shapes, larger softboxes emit softer light.
- Tripods
- Tripods are essential for supporting heavy cameras and providing stability.
- The best tripod for product photography is table-high, durable, and top-down.
- There are three types of tripod heads: pan and tilt, ball, and geared.
- Tripod legs and heads are frequently bought separately.
- Ensure the tripods have a level, as it simplifies post-production work when used correctly.
- Accessories
- To enhance product photography, consider adding accessories like reflectors and flags to fill in shadows and prevent light from spilling into areas.
- Additional necessary supplies include c-stands, scrims, acrylic rods, mirrors, reflective cards, clamps, backdrops, and foam boards.
- These items are ideal for capturing images of products and ensuring they remain in shadow.
Summary
This blog emphasizes the significance of planning and proper equipment in starting a successful ecommerce photography Montreal business. It emphasizes the necessity of determining a market niche, setting up tools, creating a business plan, keeping abreast of industry developments, and assembling a portfolio. It also highlights the importance of client acquisition and networking. Finally, the blog concludes by highlighting the need for photographers to combine their creative skills with the right tools to succeed in this competitive industry.
