Best Practices for Showcasing Products in the Best Light: A Practical Guide to Product Photography

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 19 June 2023 8 min read

Product photography plays a vital role in showcasing your products in the best light, making it an essential skill for online businesses. In this practical guide, we'll discuss product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light, from choosing the right equipment to perfecting your camera settings and editing techniques.

Choosing the Right Equipment

Before diving into the world of product photography, it's important to have the right equipment. This section will cover camera selection, lenses for product photography, and lighting equipment to ensure you're well-prepared to showcase your products in the best light.

Camera Selection

When it comes to camera selection, the best choice depends on your budget and the level of quality you're aiming for. Here are some popular options:

Smartphone cameras: Modern smartphones have advanced cameras that can produce high-quality images. They're a good starting point for those new to product photography or with a limited budget.
Compact cameras: Also known as point-and-shoot cameras, these are an affordable step up from smartphone cameras, offering more control over settings and better image quality.
DSLR and mirrorless cameras: These cameras provide the best image quality and control over settings, making them the top choice for professional product photographers. They're more expensive but well worth the investment if you're serious about showcasing your products in the best light.

Lenses for Product Photography

Choosing the right lens can make a significant difference in your product photography. Here are some lenses to consider:

Macro lenses: These lenses are ideal for capturing small products and intricate details, as they can focus on objects up close.
Prime lenses: With a fixed focal length, prime lenses tend to produce sharper images than zoom lenses. A 50mm prime lens is a popular choice for product photography.
Zoom lenses: While not as sharp as prime lenses, zoom lenses offer versatility with the ability to change focal lengths. This can be helpful if you're shooting products of varying sizes.

Lighting Equipment

Lighting plays a crucial role in product photography, and investing in the right lighting equipment is essential. Here are some options:

Continuous lights: These lights provide a constant source of light, making it easier to see how your product will look in the final image. LED panels and softboxes are popular choices for continuous lighting.
Strobes or flashes: These provide a burst of light when triggered, offering more control over light intensity and direction. Strobes and flashes can be more challenging to use but produce professional results.
Reflectors and diffusers: These accessories help control and modify the light, softening harsh shadows and creating a more even light distribution.

By selecting the right equipment, you'll be well on your way to mastering product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light.

Setting the Scene

Now that you have the right equipment, it's time to set the scene for your product photography. This involves product placement, choosing the perfect backgrounds and props, and deciding between natural and artificial light.

Product Placement

Effective product placement is crucial for capturing eye-catching images. Here are some tips to consider:

Positioning: Place your product in a way that highlights its key features and benefits. Experiment with different angles to find the most attractive view.
Stability: Ensure your product is stable and won't move during the shoot. Use props or supports if needed to keep it in place.
Spacing: Give your product some breathing room within the frame, allowing for easier editing and cropping later on.

Backgrounds and Props

Choosing the right background and props can enhance your product's appeal and help tell its story. Consider the following:

Backgrounds: Opt for simple, non-distracting backgrounds that complement your product. White or light-colored backgrounds are popular choices, as they make the product stand out and are easy to edit.
Props: Use props sparingly to support your product or create context. Ensure the props don't steal the spotlight from the product itself.
Consistency: Maintain a consistent style across your product photos, especially if they'll be displayed together on your website or social media.

Natural vs. Artificial Light

Both natural and artificial light can produce stunning product photos, but each has its pros and cons:

Natural light: Sunlight can create a soft, even light that's ideal for product photography. However, it can be unpredictable and change throughout the day, making it harder to control.
Artificial light: Using artificial light sources, such as continuous lights or strobes, offers more control over the lighting conditions. This can be especially helpful when shooting multiple products, as you can maintain consistent lighting across all images.

By setting the scene effectively, you'll be well on your way to implementing product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light.

Mastering Camera Settings

Having a solid understanding of your camera's settings is essential for capturing professional-quality product photos. Let's explore the key settings you should be familiar with: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Aperture

Aperture refers to the size of the opening in your camera's lens, which controls the amount of light entering the camera. It's measured in f-stops, and a lower f-stop number corresponds to a larger opening. Aperture also affects the depth of field — the area of the image that appears sharp and in focus. To showcase your products in the best light, consider the following:

Depth of field: Choose an aperture setting that provides the desired depth of field. A smaller f-stop (e.g., f/2.8) creates a shallow depth of field, which can help your product stand out by blurring the background. A larger f-stop (e.g., f/11) gives a deeper depth of field, keeping more of the image in focus.
Lighting conditions: Adjust the aperture based on your lighting conditions. Use a larger aperture (lower f-stop) in dim light to allow more light into the camera, and a smaller aperture (higher f-stop) in bright light to reduce the light reaching the sensor.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed determines how long your camera's sensor is exposed to light. It's measured in fractions of a second, with faster shutter speeds (e.g., 1/2000) allowing less light in and slower speeds (e.g., 1/30) allowing more light. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

Motion: If your product or props are moving, use a faster shutter speed to freeze the action and avoid motion blur.
Lighting conditions: In low-light situations, you may need to use a slower shutter speed to capture enough light. However, be aware that slower shutter speeds can cause camera shake, so using a tripod is recommended.

ISO

ISO refers to your camera's sensitivity to light. A higher ISO number (e.g., 800) increases the sensor's sensitivity, allowing you to capture images in darker conditions. However, higher ISO settings can also introduce noise or graininess to your photos. Consider these tips:

Lighting conditions: Adjust the ISO according to the available light. In well-lit environments, use a lower ISO (e.g., 100) to minimize noise. In dimmer conditions, increase the ISO as needed, but be mindful of potential noise.
Noise reduction: Some cameras offer built-in noise reduction features, which can help counteract the effects of a high ISO. Alternatively, use photo editing software to reduce noise during post-processing.

By mastering your camera settings, you'll be well-equipped to apply product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light and capturing stunning, professional-quality images.

Editing Your Photographs

Post-processing is an important step in product photography, helping you refine and enhance your images. In this section, we'll discuss using photo editing software, color correction, and cropping and resizing techniques.

Using Photo Editing Software

There's a variety of photo editing software available, ranging from free tools like GIMP and Canva to more advanced options like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. When selecting software, consider your needs, budget, and level of expertise. Here are some common editing tasks to improve your product photos:

Exposure adjustments: Correct underexposed or overexposed images by adjusting brightness, contrast, and highlights/shadows.
White balance: Ensure accurate color representation by adjusting the white balance, which can be particularly important when capturing product colors correctly.
Retouching: Remove any dust, scratches, or imperfections from your product images to present a polished look.

Color Correction

Accurate color representation is crucial for product photography, as customers rely on images to evaluate product appearance. Here are some tips for color correction:

Monitor calibration: Ensure your computer monitor is calibrated correctly to display colors accurately. There are hardware and software tools available to help you calibrate your monitor.
Color profiles: Use consistent color profiles throughout your workflow, such as sRGB or Adobe RGB, to maintain color accuracy from capture to editing and web display.
Hue and saturation adjustments: Use your editing software's hue and saturation tools to fine-tune specific colors in your image, ensuring they match the actual product colors.

Cropping and Resizing

Cropping and resizing your product images can help you create a consistent and visually appealing online presence. Keep these guidelines in mind:

Aspect ratio: Maintain a consistent aspect ratio (e.g., 1:1 or 4:3) across all product images for a uniform appearance on your website or online store.
Focus on the product: Crop your images to remove any unnecessary background elements and ensure the product remains the center of attention.
Image resolution: Resize your images to an appropriate resolution for web display, typically around 72 DPI (dots per inch), while maintaining sufficient image quality for zoom functionality.

With these editing tips, you'll be well on your way to implementing product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light and creating a visually appealing online presence.

Showcasing Your Products Online

Once you've edited your product photos, it's time to display them online to attract potential customers. In this section, we'll discuss product photo optimization, creating consistent imagery, and social media promotion.

Product Photo Optimization

To improve website performance and user experience, it's essential to optimize your product images for the web. Here are some tips for product photo optimization:

File format: Save your images in a web-friendly format, such as JPEG or PNG, which offer a good balance between image quality and file size.
File size: Compress your images to reduce file size without compromising quality. Many image editing tools have built-in compression features, or you can use online tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim.
Alt text: Add descriptive alt text to your images, which helps search engines understand your content and improves accessibility for users with screen readers.

Creating Consistent Imagery

Consistency in your product images is key to building a strong brand identity and making it easy for customers to navigate your website or online store. Here are some tips for creating consistent imagery:

Style guide: Develop a style guide for your product photography, including guidelines for lighting, backgrounds, and image composition.
Image orientation: Choose a consistent image orientation (e.g., landscape or portrait) for all product images, making it easier for customers to browse your catalog.
Thumbnail consistency: Ensure your product thumbnails are uniform in size and appearance, creating a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate product grid.

Social media platforms provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your products and reach a broader audience. Here are some ideas for promoting your products on social media:

High-quality visuals: Share eye-catching product images that highlight your products' unique features and benefits, adhering to each platform's image size and aspect ratio requirements.
Engaging content: Create engaging captions, stories, or videos to accompany your product images, encouraging users to like, comment, and share your content.
Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your product images in search results and reach a larger audience. Research popular hashtags within your niche and industry for maximum impact.

By implementing these product photography best practices for showcasing products in the best light, you'll not only create stunning visuals but also effectively promote your products online, ultimately driving sales and growing your business.

If you're looking to expand your photography skills and create a stunning beauty photography portfolio, don't miss the workshop 'Creating Your Beauty Photography Portfolio' by Kayleigh June. This workshop will provide you with the guidance and inspiration you need to showcase your talent and make an impact in the world of beauty photography.