This article will analyze for sellers how to take a good photo of a product from six aspects: product shooting background selection, tripod selection, shooting lighting, shooting angle selection, shooting camera selection and camera lens selection .
Product photos are the face of a seller’s website and product listing. This article will analyze how to take a good photo for a product from six aspects: product background selection, tripod selection, lighting, shooting angle selection, camera selection, and camera lens selection.
First, it is the choice of product photography background. It is recommended that sellers use solid color background paper for photography. This type of background paper is relatively cheap and can be reused. Different colors can also be used to match different product photography. It is recommended that sellers purchase solid color background paper that is large enough, smooth, and non-reflective .
Generally speaking, the price of a roll of photography background paper ranges from $25 to $250. Sellers can buy background paper from brands such as Savage, which costs between $20 and $230 depending on the length and width. If the budget is limited, you can consider buying background paper from brands such as Pacon's Fadeless. However, if the seller's products are large (such as furniture products) , it is recommended that the seller use Savage.
In addition, sellers can also consider using tough and durable canvas background materials, but since such materials are prone to wrinkling, they are not suitable for most product photography. In addition to canvas materials, there are also cotton background walls that can provide a soft background feeling. Cotton backgrounds are also durable and "resistant to impact" and easy to clean. For example, Issuntex's 6-foot X 9-foot white tulle background cloth costs about $20, which is good value for money.
In addition to solid color background cloth, green screen is also one of the background options that cannot be avoided in product photography. When choosing a green screen, it is recommended that sellers purchase a non-reflective and non-wrinkled fabric green screen to facilitate later image processing.
A clean, unified background layout can improve the quality and professionalism of product photos, and to a certain extent, increase consumers’ purchasing intention.
A stable camera position is one of the key elements to taking clear, sharp and beautiful product photos. When taking photos, sellers can use a tripod to keep the picture stable, take close-up photos of products or photos of products with a sense of life - with the help of a tripod, sellers can control the aperture and shutter speed, thereby reducing the impact of external factors on the quality of product photos. Of course, the details of the product itself, lighting, angle, and settings will affect the effect of tripod photography.
The tripod itself also has different specifications. Sellers can choose according to different usage scenarios.
First up is a mini tripod . A mini tripod is great for impromptu/product lifestyle shots. It's great for restaurants, parties, etc. A mini tripod doesn't have to be as functional as a professional, large studio tripod. It just needs to hold the weight of the camera and keep the frame steady. Sellers can consider getting a mini tripod with a bracket extender and a swivel head.
A slightly larger medium-sized tripod that can be folded to 24 inches and unfolded to about 66 inches and is easy to carry is more suitable for outdoor shooting. It is recommended that sellers buy medium-sized tripods made of carbon fiber. Compared with traditional tripods, this type of tripod is lighter and easier to hold.
Compared with small and medium tripods, professional photography tripods are larger in size and can provide stability for the camera to ensure the clarity of the image. They are more suitable for sellers who need to shoot medium and large formats. When choosing a tripod, sellers can consider buying a tripod that can be connected to a mobile phone or provide a "camera position" for the mobile phone to improve the utilization of the tripod.
When shooting in the studio or outdoors, if the sunlight or lighting is not ideal, you need to rely on artificial lighting to create the required texture for product shooting. At this time, sellers can choose LED lights to meet shooting needs. LED lights are more energy-efficient, and LED lights used for shooting can also present product details more clearly. However, LED lights are often unable to restore the color of the product itself, which makes it more difficult to edit the pictures later. When purchasing LED lights, it is recommended that sellers purchase LED light boards that can adjust the color temperature and are easy to carry .
In addition to LED light panels, sellers can also consider using tools such as diffuser panels and softboxes for lighting. Diffuser panels can disperse light, making product photography less harsh; in addition, diffuser panels can illuminate the entire shooting environment, making it softer and more natural. Softboxes are actually a type of diffuser that can expand the lighting range of the light. Many lighting kits actually come with corresponding softboxes.
The product shooting angle is the most important thing in the shooting process. Especially when shooting product details, it is necessary to present the product details and arouse consumers' desire to buy. So, how can we get the shooting angle right?
The first is the angular relationship between the product and the camera.
The angular relationship between the product and the camera, that is, the shooting angle, can generally be divided into three types: low angle, level angle, and high angle.
Low-angle shooting is when the camera is below the subject to create a sense of power for the product in the photo. This shooting method is more suitable for background shooting and product display shooting in life scenes.
· The horizontal angle of view is to observe the product at the height of human eyes. Most product photography is actually shot from the horizontal angle of view.
High-angle shooting refers to shooting the product from a high place.
In addition to the three major shooting angles, there are 6 other shooting angles that sellers need to know, namely front, side, 45-degree angle, back, top-down and macro.
· Frontal shooting is the angle used for most product photography because it can intuitively show the main features of the product. On the basis of being attractive, it provides consumers with enough product details to help them understand the product. Frontal angle shooting is usually shot from a flat angle against a pure white background. When shooting, make sure the lighting is even to prevent obvious shadows from appearing in the photo. Sellers can try using two off-camera lights with diffusers in a room where the lighting can be controlled. Place one light 45 degrees behind the product and the other in the opposite corner. Make sure that both lights can be raised and pointed downward at the same time to disperse most of the light and reduce the area of shadows.
· Side shot is suitable for products that need to show product details from the side. If the product is a painting, there is no need to shoot the side frame; but if the product is a pair of shoes, side shot is essential. Generally speaking, the perspective of side shot is the same as the front view, which belongs to the flat perspective shot.
The back angle is a key auxiliary lens in product photography. Like the front angle, the back angle can also highlight important details of the product. In order to maintain the consistency of product photos, it is recommended that sellers take photos of the back angle of the product in the same position as the front angle.
· The 45-degree angle shot refers to the position between the camera and the product. It is also called the "three-quarter angle." 45-degree shots are most commonly used in food photography, but many products can actually be shot at a 45-degree angle. A 45-degree lens can provide additional details while showing multiple sides of the product. 45-degree angle shots generally use a high-angle shot, which requires marking the camera's position before shooting, and then using a tripod to keep the camera stable.
· The bird's-eye view is also called the product bird's-eye view. Sellers can shoot from this angle according to product needs. Relatively speaking, it is more difficult to shoot from a bird's-eye view, and the camera should be located directly above the product. Sellers can place the camera on an elevated C-frame and then connect the camera to a computer to control it to complete the bird's-eye view.
Macro photography can show fine details of a product, but it requires special equipment to shoot well. Sellers with limited budgets may be better off using this angle.
Generally speaking, sellers have three types of cameras to choose from: mobile phone cameras, fully automatic cameras, and SLR cameras.
Products captured by mobile phone cameras are more realistic. Photos taken by iPhone or Samsung can even pass Amazon's photo quality review. However, mobile phone cameras also have obvious shortcomings. For example, you can't manually adjust the white balance and aperture of the picture; and it can't handle bright light well. Therefore, if you want to use a smartphone to take product photos, you need to rely on good lighting to make up for these "hard flaws".
Point-and-shoot cameras offer more flexibility than smartphones, are inexpensive, and are available at Walmart and similar retailers. Nikon's Coolpix, for example, is a great little camera that has more features than a smartphone, including settings for shutter, aperture, and optical zoom. However, point-and-shoot cameras still can't match the quality of a DSLR.
Compared with the first two, SLR cameras are more professional, more user-friendly, and produce better quality pictures. SLR cameras can be equipped with different lenses to achieve the desired shooting effect. For jewelry sellers, they can use SLR cameras equipped with macro lenses to shoot product details. Of course, the price of SLR cameras is also higher than the first.
Canon, Sony and Nikon are the recommended SLR camera brands. Sellers can choose brands and lenses according to their budget. For example, Nikon's D3500 has a 24.2-megapixel sensor and costs $600-700. It is more suitable for taking photos of e-commerce products. The images taken by the D3500 have high clarity and dynamic resolution. Another example is Canon's EOS Rebel T7, which is more suitable for beginners. The 24.1-megapixel sensor and touch screen interface are friendly to beginners and cost around $450.
The choice of camera lens still depends on the product shooting needs.
The camera sensor is the electronic equivalent of film. It captures light and converts what's in the viewfinder into an image. The sensor affects the image output of the lens. A full-frame sensor is a true representation of the focal length of the lens - what you see is what you get, but a cropped sensor will produce a slightly different image. The crop factor is the ratio of the camera's sensor size to a 35mm film frame. For example, a camera with a 2x crop factor means that a 35mm film frame is twice the size of the camera's sensor, and given that a cropped sensor multiplies the focal length of the lens used by its crop factor, the final image may be different.
For example, a 50mm lens with a crop factor of 1.5x will be reproduced as a 75mm lens. This increased focal length will make the image narrower and the field of view appear longer. Therefore, if you need to shoot a product with a 50mm lens, you should choose a 35mm lens to get close to the desired 50mm focal length.
But what exactly is focal length, and how does it affect lens selection?
The focal length of a lens determines how much of a scene can be captured in a photo. Photographers call this the "angle of view." It works in conjunction with magnification to produce photos that appear very large or very small. A long focal length results in a narrower angle of view and a higher magnification. Conversely, a short focal length produces a wider angle of view but a lower magnification. In order to get a clear, high-magnification product, it is important to understand the focal length during product photography. This article does not recommend sellers using wide-angle lenses, but instead recommends sellers use lenses of at least 50mm. Because any lens less than 50mm may produce wide-angle distortion. For product photography, it is recommended that sellers use a telephoto lens of 85mm or higher and use a good lens speed to achieve a depth of field effect.
Aperture, or lens speed, refers to the maximum opening of a lens. Aperture is expressed as f-numbers/stops. An aperture of f/2.0 will open up more light than an aperture of f/8.0. It is recommended that sellers use low aperture values in product photography to avoid blurring important details. Of course, sellers can also use f/7 to f/11 to maintain the concentration of details in the lens frame.
There are two main types of lenses. A prime lens has a fixed focal length and produces sharp images with excellent contrast. A zoom lens has a variable focal length, which allows for more versatility in your photos. While a quality zoom lens produces great images, the variability of the lens may result in distorted product images. This article recommends that sellers use fixed lenses because, in most cases, fixed lenses produce naturally sharper images.
Within these two lens types, there are three main categories:
Wide-angle lens with a focal length not exceeding 30 mm;
Standard lens with focal length up to 50 mm;
Telephoto lenses with focal lengths exceeding 100 mm.
These lenses are further subdivided into several categories, such as ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses and super telephoto lenses . Sellers can choose lenses based on their own budget and product features.
