Luxury product photoshoots can be intimidating – a lot of people, a lot of equipment, and a big budget. But natural lighting can be your best friend in a product photoshoot – and it’s free.
Why Good Product Photography Is So Important for E-Commerce
Online product images are a powerful conversion tool. These images are often the first impression and spark shoppers to click to learn more, ultimately convincing people to convert by making a purchase. This is especially important for online stores because product images show people what your product actually looks like. Additionally, they can add context to highlight specific benefits and tell a story about your products.
6 Steps to Get Perfect Natural Lighting for Product Photos
1. Find the Right Lighting Conditions: The most important part of setup is lighting. There is no quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution. Each product requires different lighting, and it’s up to you to discover what works best for your products. Natural light from a window is an ideal solution for several reasons. First and foremost, most people have a window. Secondly, natural light comes from one direction only, creating natural shadows and adding a 3D effect by bringing texture to the product and making it look alive.
2. Make the Most of Natural Light: Good natural lighting is essential for getting perfectly defined images. By controlling the shadows that arise from natural light, you can add an element of interest to your product photos. Be prepared for any eventuality as natural lighting can change at any moment. You should monitor how the light changes throughout the day to determine the best time to shoot in that particular location.
3. Set Up Your Product Background: When photographing products, you will need open space to set up the background – another key element in getting great images using natural light. The background should always be white, as it reflects natural colors onto the product resulting in evenly lit photos. A white background, in particular, aids in the editing process, making it easier to remove the background. It also creates a consistent look and feel for your website, which makes it easier for shoppers to browse and compare products.
4. Explore Different Camera Angles: For your product images, you’ll need to visually answer any questions that your product descriptions don’t fully explain. For this reason, having a variety of camera angles is crucial. Provide customers with different perspectives to help showcase the main features of your product. The ultimate goal is to photograph your product from every angle, giving customers a 360-degree view. Providing a comprehensive view is much more appealing, as it offers additional visual information, helping customers imagine themselves using or wearing the product.
5. Use Manual Camera Settings: You can control every aspect of the image using a professional camera. But before you even start on the settings, you need to set up a tripod. A tripod is essential to get the most out of your camera settings. If you don’t have a tripod, a stack of books can be used instead.
6. Capture Your Product Photos: Now that you’ve set everything up, it’s time to start taking pictures. You’ll undoubtedly need to adjust things throughout the session, but practice makes perfect. Have fun and unleash your creativity. Take plenty of photos from different angles, and make a note of the settings you used and what results you achieved.
Source:
https://www.shopify.com/blog/natural-lighting-product-photography
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