With the shift to online shopping, particularly after many brick-and-mortar stores were affected by Hurricane Helene, getting your online shop up quickly and effectively has never been more important. One of the best ways to catch your customers’ attention and increase sales is through high-quality, on-brand product photography.
In this post, we’ll cover five essential tips to help you take beautiful product photos that align with your brand, build trust with your audience, and ultimately, boost your online sales. Whether you're selling handmade items, clothing, or gourmet food, these tips will ensure your product photography is visually stunning and effective.
Choose the Right Background for Your Brand
The background of your product photo sets the tone for your entire brand. Different backgrounds can convey different messages, so it’s essential to select one that aligns with your brand identity. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Minimalist Brands: If your brand is sleek and modern, opt for plain backboards in white, gray, or neutral tones. This clean, minimalist look ensures the focus stays on your product.
- Cozy or Rustic Brands: Use textured fabrics like linen or burlap, or shoot in lifestyle settings such as a kitchen or living room to create a warm, inviting feel.
- Food or Kitchenware Brands: If you're selling products that are used in specific environments (like kitchen tools or gourmet food), showcase them in real settings to tell a story. For example, show a beautifully set dining table with your products in action.
I love...
CHASING STONE hand-painted backdrops and rollable stying surfaces
REPLICA SURFACES backdrop boards
Fabrics like linen purchased from your local or chain craft store such as Joanne Fabrics or Hobby Lobby.
Use the Right Lighting to Set the Mood
Lighting can make or break your product photography. It’s essential to match your lighting setup to the mood of your brand:
- Bright, Clean Light: If your brand is fresh, energetic, or playful, go for natural light or bright studio lighting. This will produce crisp, well-lit photos with minimal shadows, perfect for highlighting product details.
- Moody Lighting: For brands with a more luxurious or artistic feel, consider using high-contrast lighting with deeper shadows. This creates a more dramatic and moody atmosphere, which works especially well for jewelry or high-end fashion brands.
Always ensure that the lighting showcases your product clearly. Overly dark or overly bright photos can obscure product details, which is a turn-off for online shoppers.
Start with Your Holiday Campaign Goals
Before you begin snapping photos, think about what you want your holiday marketing campaign to achieve. Are you launching a new product line or bundling products into gift sets for the holidays? Let your photography reflect your goals:
- Feature products you want to push: If a particular item is the star of your holiday campaign, center your photos around that product. Show multiple angles, highlight key features, and consider adding complementary products to the shot to encourage cross-selling.
- Bundling Products: If you’re bundling items together, showcase them as a collection, and think about the composition of the photo. You want to ensure every item in the bundle is visible and looks appealing. Also consider adding lifestyle images to bundle packages to showcase how the products work well together in everyday life.
Aligning your photos with your holiday goals ensures a cohesive and effective marketing strategy.
Decide Between Lifestyle and Studio Photography, or Both
Both lifestyle product photography and studio-style photography have their benefits, and which one is right for you will depend on your brand's story and needs.
- Lifestyle Photography: If you want to show your product in action—whether it’s being used or worn—lifestyle photos are ideal. These images show the product in a real-world setting, helping customers visualize how the product fits into their lives. This style works well for apparel, home goods, and anything that can benefit from storytelling.
- Studio Photography: If you’re looking for clean, professional images to update your online store or create a cohesive catalog, studio shots are the way to go. These controlled, clutter-free photos allow the product to stand out against a simple background, making it perfect for ecommerce websites where consistency is key.
Consider Styling Your Products for a Visual Boost
Product styling is an excellent way to add depth, context, and creativity to your shots, but it should never overpower the product itself. Here are a few ways to approach styling:
- Use Props: Adding complementary props can create a sense of scale and context. For example, if you’re photographing candles, include small decorative items like books, flowers, or cozy textiles to enhance the mood.
- Shadows as a Prop: Sometimes, simplicity is key. Use natural shadows to add depth and intrigue without cluttering the shot. Shadows can create contrast and help emphasize the shape and texture of your product.
- Keep it Consistent: No matter how you choose to style your products, ensure that all your photos have a consistent look and feel. This helps to create a cohesive brand image, which builds trust with your audience.
Your Brand Deserves to Shine
Product photography can make all the difference in how your brand is perceived online. With these five tips, you’ll be able to create images that are not only beautiful but also on-brand and strategic. Whether you’re selling fashion, jewelry, home goods, or artisanal food, great photography helps build trust, engage customers, and boost conversions.
Don’t let subpar photography hold your business back. If you need help creating stunning brand photography that tells your story and sells your products, LET'S CHAT and we'll create the vision you have for your products!
Julie Magnussen
