I’ve always shot product photography for people, when I sit down and think about it. I guess people think of me principally as a people photographer, but in truth I’ve shot product in all kinds of different ways over the years; from ‘ebay’ style white background stuff to styled sets. The bottom line is exactly the same as shooting someone’s portrait – I’m looking for the most flattering light, the best angle, the way of getting across the essence of the subject (there’s a blog about those features here).
Why do I mention this? Because since the first lockdown back in March I’ve been asked to shoot a lot more product photography than usual. Think about it. Face-to-face has gone, or at least receded into the background. Our websites are doing far more of the heavy work for us. So getting them looking right, and showing off your particular product in the best way, has become more important than ever. Combine that with the reduced opportunities (and desire) for people to visit actual shops, and there’s a real incentive to get your products online.
Here’s an example. Recently I’ve been shooting packing materials for a local firm that regularly sends goods abroad to Ghana. Now okay, a cardboard box is a cardboard box is a cardboard box ,,,, isn’t it? Well no. If it’s double walled for durability, and if the customs document is helpfully printed on the side, it’s worth pointing these features out because your customer is more likely to buy from you if you’re making their life easier.
Small details, but worth getting the message across.
No matter how big or small, or seemingly simple, your product is, you want to get the message across to customers: we stock this, look how good it is, look how easy it is to buy it from us. I can help with that, by creating clear, simple photos like the ones above.
Give me a call or drop me an email if you’re interested in getting a quotation or discussing things further.
