What is Involved in Product Photography?

Product photographs are some of the most important sources of information for customers. They showcase an item’s size, dimensions, colors, appearance, and design. Good-quality images captured by a professional product photographer influence a customer’s buying decision and can help you convert a lot of prospects. While it is possible to get good DIY images through phone cameras and similar devices, you can get the best possible results from professional product photography. Many businesses find professional photography a worthwhile investment because it delivers great ROI. Here’s a look at how professionals work:

1. Consultation 

The first step is to understand the customer and their requirements. Most professional studios will sit down with their clients and ask a series of questions to understand their requirements. They seek information like:

• What are your target audiences like?
• What does your brand look like?
• What kind of message do you want to convey?
• Who are your competitors?
• What are your goals with the product images?
• What are the images going to be used for?

These are just some of the many questions they will ask to get more information about your priorities. A thorough consultation ensures both clients and the photographers are on the same page. It ensures that you get the best possible results from professional product photography. Clients can also use this time to discuss their concerns and goals with the professionals. You can mention specific requirements, ask questions about photography for different platforms like Amazon, eBay, e-commerce websites, business pages, etc. Expert photographers have ample experience in the industry and know how to get the best results.

2. Pre-Production 

Product photography is a surprisingly complex process. It isn’t just pointing the camera at an item and taking the picture. Professional pictures don’t appear out of thin air and you only get those crisp, clear images after careful planning. Here’s a look at what’s involved in pre-production:

• Professional photographers come up with composition ideas based on their research and after understanding the client’s needs. 
• They also decide the message and purpose of the image. Is it going to be used for social media campaigns? Will it be used on Amazon? The composition and style of photography must change based on the platform. Experts will come up with different compositions for social media than for e-commerce websites. 
• Experts will then present these compositions to the client and get their approval before starting the photography session.

The pre-production process involves a lot of research. Experts will look at big and small data from different sources to come up with good ideas. They will also look at different factors like branding, target audiences, competitors, product size and dimensions, etc. Their goal is to showcase the item in the best possible light. 

3. Production 

Once the expert photographers have a plan, they start working on the production. Production is more than just pointing and shooting as the experts need softbox lighting and different elements to ensure the composition is right.

Product photography often involves lighting experts, photographers, and other such professionals. Some products need special props or preparation. For example, companies that sell ready-made pancake batter will need appealing images of freshly made pancakes. Professional studios know how to handle food photography and create realistic-looking items to get the best results. 

Production can take some time and involves shooting the item from different angles. Expert photographers also shoot pictures with different lenses. For example, they use macro lenses to catch the fine details of a product. They use different backdrops and supporting elements to showcase the product and its purpose effectively.

There are three different types of product photography options available to clients. You can choose the product on white, lifestyle, or creative in-studio. All of these options serve different purposes and are very impactful. Product on white showcases all of the product dimensions and colors effectively because it has a white background. Lifestyle product photography places the items in real-life situations so customers can see how it works. Creative in-studio photography is a great way to showcase the product, highlight its purpose, and highlight your branding.  

4. Post Production

Post-production is where the magic happens. While most professional cameras produce excellent images, good product images usually are a result of great editing. Experts carefully examine the images for any flaws or issues and use editing software like photoshop to remove them. Here’s a look at what kind of corrections they make:

• Correcting white balance
• Contrast 
• Correcting any sort of color issues 
• Making the image brighter and sharper if necessary 
• Removing any sort of error or distractions that ruin the impact of the image 

The post-production process is important because it ensures the image looks professional and impressive. Most of the polished product pictures available today go through a comprehensive editing process. That ensures they immediately catch attention and compel people to buy, which is necessary for this competitive environment. Good-quality product photography can help generate a lot of revenue for businesses. 

5. Delivery

Delivery is the last step in the process. Professional photographers will often upload full-sized files into a cloud server so you can access the images from any device at any time. All of these images are ready for publication and have a full resolution so you can edit or crop for different platforms if needed. 

Some studios also provide a USB drive or add the images to a CD. Cloud storage is more convenient but some clients like to have copies in physical storage. You can discuss the delivery options with the studio in detail. Most studios will provide a timeline of when you can expect the images and they will deliver within that deadline. They will inform you in advance if there are any delays. 

As you can see, the professional product photography is comprehensive and requires a lot of skills. The results are crisp, polished, and impactful images that look great on all platforms, including mobile. That level of reliability is essential if you want to attract buyers.