Hello again, dear Trendsists. Providing intriguing and beautiful product photos is an important part of running your own online business, and demonstrates the quality of your product while also allowing you to personalize and represent your brand to your audience.

We know that investing in a professional photography studio, models, photographers, and equipment can be costly and not realistic for everyone. I'm here to tell you that you do not need fancy equipment or a fancy studio to produce your own breathtaking product photos!  All you need is the right tools, tips, and a little bit of creativity to produce your very own breathtaking product photos.

Things You'll Need1) Camera or Cellphone

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need the fanciest mirrorless camera on the market to take the best photos and any should do the trick. With all of our advancements with cell phone cameras and technology, you are still able to capture quality images with your phone as well!

Whether you are using a cellphone or digital camera, a tripod will be your best friend! This will help you avoid unwanted blurs and provide you with more options to find the perfect position and angle when shooting.  You can easily find a tripod for $20 - $30 on Amazon. 

Good lighting is a crucial part of capturing good photos. Good lighting can be achieved with indoor or natural lighting, but using a ring light or studio light will definitely make it easier to get the perfect lighting.

Are you doing solo photoshoots as the model and the photographer? A camera shutter remote is a great tool to make your solo shoot a breeze! Capture multiple photos and videos with just a click of a button. Although this tool is not necessary, it will make your photoshoots quicker and easier.

Whether or not you decide to use a backdrop or not is all dependent on the style of photos you are shooting for (pun intended!). If you are wanting to achieve more studio-like product photos and doing your own photography, purchasing a fabric backdrop, or foam board for flatlays,  would be a good investment for your business. Using a sheet or large piece of fabric is an easy budget-friendly substitution.

Setting Up

As we went over previously, good lighting is crucial to good product photos. If you are using studio lights, you should be able to achieve optimal lighting in any area. If you are using natural light, be sure to use a well-lit room and set it up in front of a large window. For outdoors, try to find an evenly lit area and avoid intense direct light as this causes harsh shadows. "Golden Hour", the hour after the rises and before it sets, is the best time to shoot outside.

Your background will set the mood and tone for your photoshoot. Whether you are using a backdrop, foam board, or wall for your background, you want to make sure that it is not too distracting and does not take away from the products themselves since they are the main focus! Use props that add interesting detail and match your branding.

Once you have achieved your ideal lighting and photoset setup, finally, you will want to set up your equipment. Setup your camera/cellphone on your tripod, camera shutter remote, and lights. You can test your lighting and settings by taking a few sample shots and adjusting them accordingly.

Time to Shoot

Whether you are using a camera or cellphone, you will want to set the right settings for the best quality photos. There are three main settings you should always remember.

• White balance(phone & camera): Balances the color temperature in your image. Depending on the lighting, colors can sometimes look too warm or too cool. Choose your white balance setting by using the whites and highlights in your picture as a guide.
• Shutter speed (camera): The speed at which the shutter closes. Keep in mind, the faster the shutter speed, the less light is able to be let in.
• Aperture(camera): The opening of the lens through which light passes. Product photographs are best shot using a shallow depth field, which is achieved by increasing the aperture by lowering the f-stop. This can also be achieved for phones that have a portrait mode option.
• ISO(camera): Your camera's sensitivity to light. A lower ISO is less sensitive to light, while a higher ISO will give you more sensitivity.

Always take a few test shots at the beginning of your shoot. This will help you to fine-tune your camera settings and adjust anything that you may want to change to achieve better lighting, angles, color, etc.

The model or product should always be evenly positioned and, most of the time, centered in the frame. Posing and positioning will also be influenced by your aesthetic on branding. A best practice to accurately demonstrate the product is to use poses and positioning that highlight the features, detail, and fit of the product. Try to avoid angles and positioning that can cause a photo or product to look distorted.

When it comes to photography, quantity matters! When customers are shopping online, product photos are the only way to visually demonstrate the product. A best practice is to provide multiple different shots and angles of each product. Utilize photos to showcase important features, details, textures, and fabrics. Take multiple shots from each angle; more photos give you more chances to capture that perfect shot and more photos.

Editing Photos

Once you have taken your product photos, your final step before posting is editing your photos. This will allow you to crop and make any adjustments before posting to your site. Still remember that product photos should accurately represent the product, so avoid over editing, especially when it comes to colors and saturation. There are so many great editing programs to choose from. I personally recommend Photoshop or Lightroom. Many of these programs also provide you the option to save your presets to use for future editing!

You know what they say--"practice makes perfect"--and it is the key to mastering any skill. By following these simple guidelines, you will be well on your way to perfecting your product photos and achieving your desired branding and aesthetic.

Until next time, Trendsists, and as always, keep it classy.