01 - March - 2023
For individuals and companies wishing to sell their items online, Instagram represents a potentially enormous market. It's crucial to have excellent product photography if you want to market your products online so that you can reach a wider audience.
With the fierce competition, it is essential to invest the time and energy necessary to produce product photos that are truly attention-grabbing.
Although product photography is a specialist area of professional photography, amateur photographers can still produce high-quality shots. Discover the best product photography ideas for Instagram!
Related: Overview of New Instagram Features
The Importance of High-Quality Product Photos for Social Media
According to Statista, social media-related online purchases are expected to reach $560 billion by 2020. By 2026, it is anticipated that this amount will reach $2.9 trillion.
As social commerce becomes more popular, posting high-quality product photographs and videos is the only way to stand out on visual-heavy (and congested) sites like Pinterest and Instagram.
Having high-quality product images is important because:
- Customers are more certain they will receive what was promised. While making online purchases, about 5% of customers return items if they don't match the description (or pictured).
- Your brand has a distinct identity thanks to your product photos. Your brand will be simpler for customers to recognize in their social media feeds.
- Customers can concentrate on the message you're attempting to get over. Ineffective photographs detract from your message.
As influencers are crucial to the success of social commerce and you want to accurately analyze the ROI of your influencer marketing initiatives, it's critical to keep these points in mind as you develop your influencer marketing plan.
Product Photography Ideas for Instagram (And Handy Tips)
Here are some pointers to get you going with do-it-yourself product photography! These are tried-and-true tips that we've gathered from professional product photographers at Overlight.
We're confident you'll find these helpful!
Present Your Products in Use
When you demonstrate how your products are utilized, your audience is able to picture themselves utilizing them as well! There are numerous ways to demonstrate your items in use.
The first thing you can do is meaningfully engage with your product. For instance, if you offer handmade mugs, you can drink tea from the cup or pour it inside. Try moving around and acting in your images if you sell clothes rather than just standing still.
Adjust the scarf around your neck or spin a skirt to add movement to the photo using your own body. Even in a still photograph, movement adds a lot more appeal.
Here’s another idea—snap a picture of yourself storing your merchandise!
To do that, place your goods on a shelf, within a cabinet, or on a rack for hanging. Another strategy for getting your audience to see themselves using your product is to put it back in its "home."
Display Your Items Flat
This is one of the best and most creative product photography ideas. Flat-lay photography involves arranging complementary objects against a flat surface and taking pictures of them from above.
With the help of this imaginative type of product photography, marketers may tantalize new products, arouse consumer interest, and increase traffic to their Instagram page.
Also, setting up a flat-lay and using your iPhone to capture a photo is simple (or any other smartphone you may use).
Know How Much Lighting Matters
The lighting employed in the image is what most clearly separates a standout product photo from one that you quickly scan.
Professional photographers typically have access to studio settings and artificial lighting, allowing them to accurately regulate the color balance and light levels in their product pictures.
If you're a beginner, it's doubtful that you'll have access to expensive tools or a studio. It follows that you must rely on ambient or natural light. Benefit from the golden hour or a beautiful sunset!
Following a few fundamental guidelines will help:
- Use natural light and avoid direct sunlight when taking your pictures. This would include well-lit areas with a door or window facing north (swap this to south-facing if you are in the southern hemisphere).
- Keep a weather eye. You won't likely have enough light in overcast conditions to get an arresting shot.
- Pay attention to timing. The middle of the morning is frequently an excellent time to get bright, continuous light on a clear day.
- Verify that there are no exterior light barriers, such as walls or trees.
Take Behind-The-Scenes
People enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes! Give your audience a peek inside your world if you have a studio, a shop, or a factory. Such personal and distinctive media will make you and your company stand out from the competition.
You can share the following kinds of behind-the-scenes content:
Early glimpses
Have a brand-new collection on the way? Give your viewers a sneak preview of what's to come!
Show the process
You may not find the process of making your product exciting, but people are naturally curious beings. Show us a little bit of your items' production process!
Show the people in action
It's crucial that you and your staff are active on social media. Showing us "a day in the life" at your company while promoting your items, of course, will make it more entertaining.
Organize Your Backdrop
In order to remove any potential distractions from your images, place your white backdrop behind your product. You may use a white paper sweep or save money by purchasing a poster board from your neighborhood drugstore or art supply store. Moreover, you'll need a table to set your backdrop on.
To secure your backdrop or attach your goods to the background, use Scotch tape. If Scotch tape is unavailable, sticky tack is a fantastic alternative. This is a unique approach to product photography in Dubai.
Always use a white backdrop. You can take photos of products that are evenly lit by using a white background that reflects ambient light. Moreover, it facilitates backdrop removal when editing.
A cream or off-white color will be challenging to edit and illuminate. Moreover, attempt to place your backdrop underneath your products as well as behind them.
The Human Element
These kinds of images incorporate a real person, as you could have imagined. They are excellent for creating a personal connection with your audience, inspiring emotion, and giving them a glimpse of what the product may look like if they were to use it as intended. They also create the "that could be me" effect.
Think basic and don't stress about needing to include a full person in all of your pictures if creating these types of shots feels intimidating.
You can accomplish this in the same way without spending money on models or worrying about who will be featured in your photo by just including a hand in your shot or shooting over the shoulder of someone to provide a little extra context.
For example, the action of spraying perfume on your wrist is what a professional photographer would want to allude to in the above image. Therefore, that was the main goal when the photographer took this picture.
Naturally, there is also a focus on styling, choosing a dress and manicure that go well with this product. These minute particulars have a significant impact.
Best Camera Positions for Photographing Products
There are certain perspectives that are more effective than others when it comes to taking product images for your Instagram page. A customer's questions that aren't addressed in your product descriptions might also be addressed by providing them with other viewpoints on your products.
Provide as many distinct angles as you can to emphasize the important aspects of your product. The ability for customers to see themselves wearing or using your goods is more engaging and can increase sales in your store.
There are five camera angles you should try out throughout your picture shoot, whether you're photographing apparel or shoes:
1- At eye level. This view depicts the item as it would appear if you were to face it directly.
2- High angle. This view gives the impression that you are looking down at the product from an angle.
3- Low angle. This view presents the item as though you were standing on the ground and looking at it.
4- Aerial view. With this view, the item appears as though you are standing over it.
5- Slanted. In this view, the product is shown from one side.
Keep a Consistent Style
Your Instagram and eCommerce product photography will go more smoothly if you have a collection of instruments that you use frequently.
You may develop a consistent style that will increase the recall value of your brand by using consistent lighting, editing, colors, and props. Credibility grows from consistency.
Using similar colors and accessories throughout all of your product images is a simple way to give them a uniform appearance.
Wrapping Up
There you have it—creative and artistic product photography ideas at home. You now have a toolkit of advice and resources at your disposal to improve your product photography and start seeing results.
It goes without saying that you are not required to make all of these adjustments at once. It could take some trial and error to get the desired results because taking consistent, high-quality product shots is not something that happens immediately.
But if you get the hang of it, you'll be able to use your product photography to not only take stunning product shots, but also—and maybe more importantly—to build a visually appealing brand and a lucrative Instagram page.
Check our crisp blog to know how professional product photography can boost sales or get in touch with our experts at +971 55 618 8215.
