EBizInsider

Displaying Your Wares A good picture of your product has been proved to help you make that sale in cyberspace. Now virtually all tangible products require a good picture in order to successfully sell online. The idea is to display a product’s best features to its best advantage. Your picture should not only show what the particular product is, but also show important details of the product and look pleasing. However, the sword cuts both ways. While creative photography can make your product look better, it is important to create a genuine representation or customers may be very disappointed. If you decide to do it yourself, the following hints will help.

Doing it Yourself — An enormous amount of money and time can go into photographing merchandise. For taking your own pictures, read on for some pointers from experts. We just want to show you how to take good pictures of small products with a simple setup and relatively inexpensive equipment.

Getting Started — Before photographing a product, you should spend time thinking about how you want to present it. What kind of emotional response do you want to get from a prospective buyer? Beyond that, you need to consider the following:

• Item’s size, texture, and surface material.
• Reflective surfaces must be carefully lit.
• Do you need to capture small details?
• Will any other items be in the photo, such as related products or props?
• What color background is appropriate?

The Camera — The camera you use can be either digital or film, but digital has clear logistical advantages. If you use a film camera you will need to develop the film and then scan the negative or print before uploading. Digital cameras by contrast give you an image which can be uploaded to your web site instantly.

Taking a Clear Picture Steady… — The easiest way to ruin a photograph is to move the camera while taking the picture. We have all done this at one time or another, creating a blurry image. You don’t have to move the camera much to disturb the clarity of the final image. The camera will record even the slightest hint of movement while the shutter is open. A sturdy tripod will hold the camera still while the shutter is open and the image is being recorded. If you don’t have a tripod — improvise! Use the back of a chair or a table top… almost any surface that can help you hold the camera steady while the picture is being taken will help to improve the clarity of the photograph.

Film Speed — Use a higher speed film - The higher the ISO rating of the film the faster the film. So, 400 speed film is twice as fast as 200 speed film. The higher the ISO number, the shorter the time the shutter is open and the less influence camera shake will have on the finished photograph.

Working with Your Product’s Texture and Shape Glare — Glass, ceramics, plastic and metals usually reflect light, so you have to watch for glare spots. Use indirect flash by “bouncing” your flash unit. I usually bounce toward a white colored ceiling. Be sure that the ceiling you are pointing the flash at isn’t textured or yellowish. This will create odd-shaped shadows or a strange color cast on your product. You don’t need expensive flash units. An on-camera “speedlight” pointed slightly away from the item, or directly up will do just fine. The combination of 2 indirect light sources prevents harsh shadows.

Temperature Warmth — The easiest way to convey warmth in a product is to put it near a soft textured object or background. Objects that are naturally ‘warm’ aren’t very reflective and include paper, wood and fabric. With ‘warm’ materials, a modest amount of shadow is appropriate.

Coldness — Colder products include metallic and reflect objects. Products including cold colors (such as gray or blue) should be arranged near a soft textured object or background to balance the temperature.

Background Color & Texture — White, gray or blue backgrounds work well with most subjects. It is always best to use a solid, non-dominant background color so that your product will be emphasized more than your background.

Choose a smooth matte finish texture. This can be seamless paper or poster board. It should be flexible so you can slope it behind the subject eliminating a harsh horizontal line behind the subject. Shooting tables are made just for shooting small products. If you plan on doing a lot of product shots you may want to look into purchasing one of these.

Lighting and Shadow What Type of Light Bulbs to Use — Tungsten-filament bulbs are the most widely used light source in the world. Be careful because they will burn your hands if they are unscrewed while lit. The bulbs are infamous for generating more heat than light. On the plus side, tungsten’s continuous light (or Hot Light) is very helpful for product shots. Flood lights are economical for small jobs, but the bulbs don’t last long and they change color as they age. If you are using a two light set-up, when one bulb goes out it is best to change both so they are the same color and brightness. Quartz bulbs will last much longer and not change color with time, but they will cost more initially. Also, some quartz lights are brighter than flood lights.

Positioning — Avoid moving these lights around when they are hot, because vibration will break the filament and cause the bulb to go out. These lights are very hot, so be careful and turn them off if you leave the room. Also, if you are using a film camera, purchase a blue filter to balance the film for the tungsten light or use tungsten balanced film. Tungsten film is usually slide film, though more recently tungsten-balanced print film has become available. When shot under daylight conditions, tungsten film takes on a very blue color cast. KODAK Ektachrome 1 GOT Prof. is a good, economically priced tungsten-balanced film to use. However, using a digital camera will eliminate this issue completely. If you are going to photograph and download your own product images on a continuing basis, you are probably best served to have a digital camera.

Managing Lights — Set your main light up so it is about level with the camera (or slightly above). The fill light (or reflector) should be set off to the side and slightly behind the subject. If your subject has a rough texture you want to show, set the main light off to the side more. Clear glassware works best if the main light is coming from behind the subject. Position your lights very close to the subject for a softer shadow.

Managing Shadows — The combination of 2 indirect light sources prevents harsh shadows. Position the lights very close to your subject to create a soft shadow. Use indirect flash by bouncing your flash unit to make the shadows less overpowering. As stated earlier, be sure to bounce the flash toward a light colored ceiling that isn’t textured or yellowish. This will create odd-shaped shadows or a strange color cast on your product.

Summing Up Most e-commerce sites need good photography to display their products and improve their sales. Here is a word of caution: don’t cut corners on your photography. Remember, you’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Name (required)

E-Mail (required)

(Will not be published)

Website

Comments

Security Code

Enter the code above into this box. There's no letters, only numbers. We just want to make sure you're human.