Types of Product Photography
The human brain can process images in just 13 milliseconds - which means you don't have much time to make a good first impression on your customers.
What customers see is often a deciding factor in whether they will stay on your site or lose interest, so it's crucial that you invest in creating an online store that will grab their attention and keep them interested.
One of the best ways to do this is through great product photography.
If you run an ecommerce business, you probably already know how great your products are, but until a customer gets their hands on your product, all they have to rely on are the pictures on your website.
That's why the best e-commerce websites not only have great products, but also great photos of their products. These images prove the quality and value of your products and provide transparency in your e-commerce business.
In this blog post, we'll outline everything about product photography so you can be on your way to getting the perfect shot.
Types of Product Photography
Product photography is not one size fits all. Just like your e-commerce store has a variety of products and services, product photography has a variety of styles and purposes. Some are for everyday use, while others are more unique and only used on special occasions.
Whether you want to achieve a consistent look across your product photos or mix and match them tastefully, it's important to understand the difference between each type of product photo and how to best capture them.
Below we've compiled the six most common types of product shots, when to use them and what they look like in practice:
1. Individual Shoots.
One of the most common types of product photography, the individual shot contains only one object in the frame. These are often used in product catalogs, banner images and product pages to showcase individual products independently of the entire collection.
They should be shot against a white background to create a clean, simple look and keep the focus on the product.
2. Group shots.
As you may have guessed, group shots showcase multiple products together.
Often used for product kits and collections, group photography shows the range and variety of your products and gives the customer a more complete view of your offering. Such images are perfect for social media posts and advertisements because they give shoppers a taste of your brand as a whole, rather than a single product.
3. Lifestyle shots.
With this type of photography you can show your products in action.
Often shot with a model, lifestyle shots tell the story behind your products and show your customers how they can use them in their everyday lives.
Lifestyle photography can complement individual shots on your product page, but it's also great for social media, emails, ads and other visual channels because it stands out and makes your products feel more personal.
4. Scale shots.
A common problem when shopping online is not being able to measure the actual size of a product. While product descriptions may list the dimensions of a product, product photos can be deceiving.
But with scale shots, you can help your customers get a better idea of the actual size of a product by comparing it to other everyday items. This will help your customers visualize your products in their daily lives and increase their confidence when buying online.
5. Detailed shots.
For products with small intricacies that require close-ups, such as jewelry and other small items, detailed shots help to highlight certain product features that a traditional photograph cannot capture.
This type of photography often requires specialized lighting and camera settings, such as a macro lens, to capture these delicate frames.
6. Packaging shots.
Believe it or not, customers care about packaging.
From browsing your website to buying and receiving their products in the mail, customers are looking for a consistent shopping experience from start to finish. So even if you have a great product, if your presentation isn't up to par, your customers may not care.
And if your products come in beautiful, branded packaging, why not feature it on your product page to give your customers a taste of what to expect?
Packaging shots should include not only the product itself, but also the product packaging, such as the box, bag or label.
Nur Oğuz