Product on white background is the standard today. Minimal stack focusing is needed for this black leather belt leaving the edges slightly out of focus for an attractive image with depth. We used a transparent surface using three studio flashes – one overhead with a silk scrim, two soft boxes on either side with flags to block the light. A white background is lit by one flash meticulously placed, together yielding the pure white background we’re after.
The beauty of clear shiny glass. Lighting glass requires a toolbox of gadgets to achieve the final product image on white. A specialized surface gives the reflection in the foreground at the base of the glass diffuser. In order to keep any shadow from interfering with the transparency looking front to back means flooding the background with light and strategically placed strobe flashes. While striving for glass on white be careful not to lose the definition of the bottle. We used a number of light modifiers and redirected light as need to create this final image of lightness and clarity.
Product on a white background has become the standard for product images. Whether to use a full shadow, or slight shadow, or no shadow is the next question. But when you’re ready to show off your product creativity opens a fabulous door. The above photo of spice jars keeps three of the four jars in focus, with a slight out of focus on the third jar, for a subtle statement.
The next photo is a lovely simple composition, still on white for an open, floating feeling, adding the spoon for a touch of lifestyle. A subtle product styling idea.
Still keeping the product styling simple we’ve added an organic feel using wood for the presentation. These are only a few ways to style your product. Keep your own product as an alternative to stock photography for your website.
Finally adding a full background frames the jars using a brick for strong base statement. The first jar has the strength and focus, allowing the other jars to become part of the background. You get the idea of the vast possibilities when you’re ready to take bring your product front and center in your website and promotion.
Amazon has strict requirements for its product photography. All products need to be shot on a white background. Sounds simple until you realize “white” is a precise hex color # 255, 255, 255. While there are multiple ways to achieve this result for this product we used a specialized surface to give a beautiful transparent, “floating” feel. The studio strobes have to be precisely placed to pull this off. Flooding the white background with light bathes the dog whistle in pure white. Just what Amazon desires. Also helpful to our client was a captioned photo of parts. See more product photography photos.
Chrome retail product displays have a striking beauty, even before hanging your product on one! The lovely reflective surface bounces light making it fun to photograph. As with all reflective surfaces the challenge is controlling the light to capture the shiny surface. View more of our catalog photography on our website.
A typical set up includes:
2- Soft Silver Paul C. Buff’s PLMs with diffusion
Paul C Buff’s Einsteins
White background
The explosion of Amazon as a marketplace has sent many sellers scrambling to meet the “on white background” standard set for Amazon sellers. It can be frustrating because Amazon defines on-white as in RGB color 255, 255, 255. The slightest off shade results in non-compliance.
There are two ways to achieve this pure white. The best quality is to shoot the product on white and truly have it ON white, properly lit. Like this:
But what if your product is white? If you try to shoot white on white (pure white) without professional setup equipment you’ll end up with little definition to your product. There are techniques used by photographers one of which is using acrylic to give a suspended look to the product and flooding it with light resulting is a rich depth of white – on white. Notice the sheen, the fibers of the nylon straps and the full out line of each product. Like this:
The other method of achieving a pure white background is using Photoshop to extract the product. If you begin with a properly well-lit product and know you will finish the work in Photoshop this can result in getting more shots taken in your session time. It’s a discussion to have with your client. Extraction works for products with defined lines – fuzzy slippers will be more time consuming to extract. As a photographer you need to budget your time, or you will spend more time in Photoshop than if you had properly lit the product to begin with. Bottom line: get a the best image with your camera and you can save time OR do the most in Photoshop.
It’s tempting to pick up your cell and begin snapping photos of your business for your website. Ten years ago this was acceptable for websites, but the internet is now a far more polished place and website visitors have a higher expectation of quality.
As a professional in your own business you understand the knowledge and experience it takes to deliver the quality service or products you sell. When it comes to photographing your business, staff portraits or product photography you want a professional to deliver outstanding images to promote your business. To expect your employees to be able to deliver images that a professional can is unrealistic. There is a huge difference between a hobbyist and a professional.
A pro photographer uses professional cameras, lighting, backdrops and knows ways to manipulate light to capture the best photo of your products, facility or personnel. A professional photographer will get to know your business and match the look and feel of your branding. He’ll have suggestions for the best shots and composition bringing a creative artistic eye to your project. Taking your vision of a project and delivering eye-catching photographs.
Most photos benefit from processing – however minimal a professional photographer’s eye preparing the images ensures superior quality. Take your business project to the next level use a professional for professional results.
Now that Google is looking less favorably on stock photography you’ll be looking at options for original photos for your website. If your business produces products you’ll find this an easier solution. But when you provide services it can be more challenging to find ways to compose photos to represent your services.
Google has expanded its desire for original content to include original photography, and is looking less favorably on stock photography. It is part of how Google decides which websites have more authority. As the internet has morphed it’s a natural progression for each website to have its own original content for a unique online presence.
As you travel the internet you’ll begin to recognize stock photography as you see the same photo on multiple websites. Stock photography used to be a cost effective solution for website owners. Recent years have seen substantial increases in the cost of stock photography. If you choose 10 photos at $50 each for your website – you can afford to have original photos shot.
These two shots are staged. Using promotional items strengthens the branding, and also helps deter your website photos being stolen.
Another huge plus for having your own photos is Google’s image search. Your images will work as an advertisement for your services and products. Bring an original touch to your website. View more staged photography.
Fully staged this bedding shot combined full props, natural light and composite photography. Thorough experimentation with the sheets to find the best display for pattern and colors. All other elements needed to funnel the eye toward the bed sheets. Two products in the nightstand help to solidify the product in this grand setting. While an intimate shot this required placement of the bed, nightstand and shooting the window light separately to give maximum control.