Every product photographer follows some unique photography styles to reflect their personality. But exploring new ways to capture products helps you go beyond your boundaries and push creative limits. You can showcase product features creatively and stand out in competitive markets. This article covers some exceptional product photography tips to create standout images.
Top 7 Simple Product Photography Tips
You may have tried all the usual techniques that regular photographers follow for product shots. Did you get that vibe that you have been craving for years? Maybe not! Or you might be looking for unusual ways to take photography styles to another level. The following are some out-of-the-box product photography tips and tricks to stand out from the crowd.
01. Hang Products
You can’t overvalue the importance of hanging product photography to tell unique stories. Most photographers use this approach for lightweight products like jewelry, shoes, or clothing photography. Hanging product styling adds a three-dimensional feel and view to the items. It can grab customers’ attention faster than other styles. But doing on-hanger shots the right way is the key. Take enough time and plan appropriately for perfect hanging shots.
02. Try Unusual Angles
If you want to create impactful images, try unusual angles or vantage points. Standard eye-level shots may miss something that a unique angle can capture. Taking a product picture from a completely different position may add a fresh perspective and viewpoint and highlight unseen details.
For instance, a Dutch angle can add a sense of drama and excitement to a product shot. In contrast, a three-quarter angle is a perfect option to show their shape and dimension for small and large items, like clothing or home furniture.
03. Go for Macro Shots
If you want to highlight the craftsmanship and quality of a product, macro shots are hard to overlook. It portrays unique characteristics. This approach reveals intricate details and textures of small products that might be almost invisible to the naked eye. Macro product photography is great for jewelry, watches, cosmetics, handicrafts, food items, and accessories.
04. Represent the Unexpected Use of Products
Showing a completely unexpected product usage in a shot grabs customers’ attention at first attempt. For instance, you can place sunglasses on an abstract sculpture—or stack books to create a mini table for another product display.
However, unusual techniques should not lead to being ineffective. Plan and note down all possible unique usages of the product and pick the best ones that go well.
05. Use Props
Most professional photographers don’t use props for product photography, especially for indoor shoots with white backgrounds. But, a few clean props can add context and visual interest to the main product. You can add plants, books, magazines, vintage cameras, pens, trays, glasses, mirrors, iPhones and MacBooks, flowers, trinkets, hats, etc.
However, use only those props that will complement the main product and won’t overshadow it. Avoid any inconsistent or excessive props that won’t create depth and layers in your composition.
06. Set Products Above a Mirror-like Surface
Taking product shots on shiny or mirror-like surfaces, such as metal or clear or colored glass, adds a dynamic and visually appealing look to the item. Plus, it helps photographers to create contexts and unique perspectives for customers. You can also use a shallow pan of water to reflect the product image and add dynamism and energy to the photo.
If you want to increase the reflection, use cine light reflectors or light flow reflectors. But make sure to edit the images for a balanced reflection.
07. Go for a Versatile Background
You don’t need to always use a pure white background for your product photography. In fact, it is not appropriate to do so. An off-white or gray background goes well with many products due to their neutral and minimal look. You can use these plain background color options for fashion items, home decor, lifestyle products, jewelry, skincare, etc.
However, different DIY items can be used for a white background, such as poster board, foam board, seamless paper roll, plain white canvas, etc. Make sure to edit the backdrop appropriately to remove inconsistency.
Conclusion
Why always stick to those boring and usual product photography rules? Who doesn’t want to be exceptional? Being exceptional means you must try new ways. The same goes for product photography. We have outlined some creative and unique product photography tips. Explore these techniques to improve photography skills, unlike typical photographers.
