When selling a product online, it’s not enough to just write about it. You need to make it look good, too. DIY product photography is essential to any business’s online presence, and it’s not just about visual appeal. It’s the first thing customers see when they visit your website and could determine whether they should buy your product. It can make or break a purchase, which proves that a picture is not just worth a thousand words, but can also be worth a thousand dollars in sales.
Most online customers base their purchases on the product images they see, and some of the return-to-seller items result from complaints that the item wasn’t exactly like it appeared in the picture. Customers have a reasonable expectation that what they see should be what they receive.
Investing in your product photos is always a good idea if you want to avoid losing out on possible sales, regardless of whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional product photography studio. If you’re learning how to take product photos yourself, getting the basics right can make a noticeable difference without requiring an expensive studio setup. Do yourself a favor and avoid these 10 common product photography mistakes when shooting your products to create a positive appearance.
1. Poor Lighting
Photography, in general, and product photography, in particular, rely heavily on proper lighting.
It’s best to get the lighting correct from the beginning, as there is only so much that can be done in post-processing or editing if the lighting is off to begin with.
The most typical mistake is to use a combination of different kinds of lighting, such as natural light in addition to fluorescent lighting. If you mix them, you create unnecessary hurdles for yourself because other lights call for different white balance adjustments on the camera.
A lightbox is a worthwhile investment for displaying small items and is relatively inexpensive. A studio setting is ideal for photographing furniture and other large items.
If you have the budget, invest in professional studio lights to get good, consistent results. While natural lighting is always a good option, it lacks the control one might get from using studio lights.
It takes the right combination of lighting, shade, brightness, and highlights to achieve the best results.
Related: Take Great Photos in Low Light Situations
2. White Balance Is Off
If you want your colors to look just like they did in the original, you need to use the white balance option on your camera. Misadjusted white balance is the common culprit for photos that are too “warm,” meaning more yellowish/reddish, or too “cool,” or somewhat bluish.
You need to adjust the white balance to the lighting conditions. Images taken in fluorescent or LED lighting tend to be on the cooler side, while those shot in natural or “normal” lighting tend to have warmer tones. Using the white balance option on your camera is necessary to make up for both. As a last option, you can use your camera’s “auto” mode.
This is the reason why blending different light sources is a bad idea; it confuses the camera and makes getting a decent white balance considerably more challenging.
3. Distracting Props and Background
Despite their potential to enhance a shot, using the wrong props or too many of them can do the opposite.
It’s easier for customers to focus on the goods without being distracted by extraneous elements. Amazon, for example, requires most MAIN product images to show the product on a pure white background and restricts props that could confuse customers.
Other supplemental pictures are essential, though. For your primary product photographs, a basic white or light gray backdrop works best almost always. Customers are more likely to buy from you if they can concentrate on your goods, aided by a plain background that draws attention to them.
Having a lot of distractions around is just annoying. Props are lovely if used selectively or in conjunction with additional photographs, but you must almost always take your primary photos in front of a plain background.
Related: How to Style Product Photos
4. Capturing Unnecessary Reflections
Once you’ve mastered lighting, the next challenge will be dealing with reflections.
When photographing in situations with more than one light source, a shiny surface might muddy up the image. Many of these issues may be solved by simply using diffusers with your light source or adjusting its angle. But there are a few extra concerns to be aware of, like taking pictures of glass bottles and other reflective materials where reflections can play a role in defining the product itself.
5. Blurred / Out-of-Focus Pictures
An additional typical issue is blurry images.
Two mistakes might lead to blurring. For starters, there’s the possibility of blur due to camera shake. To photograph products, you must always use a tripod. If you want to avoid blurry hands in your photos, use the camera’s shutter delay (timer) even when mounting the camera on a tripod. Any motion, no matter how slight, will show up as blurring in the final product.
The camera’s focus is the second factor that causes blur. It is best not to rush focusing after you have a shot lined up, as you cannot fix a lack of focus in post-production.
You can’t capture the entire image in sharp focus for some objects, especially when taking close-up photographs like pieces of jewelry. In these situations, concentrate on the shot’s key component and make use of additional images to highlight the product’s many features.
6. Unprepped Products
Unexpectedly, poor preparation—or lack thereof—of the products themselves is one of the most frequent errors we encounter in product photography.
Make sure to clean, iron out any creases in clothing, and ensure the item is free of fingerprints and other stains before preparing it for a picture! These mistakes will inevitably be discovered and brought to light by the camera.
Also, make sure that any packaging you’re using is in pristine condition.
If you display your products poorly in product photography, the customer will assume that your products are of poor quality.
7. Too Few Pictures Were Taken
You can frequently find items for sale on online marketplaces with only one or two pictures, and as a result, they do not show all of the item’s details or even the whole thing.
Take more pictures, and shoot them from various sides. The general guideline is to shoot more photos than you’ll need, as you can always delete the extras later. If you forget to take specific images and try to retake them later, you will have a hard time doing so.
It would be best if you take many pictures from different perspectives, like close-ups and longer shots where appropriate.
Taking more than the recommended number of photographs will only take a few seconds of your time and won’t incur any additional expense.
For ecommerce product photography, these extra views matter because customers can’t pick up the product or examine it themselves. Showing the front, back, sides, details, and product in use gives them a clearer idea of what they’re buying.
8. Scaling Issues
The majority of products profit from real-world photographs rather than ones taken against a stark white background in a studio.
Context photos demonstrate how the product is used – things like carrying bags, wearing clothes, setting furniture in a room, and so on.
There have been many amusing tales told about people who ordered furniture online only to have it arrive and turn out to be miniatures.
Get a couple of photographs of the product in its natural environment to show its scale, so your consumers know exactly what they’re getting. Doing so will prevent unnecessary hassle down the road.
9. Omitting the Post-Processing Stage
One of the most essential steps in product photography is post-processing, sometimes known as retouching or editing all of your photographs.
Customers who want to check out your product before buying it, just like they would if they were shopping in a physical store, will carefully examine your images; therefore, they must be flawless.
Regardless of how excellent the initial shot is, it will need to be slightly retouched using Photoshop or other editing programs before you can use it for your online shop.
Tiny imperfections and minor irritants you missed while taking the shot can be fixed here. You can achieve the perfect white backdrop and adjust colors, highlights, and hues.
Since it requires time and knowledge of the editing software, which also needs time to learn how to use it effectively, this step is frequently ignored.
Even if you’ve successfully done all of the photography, outsourcing this phase is frequently the best option. Many experienced photographers do the same to save time and effort.
Related: Best Apps to Enhance Your Photos in 2023
10. Lack of Consistency
One issue that always sticks out is when you have various photography styles presented on your website or online store pages, regardless of how many products you sell.
A common practice among online retailers is photographing some things against a white setting, others against a gray background, and others outdoors or another entirely contrasting background.
Your products should be presented consistently, regardless of your aesthetic and environment. This implies that if you alter your shooting technique, you must revisit and reshoot all of your earlier materials. If you don’t, they will seem exactly that way on your store pages: confusing.
Frequently Asked Questions About DIY Product Photography
Can I take good product photos with a phone?
Yes. A modern smartphone can produce good product photos when you use steady lighting, a clean background, and careful focusing.
Do I need professional lights?
Not necessarily. Natural window light can work well, especially when you’re starting out. Consistency matters more than expensive equipment.
What background should I use?
A simple white or neutral background works well for most primary product photos because it keeps attention on the item.
How many product photos should I take?
Take more than you think you’ll need. Include different angles, close-ups, and at least one image showing the product in context.
Should product photos be edited?
Usually, yes. Small adjustments to exposure, color, cropping, and background can help, but the finished image should still represent the actual product accurately.
Make Your Product Photos Work for Your Business
Product photography is a crucial part of the product development and marketing process. Without it, you can’t showcase your product’s features or benefits effectively.
When done right, product photography can help you connect with your audience and get their attention. It’s an investment that can translate to increased sales and satisfied customers. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up making your product look worse than it is.
Being good at what you do is one thing, but making sure that your business is being marketed right is needed to ensure its survival. Different businesses arise on online platforms such as Etsy and Shopify, and ensuring that you are taking the most effective approach is key for your business to thrive. Countless competitors are out there, so you have to do everything it takes to stand out from the crowd.
If you’re working on your own DIY product photography, start with one product and get the lighting, background, focus, and angles right before photographing your entire catalog. A simple and repeatable setup will save time and give your store a more consistent look. Most importantly, make sure every photo gives shoppers an accurate view of what they’ll actually receive.
Thank you for your very informative post. Starting out as a new type of business, Art, I find it very difficult to ask the right questions. Your web page is great. I look forward to doing business with you.
Blessings,
Lisa Knight