How to photograph products at home and on a budget

By Helen Holt HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH PRODUCTS AT HOME AND ON A BUDGET

You’ve designed and created wonderful products that you believe in. The challenge now is creating images that will help you to sell them. In an Etsy buyers’ survey, 90% of shoppers said the quality of the photos were “extremely important” or “very important” in their decision to purchase, so having good photos of your products is key. If you are not at a stage in your business where you can invest in a professional photographer, don’t panic! It is possible to take great product images yourself. Here is my quick guide to elevating your product photography at home so you can take pictures that will convert browsers into buyers.

THE TWO MAIN TYPES OF PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

The most common types of product image fall into two broad categories: ‘studio’ and ‘lifestyle’ photography. They both have their benefits and a lot of brands will use a combination of the two to sell their products.

Studio product photography includes the classic image of your product against a plain (often white) background. These images give a clear picture of the product in detail and are commonly used on e-commerce websites like Amazon.

Lifestyle product images show your product in context or in a styled setting. These can help your customer to see themselves using your product, as well as giving an idea of relative size and use. Then, of course, there is the flatlay: an amalgamation of the two styles – essentially a photo of your product laid on a flat surface, taken directly from above. Often, they are styled images that include a number of items arranged intentionally to create an engaging and visually pleasing photo. They are common in food and fashion photography but can be used effectively for all sorts of products.

So here are my top tips for taking these three styles of image yourself, using your phone camera and affordable items that are readily available online or on the high street.

STUDIO PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Light Natural light is the easiest and most budget-friendly option – if you are shooting indoors, this means window light.

When planning your shoot, keep an eye on what time sunlight is shining directly into the room and avoid shooting at these times, as direct sunlight will create harsh shadows. If it is a very sunny day and you can’t avoid it, you can hang a white bedsheet over the window to diffuse the natural light.

Be sure to turn any lights off when you are taking the photos, so that the natural light is your only light source. This will help ensure the white balance (the colour temperature) is correct and whites appear white and the colours of your products are accurately represented.

Camera equipment Tripods stabilise your camera to reduce handshake and help you take clear images. Phone tripods are inexpensive and a good investment, as they free up your hands and also allow you to get a consistent set of images, as you move your product and not the camera.

Background For studio-style images, you can use a very large piece (or roll) of paper. Bend it gently at the horizon line (so there is not an obvious mark) and tape it to your wall and table (or wall and floor). This helps to create a seamless look. Other options could include wallpaper or vinyl. (If you’ve ever fablon’d a kitchen in your married quarter, you will know the stuff!) Colour and material/pattern are up to you – just make sure whatever you choose suits your brand and has a matt finish to avoid a distracting glare.

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Set-up Have your set-up a little way from the window (around 1.5–2m) for more even light. You can have your product facing the window straight on so you benefit from all the natural light. However, you might find that your shadow is visible, in which case you can position yourself and your product at a 90-degree angle to the window. If you are shooting at right angles to the window, you will need a reflector placed out of shot, on the other side of the product to reflect the light coming in from the window. This will lift the shadows on the side of the product that is facing away from the window and create what is called ‘fill light’. A reflector can be as simple as a piece of white card or foam board. The diagram below should help this make more sense.

1. Camera phone 2. Product

3. Paper background ‘sweep’ 4. Foam board reflector 5. Window

4 3

2

1 5 LIFESTYLE PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Good lifestyle images put your product in the context in which it is used, like a candle on a mantlepiece or a hat being worn (see the example above taken on a smartphone, using portrait mode to blur the background). This kind of image helps potential customers to gauge the size of the product, see the fit and any special features, as well as helping them to visualise the product in their own life.

Even the smallest of tweaks, such as straightening and cropping your photo, will make a big difference to the final image. There are lots of free photo editing apps you can use to elevate your images – two I recommend are Lightroom and Snapseed.

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LIGHT

The best times to take product photos outside are in the morning and later in the afternoon, when the sun is out but not too harsh. An overcast day is ideal, as cloud is nature’s studio lighting! If it is a very sunny day, find some shade to shoot in so you avoid harsh shadows.

SETTING AND PROPS

Remember, the focus of each photograph should always be on your product. However, choosing a relevant setting and adding props can bring the image to life and add interest. Keep your setting and prop choices simple, in line with your brand/product colour scheme, and relevant to the scene or to your product so they do not confuse or distract the viewer.

FLATLAYS

Flatlays are a great way to photograph products that can easily be laid flat. You can get really creative here! All you need is a large flat surface in good light (see above for indoor shoots or go outside in the shade). You can then play around with styling and positioning your product and any props to get the look you want. A top tip when you have very thin, flat items in your flatlay (like greetings cards or prints) is to put a pack of playing cards or a matchbox underneath the odd item to create depth and stop the flatlay looking too … flat. The example above used a large piece of coloured card and the product is framed beautifully by loose foliage. EDITING

Even the smallest of tweaks, such as straightening and cropping your photo, will make a big difference to the final image. There are lots of free photo editing apps you can use to elevate your images – two I recommend are Lightroom and Snapseed. Both have many features to edit images in ways you’d usually only find in paid-for computer software. The goal is to make the product look as good as possible, but the image should be an accurate representation of what your product really looks like, so filters, tints, and over-saturating the colour should be avoided or used carefully. Once you’ve finished editing your first photo, you can save the settings you used as a ‘pre-set’ and apply the same edits to the other photos in the set. Creating a pre-set saves time and creates continuity, but don’t forget to check after applying the pre-set, in case you need to make small adjustments to individual images.

I hope you’ve found these tips useful and that they help you to have some fun with your product photography. The photos in this article were taken by brilliant MILSPO® businesses, using their phones and some of these tips and tricks!

About the author Helen Holt is a brand photography specialist, helping small businesses create magnetic images full of heart and personality. Her images have won industry awards from the National Photographic Society and the Guild of Photographers and she has a photographer’s portfolio with Vogue Italia. She is a member of the MILSPO® business network and is married to a serving member of the RAF.