Impactful product photography immediately grabs your attention and can tell your product’s story in just one image. If you’re serious about increasing your sales, product photography is absolutely essential! 

As a brand photographer, I can’t stress enough the value of working with a professional photographer to capture your product photos that take your brand to the next level! While this investment may come with a higher price point upfront, its return on investment is undeniable. 

Read on to learn more about why product photography is so valuable for your business! 

What Is Product Photography? 

First, let’s make sure all our bases are covered and talk about what product photography even is. This style of photography is all about highlighting certain noteworthy features of each product you are currently selling.  

Sounds pretty simple, right? While it might sound easy, and you might be thinking you can just whip out your phone and grab a few snapshots of said product right here, right now, this style of photography is actually highly specialized as it involves advanced skills, techniques, and proper high-quality equipment to yield the best results possible. 

Why Product Photography Is Important 

Product photography is important for increasing sales, building brand recognition, and displaying the quality of your product. 

You want potential buyers to have the strongest possible impression of your product (or products) you’re trying to sell. In order to do that, a photographer who specializes in product photography is going to make sure that all the details and features of your product are captured in the most flattering light possible. 

High-quality professional photos also make your products feel more legitimate, and they build confidence and trust in your brand (and product). 

Let me give an example of this. Let’s say we are creating content for social media. One uses stock photos that you found for free online, and the other uses your professional brand images. 

The one that will convert and connect more (and feel more legitimate) is the one that feels more professional and put together. 

It’s the same story with product photography. Taking grainy images on your phone with shadows everywhere doesn’t convey the same message (or sell) your product as high-quality images against a clean background will. 

What Are the Different Types of Product Photography?

Product photography is not a one-size-fits-all! There are actually a few different types of product photography – let’s break down what they are: 

Individual shots of products by themselves 

This can look like images of your product set against a white or colored background. I would definitely recommend getting some images of your product captured against a white backdrop, as it’s easy to look at, not distracting, and makes it super easy for consumers to understand and see the difference between your various products.  

Photos with models wearing or using the products 

For these photos, you’ll be capturing your product in action, which will give shoppers an idea of how they can use it in their own lives. 

Lifestyle-type photos with the products in the real world 

This style of product photography typically involves real people using your products, but it doesn’t necessarily have to feature people. These images give shoppers a sense of scale and, again, will paint a picture of how they could use this product in their everyday lives. 

Group product photos 

Group product photos feature more than one product. These images have products bundled together and can be used if you’re offering a sale or promotion or if your product comes in different sizes. 

Flat lay 

Flat-lay images are exactly what they sound like—you lay your product flat and take a photo of it from a bird’ s-eye view. This gives shoppers a chance to see different textures or a creative layout of your product. 

How to Get the Best ROI on Product Photos

Here are some of the key elements you need to get the best ROI on your photos if you’re planning on DIY’ing your product photos: 

Use proper equipment 

I wouldn’t recommend using a phone camera for your product photos. A camera phone works really well for some things, like a b-roll, but not so much for product photos. 

For much better results, I would suggest investing in a high-quality camera and lens. Some other equipment I would encourage you to have on hand is a tripod, shadow boxes, a zoom lens, different backgrounds, and lights. 

Find good lighting 

Good lighting is essential for product photography. You can get good light with either artificial or natural light. 

Use a clean background 

If you are using any backdrops, you want to make sure everything is clean and put together. You don’t want the background to distract you from the products or make you feel messy. 

Take photos from a variety of angles 

The bottom line is – you don’t want every single product photo you take to look the exact same. It’s best to have a variety of photo options and different angles you can capture from so that you can use your images on any platform you may need them on.  

Use your product photos everywhere

Make sure to use your product photos on your website, social media, email marketing, any advertising or marketing materials you have, etc. Your product photos can be repurposed in many different ways! 

Ready to Invest in Product Photography?

I hope you found this post on why product photography is important helpful! Choosing to invest in a photographer who specializes in product photography guarantees that you will be receiving consistent, high-quality images that align with your brand. 

If you are ready to invest in product photography to help you take your business to the next level with binge-worthy, powerful visuals, I’d love to chat. You can click here to check out my services, or you can head over here to get in touch and start talking about your own plans for your session!

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