DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
If you’re in the retail business space, your end goal is for customers to find your product and make a purchase. Hopefully, they have a good experience, become repeat customers, and tell their friends. But it all starts with the first sale. Whether you have an Etsy marketplace or five brick and mortar stores, you know people want to see your product before they buy. With most people buying things online these days, product photography is more important than ever. But what kind of product photography is right for your business…?
What kind of product photography you use, depends on your brand, the product, and the purpose of the photo. These three facets determine the type of photo and the brand image drives the style of the photo. In this article, we’re going to focus primarily on type of product photo and handle style in another
The Essential Product Photos
1- The SOLID BACKGROUND PHOTO
The Solid Background photo is the most commonly used type of product photography and is the clearest way to display a product. It typically consists of the product isolated on a white or black (or any color really) background without any artistic editing. It shows the product as a consumer would truly see it. It may seem extremely simple and easy but depending on the product’s size, texture, and form, it can require a special set, lights, or post process editing.
Photo type: The Solid Background shot
Uses: e-commerce, online shop, catalog, email newsletter
2- THE STAGED SCENE PHOTO
The Staged Scene photo can be similar to a solid background photo because it is often done in a studio under controlled conditions. It’s used to represent an interesting scene where the product would exist in an ideal (or sometimes an extreme or over-exaggerated) version of a real world use. This type of product photo is one of my absolute favorites because it hinges on problem solving, storytelling, and creativity! The scene should typically be filled with a background and objects and props that resonate with the product’s target audience or play up some unique quality of the product itself. They can also be used to instill a specific feeling or emotion in your viewer. These photos are great for capturing the viewer’s attention by creating something for them to explore and investigate.
Photo type: The Staged Scene Shot
Uses: social media, marketing, print and digital advertisements,
3- THE LIFESTYLE PHOTO
The Lifestyle photo helps the viewer to envision themselves owning the product by displaying it in a situation they might encounter or in a situation they’d like to encounter, kind of like introducing some FOMO. This photo also helps to educate a potential customer on the fence on how the product is used and potentially persuade them to take the next step and purchase. These lifestyle product photos are most often done during a photoshoot outside of the studio at a location that makes sense for that specific product or band. These might be more expensive due to the cost of travel, location rental, and hiring talent, but can also result in the photographer getting a lot more shots for you in the long run so it all comes down to budget and need.
Photo type: The Lifestyle Shot
Uses: marketing material, social media, email newsletter, print and digital advertisements, e-commerce, online shop
The SUPPLEMENTAL Product Photos
1- The Closeup Photo
The Closeup photo is exactly as it sounds. It gets up close and personal with the product. It works best when there’s some fine details to show off so the viewer can see what might be difficult to see in another zoomed out photos. This one falls under supplemental because it’s not necessary for every kind of product, but also should not be used alone. This shot without a full shot of the product would be ineffective and probably confusing more than helpful.
2- The Group Photo
The Group photo works best when you have a verity of products that can all be neatly displayed together. Maybe the same product comes in different colors or sizes, or maybe it’s a family off products that can be bought as part of a set, you get the idea. For obvious reasons, this photos only works if there are multiple products to display. A standalone product photo should always be used with the group shot so that the customer always knows which one they can expect to receive.
3- The Not-The-Focus Photo
This one is interesting and, in my opinion, very underrated. I named this shot as the “not-the-focus” photo because in this case, the product you are looking to display is not the main focal point; it might literally not even be in focus. For these photos, the product just appears as a part of the overall photo showing how naturally it fits in to a specific scene or scenario. It’s almost subliminal but helps when building a brand image. When posting to social media, you need to diversify what photos you post. People don’t just want to see standalone photos of your product everyday, but they might love the lifestyle that is associated with your product. This photo is a great way to show that off while keeping your product as part of the conversation. For example, in the image below, the mixing sets are the product, but the focus is on the people cheersing is the focal point.
There are a ton of different product photography subcategories like flat lays, composites, scale, process, just to name a few. These can all fall somewhere in one of the 6 main photos I’ve listed above; the trick is knowing which one to use and what to put in the photo. If you follow the outline I’ve created above, you’ll have a good starting point. If you want to do it yourself this article is a great guide, but if you’re too busy, ya know running a business, feel free to reach out and ask for some assistance, advice, or to work together to get some awesome product photography!
Cheers,
Shawn