Product photography: a scene for your products

• Plan what you need

Every product is different, and so every product presentation is different in its own way. You should therefore plan in detail before the actual start of photography. What products do I want to photograph? How do I need to show the products to give customers the best presentation? What different scenarios do I need to generate the best possible imagination for prospective customers? It may make sense to combine different presentation methods for the presentation. For example, the first image could be a classic set-up in front of a monochrome background, while the subsequent images show the item in use or in a more creative setting.

• Show your product from different perspectives

Perspective presentation is also part of planning, although in this case the actual product needs to be addressed more specifically. Do I only show the object in the overall view from each side, or should certain areas be shown in more detail? Special materials (fabrics, wood, etc.) or complex products (hand tools, additional attachments, etc.) usually benefit from detailed photos to bring the feel and function as close as possible to the customer. Before prospective customers place an order, they want to see the item from all angles. Different perspectives are the best way to enable them to do this.

• Work with natural light

Of course, professional photo lamps are a help, but beautiful, harmonious images can also be created without large photographic equipment. Ideally, you should always work in the brightest hours of the day when natural light is available. The set-up should then be placed directly by the window or, if possible, outside to make the most of the natural light. By avoiding cloudy conditions, you can achieve the most consistent photo series possible, which is crucial for a harmonious overall view.

• Create a coherent appearance

Ideally, product photos can be assigned to the company. This means that the mood, branding and photographic style should run through the images. To achieve this, a consistent form of presentation should be chosen. Once a meaningful set-up and a good perspective for the photos have been found, this should be maintained across all products. The lighting conditions and subsequent editing also have a significant influence on the overall result. Ultimately, the store overview with the different product images should appear coherent and harmonious so that customers get an optimal overview.

• Edit your images

After a large number of photos have been taken, they first need to be reviewed and sorted. Not every picture will be a perfect match. But that's not a bad thing. Once you have a good selection, the best photos can be collected and edited in the next step. Editing the images should consist of the basic steps - cropping distracting elements, adjusting contrast and light, and adjusting color. If you are unsure, it is better to opt for fewer steps. If the lighting conditions were already good, there is usually not much more post-processing required. The main aim is to present the products as realistically as possible.

• Optimize your images for the web

Before you upload your product photos to your website, check the image size and quality. This involves the proportional dimensions of your image on the one hand and the actual resolution (the pixel size px) on the other. If the images are inserted too large on the website, this will have a negative impact on the loading speed. If the images are too small, they lose quality and start to blur. Find a good balance and give your photos a meaningful name. This should not be too long and should contain relevant information about the image content for the search engines. This way, the photos will also appear in the results for similar search queries.