Product photography is more than just clicking a few shots of the product and putting it up on the intended website. The primary purpose of product photography is to capture customer’s attention and encourage them toward purchasing the product.
If the product images aren’t able to achieve that then it just might be that the product images aren’t good enough. Companies or sellers need to make sure that they avail the best services whether it is in terms of product photography pricing or the quality of product images.
If you are trying out product photography on your own then you must ensure that all the elements are used in the correct way. But even though you choose to avail product photography services then make sure that the photographer does a good job in capturing the product images.
There’s more to product images and you need to be able to identify whether the product images are appropriate or not. Below we have listed some of the mistakes that are commonly seen in product photography.
With the help of this list, you’ll be enabled to recognize good product photography from the bad ones. Keep reading till the end to find out.
- Poor use of Lighting
Getting the light correct is an important element in any sort of photography, therefore, for product photography as well this element plays a significant role. The use of lighting can either make or break the ultimate result of product images.
While lighting is one of the important elements in product photography, it is also the most common element that photographers tend to make mistakes with. Even though a minor lighting mistake can be adjusted during the image editing phase, there’s only so much you can do in that phase.
That’s why it is essential to avoid making mistakes with lighting at the production stage. One of the most frequent errors that we notice in product photography is to use a combination of light sources.
With different light sources, you also require to adjust the white balance setting specifically, this only raises the challenge for the photographer when capturing the shots. Here’s a pro tip that you can apply is that for taking photos of small products you can use a lightbox, whereas for larger products a good studio set up works the best.
- Photographing Reflections
Even if the product images have perfect lighting, some images really get messed up with the way reflections appear on it. If you make an error with the use of too many light sources, you’ll get not-so-flattering results.
The combination of light sources ultimately gives rise to reflective surface issues which is not at all rewarding. Expert photographers avoid making such mistakes by simply utilizing a diffuser along with the light source that is used.
So, if you see issues with reflective surfaces on your product images then make sure to recheck the lighting aspect of photography and apply the apt diffuser to subdue the reflection.
- Wrong White Balance Setting
It is important that the product images turn out looking original capturing all the detailing of the product. Accuracy is important when it comes to product photography.
Well, one of the elements that ensure that everything in the image is true to the original is the white balance setting. If you notice that the images are too cool (blue) or warm (red) then the primary reason for it is the use of the wrong white balance setting.
Yet again lighting comes into play a role in your white balance setting. Use of LED or fluorescent light can result in cooler product images. Whereas, the use of regular light bulbs or natural light for your lighting source creates warmer looking images.
Results from both lighting sources require compensating with the suitable application of white balance setting. Photographers can choose to adjust the white balance manually or can even select the auto mode on their camera.
If you hit the right note from the beginning by choosing a single light source then it becomes easier to settle on the right white balance setting. Whereas, mixing light sources can confuse the camera’s white balance setting.
- Product Items Not Prepared
Yes! You need to ensure that the products are ready for the shoot. Just like how models are required to wear makeup and prep themselves before the photoshoot, similarly the products are needed to be prepared for the shoot.
For making the products camera-ready, you need to make sure no creases, smudges, scratches or marks are on the product. It is these little flaws that the camera can highlight and appear distinctly in the images.
If the product photography involves the use of packaging along with the product, then make sure the packaging is in perfect condition. Many photographers mistakenly do not prep the product and as a result get unflattering product images.
A poorly presented product during the photoshoot will ultimately turn out into you getting poor quality product images.
- Intrusive Use Of Layouts
Props and background used for product photography brings out the best aspects of the product images. However, if they aren’t chosen appropriately then they can ruin the whole photograph.
There are some disastrous product images out there where product photography pricing is expensive and yet customers end up getting poor product images. You may notice all the elements are used to perfection; however, the wrong choice of layout makes an entirely different outcome.
While the use of different backgrounds is trending in product photography these days, the chances of making mistakes using an inappropriate background increase. This is why Amazon mandates the use of white background for its product images.
A white background is absolutely suitable which doesn’t take away the focus from the product. The same thing can be said for props. It is important to use props that support the product instead of drawing focus away from the product.
These are some of the product photography mistakes that are commonly seen and you make sure to avoid them in your images.
