Budget product photo
In the eCommerce marketplace, there is a big emphasis on good product photography. You’re relying on your product photos to show your customers what your items look like. However, if you don’t have a lot of money to splash on an expensive camera, or a professional photographer, increasing your sales with a budget product photo is still very possible.
For those just starting with an online shop, it might seem unrealistic to buy a new camera or inquire about product photographers – that’s why you need to get skilled in product photography on a budget. To help you increase your sales, in this post we will look at the following topics:
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- Budget product photography setup
- Backdrops for product photos
- Product photography lighting
- Budget product photography tips
Budget product photography setup
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to spend a lot of money or be a professional to create the right setup for your DIY product photography. You will need to spend some money on product photography tools, but these can be found at a relatively inexpensive cost if you are willing to shop around. For your product photography setup you will require:
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- A camera: These days, smartphone cameras tend to be very well-made, so there is a good chance you will be able to use your mobile phone to take your product photos. If you have a digital point-and-shoot camera, that will do the trick as well. Investing in an expensive camera is not always necessary, to begin with, so use what you have to hand. Remember, the camera is just one component of product photography as a whole – lighting, and composition are very important in making sure your product looks good in the photo.
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- A tripod: A tripod might seem like a needless add-on, but it is important to ensure that all images are taken at the same height and angle for continuity. Using a tripod also improves stability, which is very important, too. If customers see a blurry image, it doesn’t reflect on your company and product well. A tripod allows for a clear, stable image.
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- A white background
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- Good lighting and reflectors
Backdrops for product photos
What is the best background for product photography? We would recommend a white background as this is the industry standard and it allows your product to be clearly contrasted against it. It is also beneficial as you can use this for all of your product photos. You can achieve this using a photography sweep, which is simply a white (usually paper) background.
A sweep is designed to be used as a product photography backdrop and can be found affordably online. You should place it on a table so it curves up behind your product against a wall, making a seamless backdrop for your product.
You can buy a clamp to support your background or you can use tape to fix your sweep to the wall during your session. (Use painter’s tape or poster tape to avoid peeling the paint from your walls).
Product photography lighting
With lighting, you can either go for professional or natural lighting. By investing in some studio lights you can take well-lit photos at any time of day. Amazon sells a ‘photo studio’ which is an affordable, portable lightbox designed for eCommerce sellers.
However, if you wait for the sun to come out, you can take some great photos, free of charge! Make sure you take your photos in a bright room. Taking a photo next to a window is ideal as it ensures that your product will be well-lit. When using natural lighting, it is a good idea to use white bounce cards. These are reflectors on a budget – a white bounce card reflects the light onto your product from different angles, to reduce shadows and keep the product brightly lit.
Budget product photography tips
As you can see, it doesn’t take a professional to make a photography setup. However, to increase your sales you will need to follow a few rules:
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- Make sure your product is in the centre.
- Show just your product.
- Show your product from multiple angles, as more than one image provides the customer with a clearer impression of it.
- Use the right aspect ratio for the platform you are uploading your images to.
- Make sure your product photo is the right size for the platform you are uploading your images to.
We hope you found our budget product photography tips useful!
We are aware that many people don’t have a lot of experience with photography and want to take the best product photo possible to boost their sales. If you are an inexperienced photographer and would prefer the help of a professional, consider Splento. Splento provides on-demand, professional photographers at an affordable rate. Contact a member of the Splento team today to discuss how we can help you with your product photography.
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