Create Better E-commerce Product Photography Using These Tools

Introduction

In today’s digital age, e-commerce has become a booming industry. More and more people are shopping online, making it essential for businesses to have an online presence. However, with so many e-commerce websites on the internet, it can take some effort to stand out.

One way to grab the attention of potential customers is through high-quality product photography. However, not everyone has the budget to hire professional photographers or own expensive equipment. Fortunately, several affordable tools available in the market can help you achieve stunning product photography. In this blog post, we’ll cover the top e-commerce product photography tools amateur photographers can use to up their game.

What is E-commerce Product Photography?

E-commerce Product Photography refers to capturing high-quality, detailed, and attractive images of products for online sale. The primary aim is to provide online shoppers with a visual understanding of the product features, design, size, and color, almost as if they were examining it in a physical store.

Superior product photography can significantly impact a customer’s decision-making process, making it a critical aspect of any successful e-commerce business. It is a way to visually communicate the product’s value to potential customers, making it an integral part of the online shopping experience.

Basic E-Commerce Product Photography Tools

Camera and Lenses

No product photography toolkit would be complete without mentioning the camera and lenses. Beginners can start with a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera that offers a manual mode for greater control over settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. As for lenses, a standard 50mm lens can serve well for most product photography, but you may want to consider getting a macro lens for capturing smaller products or intricate details. Investing in a quality camera and lens can significantly improve your product images, making them more appealing to potential customers.

Tripod

One common problem amateur photographers encounter is shaky hands, resulting in blurry or unfocused images. Investing in a sturdy tripod can solve this issue. Tripods come in various sizes, materials, and prices, and you can choose one based on your budget and product size. A tripod gives you stability while taking pictures and allows you to experiment with different angles and compositions.

A small tripod can enhance your product images even if you use a smartphone to capture them.

LED Lighting

While you can use natural lighting by placing your products near an exterior window, it can’t be relied on (especially at night 🙂 ). Lighting is key in product photography, and LED lights are an accessible, versatile solution for amateurs and professionals alike.

LED lights offer consistent brightness and a range of color temperatures and are energy efficient. You can get LED light panels or bulbs that screw into a regular lamp. A safe bet is to invest in a couple of LED lights that can dramatically improve the quality of your images, highlighting your product’s features and eliminating unwanted shadows. They’re a cost-effective addition to your product photography tools that can give your images a professional touch.

Tabletop Lightbox

A lightbox is an excellent tool for photographing small to medium-sized products like jewelry, accessories, and electronics. It creates an evenly lit space for your product, enhancing its features and making it stand out. Lightboxes are available in various sizes and can be easily assembled and disassembled, making them ideal for photographers short on space.

Photo Editing Software

No matter how well you click your pictures, flaws and imperfections might need fixing. That’s where photo editing software comes in handy. Several free and paid photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop, Canva, Lightroom, and GIMP allow you to enhance your images’ brightness, clarity, and color. You can also add text, logos, and watermarks to personalize your images.

Please look at some of the apps listed below if you use a phone or tablet to process your images.

White Backgrounds

Clean, white backgrounds are essential for e-commerce product photography. They ensure that your product takes center stage and nothing detracts from its features. You can buy a simple white background cloth or use a white cardboard box to create a DIY background setup that is straightforward and effective.

Smartphone Camera Lenses

Using your phone as your product camera is a good option. Smartphones are ubiquitous and have high-quality cameras that can take decent product photographs. However, attaching external lenses can enhance your smartphone’s camera capabilities. External lenses like fisheye, macro, wide-angle, and telephoto can enhance your images’ depth, clarity, and field of view, giving them a professional touch.

Conclusion

In the rapidly evolving sphere of e-commerce, product photography plays a pivotal role in attracting and persuading potential customers. With the right blend of tools – from lightboxes and tripods to advanced cameras, photo editing software, and lighting solutions – you can significantly enhance the quality of your product images, even on a budget.

Remember, high-quality, detailed, and appealing product images grab online shoppers’ attention and convey your offerings’ value and uniqueness, setting you apart from the competition and driving your e-commerce success.

Whether you’re a beginner or an established player in the online marketplace, investing in these e-commerce product photography tools is a step towards a more thriving and lucrative e-commerce business.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to find out more about product photography for Amazon, Etsy, eBay, or Mercari, please check out the linked articles.

And always, if you want to learn more about photography, check out our Guides section.

How to Photograph Your Product for eCommerce?

Photographing your product for eCommerce involves a few straightforward steps to achieve high-quality results easily.

1. Set Up Your Studio: First, choose a location with ample natural light, or use artificial lighting to your advantage. Set up your lightbox or white background in this space.
2. Position Your Product: Place your product in the middle of your background or lightbox. Ensure it is clean and in its best condition.
3. Set Up Your Camera: Mount your camera or smartphone on a tripod to avoid blur from shaky hands. Adjust the height and distance to suit the size of your product.
4. Experiment with Angles: Try different angles to show the product’s features. Standard angles include front, back, side, top, and a 45-degree angle.
5. Take the Photos: Take your photos, ensuring the product is in focus and the lighting is even. Getting the perfect shot may take multiple tries, so be patient and experiment.
6. Edit Your Photos: Use photo editing software to enhance your images further. Adjust the brightness, clarity, and color, and remove any flaws or distractions.
7. Preview and Upload: Preview your photos on different screens to ensure they look good. Then, upload them to your eCommerce platform, ensuring they are correctly sized and formatted.

Remember, eCommerce’s goal for product photography is to accurately and appealingly represent your product to potential customers. By following these steps, you can achieve professional-grade product photos that can significantly impact your online sales.

Best Apps for Product Photography

There are several apps available to enhance your product photography skills. Here are some of the best ones:

1. Snapseed (iOS/Android): This Google-owned app offers a comprehensive suite of photo editing tools. You can adjust white balance, contrast, saturation, and more. It also provides a selection of filters for quick image transformations and a healing tool to remove unwanted blemishes.
2. Adobe Lightroom CC (iOS/Android): A go-to app for professional photographers, Lightroom CC offers robust editing tools, including preset filters, detailed color correction, and gradient adjustments. The app also syncs with its desktop version, allowing you to continue editing on a larger screen.
3. VSCO (iOS/Android): VSCO is renowned for its classic film-like filters and simple interface. Beyond filters, VSCO offers professional-grade editing tools and a built-in community of photographers to share and discover new work.
4. Afterlight 2 (iOS): A powerful all-in-one app, Afterlight 2 provides a robust set of editing tools, filters, text overlay options, and double exposure ability for creative layering effects. Despite its comprehensive features, the app maintains an intuitive and simple-to-navigate interface.
5. Pixlr (iOS/Android): Pixlr offers over 2 million free effects, overlays, and filter combinations. You can create photo collages with various layout frames and backgrounds, and it also provides an auto-fix feature that balances out colors with a single click.

These apps can help you easily capture visually appealing product photos, enhancing your eCommerce business’s visual content.