Thanks to technology and new cameras, it’s never been easier to get creative and produce professional images even without training or pro equipment. If you don't feel like being a photographer, there are some very good professionals available to meet your expectations, whether it's for packshots or "ambiance" images for your products for your website and various marketing channels to help attract customers.
However, in order to help satisfy the most urgent and affordable photography needs, a professional photographic device will allow you to manage, in complete autonomy, your visual production to perfectly match your business’s visual identity.
What are the essential tools to capture the best of your products for your online store? Check out the tips in our guide for photographers of all skill levels!
Essential equipment for high-quality photos
Although your brand’s exact photography equipment needs may vary depending on your unique business, products that you sell, and the customers you hope to reach, here are some of the key pieces of equipment any ecommerce entrepreneur should have on hand for product photography.
A smartphone (iPhone or other)
First of all, to be able to take pictures like professional photographers would for your business, if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to incur extra expenses, you can already get started with your smartphone. Most mobile models can largely compete with cameras, especially in the way to automate the shooting and in the management of light.
Also, it’s easier to publish your ecommerce images and videos from your smartphone than by manipulating the memory card of your camera. A good solution for those who don't want to bother with an extra camera, especially when creating content on the go for social media marketing, for example!
A camera
A powerful camera has a cost, but it’s also the most efficient for generating optimal shots, especially when you manage an online store.
In online sales, photography has a central place. Thus, your customers will be attracted to the models your business sells if the pictures are highly qualitative. For retailers who already have some experience as photographers or some knowledge of photography, the camera will allow you to invest in an optimal result and, if necessary, help train you on the exciting job of ecommerce photographer.
A stand or a stabilizer
To avoid any faux pas during the shooting, you can literally lean on this legendary tool and a great help in constructing your photography set: the camera stand.
For the more mobile and to make photos and videos in motion without ever losing precision, you can opt for a stabilizer that will adapt to all your movements.
These two products can be complementary: there are many models on Amazon that fit smartphones or cameras, which help photographers create attractive visuals for less!
An auto-focus lens
If you choose to shoot photos with a camera, you’ll certainly need to accessorize your equipment to create quality photos. So, choose a lens that allows for maximum optimization of your time and activity.
When it comes to the best practices for ecommerce images, the photography of your business’s products should be as simple as possible to avoid wasting time unnecessarily: the automatic version is much more beneficial when setting up your image device.
A white background
This is the most important element when you want to capture your products to publish the pictures on your business’s website. Because there’s nothing more unpleasant for potential customers than seeing a brand’s products in front of a dark or colored background, a white background will help you to highlight all your items in your shots.
By taking advantage of an image studio right in your own home, you save time and money in post-production to crop and arrange your product shots.
Photography backdrops are an essential part of your content production: if your catalog and style allow it, you can try to shoot product photos and other types of images using different backdrop colors, also helpful for obtaining creative shots for your social networks.
A mobile photography kit
With social networks and new technologies, visual production has become widely democratized, to the point of being accessible to all. That's why a kit is the right solution!
Thus, it’s now possible to avail of a real pro kit, a set that’s 100% mobile, all at prices defying any competition, especially on Amazon. Lights, reflectors, background, flash... Everything is included in the photography kit for less than $200!
Editing software
After the session, once the pictures are imported on your computer, you’ll need to do some retouching before publishing them on your business’s website. There’s no point in retouching your product photos too much: naturalness and authenticity are the goal to be able to appeal to the greatest number of customers possible.
However, to ensure consistency and your brand’s signature on all your images, you can add a filter or rework the settings of your photos, adjusting the color, lighting, etc. ever so slightly.
Professional tools to create an ecommerce photo studio
To do this, you’ll need suitable software: you can start with Canva for free, on mobile and computer, or with a paid version for $12.99 per month. If you want to go to the next level of professionalism, the best choice is Adobe Photoshop, with a $20.99 per month package to access all the features of the software. Though Photoshop can sometimes be a little intimidating for new users, note that there are plenty of good courses available to help facilitate learning and other resources with tips on how to become more adept with the software.
Foldio3: the little light box
If you want to prepare qualitative white background images in a few minutes, the Foldio3 device is for you: this white box will allow you to take 360° pictures of your products.
You just have to put your product on the turntable and put your smartphone in place to create your product picture. A dedicated application is available for a great result.
Packshot Creator: the best 360° studio
PackshotCreator, the leading ecommerce photo solution provider, has launched the PackshotOne Mark II photo studio. This automated photo studio is designed to manage all of your in-house photo production.
Its concept is simple: make the e-merchants their catalog’s photographers, thus standing out from the competition thanks to better shots. Note that this product is intended for experienced e-merchants who wish to invest in an ultra-powerful device and have a substantial budget.
- A versatile studio
The PackshotOne Mark II's XXL interior dimensions and high-performance lighting make it possible for photographers to photograph all types and sizes of objects.
Laurent Wainberg, founder and CEO of PackshotCreator, explains, “We designed this revolutionary studio to offer e-tailers up to 250% more productivity on their photo shoots. The intuitive interface of the control software and the lighting give them the possibility to create professional photographs with a rendering never achieved before.”
- Optimal lighting
The Full LED lighting system offers a unique lighting experience with no less than eight light intensity control sources. Each source is independent and adjustable.
And for even more efficiency, the LiveLight function lets you adjust your light sources at will and in the blink of an eye (four in flatbed mode, two in front shooting).
And this from any touch support. This lighting device, unique on the ecommerce photography market, is completed by two front and articulated LED panels.
- Years of know-how combined in an ecommerce photo studio
Laurent Wainberg states, “We wanted to launch a solution with an exceptional price/technology/productivity ratio. It has been calculated so that you can get a return on investment from the first year of use, depending on the volume of objects photographed. State-of-the-art technologies, accelerated workflows, ultra-intuitive control, manufacturing, warranty... We have brought together 15 years of know-how, so that with this automated photo studio, you make a key investment for your internal or external communication!”
- Stand out visually from the competition
One of the first users, Nicolas d'Acunto, manager of the ecommerce website Voleda.fr, chose the PackshotOne Mark II to stand out from the competition. After several years of using the packshot format of his suppliers, Nicolas D'Acunto decided to break away from it:
“In the sector of residential parts and automatisms, tools and roller shutters, no ecommerce site was using 360° animations. I searched on the internet for a way to create these animations in-house, and that's how I discovered PackshotCreator and its photo studios.”
- “The quality of the studio's workmanship caught our attention”
The manager of Voleda.fr hesitated between PackshotCreator and another solution dedicated to in-house article photography. "What caught our attention was the quality of the studios' production," recalls Nicolas D'Acunto.
One of his needs is to take 3D product photos of very different sizes and shapes. The ideal studio for this project is the PackshotOne Mark II. Its interior dimensions allow for flat and front shooting of large products, up to 120 cm high.
In parallel, we added the Spin O3T turntable, which can be combined with the studio, to bring 360° animations to life. Nicolas' objective: to photograph and animate 2,000 references, improve the user experience and stand out from the competition.
- Taking control of the in-house photo studio
Self-taught, Nicolas D'Acunto, dived into the great pool of photography alone as soon as he acquired the studio.
"I'm not a trained photographer, so it took me four to five days to make the best use of the studio, its lighting system and, above all, to produce satisfactory content. It was very easy to get the hang of it, thanks to the software. I had the benefit of a recent update, and it has been further improved. In short, I am very satisfied with the photo rendering of my products," enthuses the ecommerce site manager.
- Between 20 and 30 360° animations created every day
Today, an average of 20 to 30 360-degree animations are created for the ecommerce site. To achieve this, the PackshotCreator software provides tools to facilitate the task.
For example, profiles are created for different items to memorize the positioning and lighting settings. Once saved, they can be reapplied in one click to create other content.
This is an invaluable time-saver for PackshotCreator users.
"The 360-degree animations lighten the workload of the after-sales service. Buyers ask fewer questions and there are fewer returns," concludes the e-merchant, after six months of using the PackshotOne Mark II.
Discover the PackshotOne Mark II studio on the PackshotCreator website.
Jewelry, clothing, decorative objects... You need a professional studio
By investing in a professional device, you’ll maximize your chances of converting your online store visitors into customers. Beyond your website which will be enhanced by these pictures, it’ll also be your social networks but also your other sales platforms such as Google Shopping and content used for your marketing efforts that will benefit from your professionalism.
In addition to creating images, the video can also be imagined through a content creation device: you can then create new content and integrate your articles into clips on your networks or on your product pages.
It’s another way for your business to attract consumers by showing them in detail all the charm of the products sold online. It’s a well-known fact that in online sales, it’s the visual that counts when it comes to getting site visitors to place an order on the web.
Besides having the right equipment by your side, don’t be afraid to get creative to ensure the best results for your product images and delight your current and potential customers alike. Whether your product is placed on a mannequin or on a table inside a specialized image box, it's up to you now!
