Product photography is becoming a demanded profession. As marketing becomes more tech-savvy and creative, it has become a need to create an aesthetic impact with a product’s visuals. It is no longer just about capturing the true essence of a product anymore but to capture the customer’s attention to actually begin.
When you have a brand’s expectations relying on your photography skills, it can become an overwhelming task. Mistakes can happen whether you are a beginner or a professional. Some mistakes are too common but it also easy to avoid them if you know about them.
In this post, we list a few common mistakes product photographers are prone to and how they can avoid them:
Not Enough Content
When people are shopping online, which has become quite the norm these days, they don’t have the luxury of viewing the product as in a brick and mortar store. So it depends on the product photographer to capture it in a way that shows it clearly. Some products can do well with a single shot but others need to be captured from different angles to present a complete picture. More than one shot will be needed.
Not Creating an Image
Product photography is not just about capturing a picture but creating an image. An image not in the sense of its literal meaning but what kind of message it represents. Brands embed their business’s message in products they develop and a picture should be able to deliver it. This is why technical mistakes like poor lighting and backgrounds must be avoided. Backgrounds can be creative than just being plain and lighting should never be shadowy or dark. Remember that it is easier to fix over-lighting.
Blurriness
Professional photographers are less likely to make such a mistake but those with less experience can. Clarity of picture matters a lot in the marketing world. Sharp images are always more attention capturing. Focus should be uniform unless you are going with a certain creative strategy. To avoid camera shaking that is a common cause of blurred images, use a tripod. Also, try fixing the aperture of the lens you are using. The higher it is, the clearer is the picture. But lenses have their respective optimal level of aperture that you need to determine.
Mobile Optimization
Nowadays, people are more likely to use their smartphones to shop than log onto their laptops. This is why most businesses are considerably investing in mobile optimization. Your pictures should be able to have a quality display on mobile devices. Images should be clear for displaying in a preview window and be easily zoomable.
Lack of Creativity
Some brands may not allow you the freedom but don’t hesitate to be creative if you are allowed. Customers like creative displays and backgrounds. Although, don’t make it so noisy that it takes away from the original purpose of marketing the product.
Lastly, be confident in your skills and motivated to do your best with each picture taken.