How to Perfect Your Product Shots

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this old adage certainly appears to be true — at least from a business perspective. In many ways, the right picture of your product or service in action can be just as valuable to your sales as a blog post, white paper, or similar type of content. If it captures the attention of your audience in just the right way, they might just share it far and wide, helping to spread the word about your business.

Capture, edit, and share the most social-worthy product shots possible. Here are a few tips to photo success.

Learn Your Settings

Just as buying an expensive hammer doesn’t make you a good carpenter, a pricey camera doesn’t mean that you’re a great photographer. Your camera can only take you so far in the world of high quality business photography.

For the best results, take the time to learn your camera’s settings and pair that knowledge with a good angle and the right lighting. A camera that has a 105mm lens will also be beneficial for close-up work like the kind needed for jewelry photography, for example.

Utilize a White Background

In the world of product photography, your goal should always be to showcase the quality of the product above all else. Make sure that the product remains the focus of the photo by eliminating elaborate backgrounds and minimizing props. Place the product front and center, and allow plenty of room all around for cropping when it’s time to edit. By utilizing a stark white background, you place the emphasis on the product, where it belongs. Remember: less is more!

Master Editing

When you start to edit the product shots you’ve just taken, don’t overdo it. Avoid going crazy with filters or color correction. Instead, focus on minimal editing like cropping to make sure that the emphasis remains on the product. Careful cropping and just the right amount of color correction can really bring out the detail in a product, even if it’s only a still image.

Make sure that every edit you make is well thought-out and showcases your product in the best light possible.

Know Your Social Network

Understand your target audience before posting your newly-edited photo on social media. Is a post about your product appropriate for your company Facebook page, or might it be better on one of your business’ Pinterest boards? Perhaps Instagram brings the most engagement with your posts as of late, or Twitter draws the most conversations around your brand.

Be thoughtful about each post that you make. Be intentional with what you say and share, rather than just throwing something up aimlessly and hoping it sticks.

To see this in action, pay attention to how other brands are utilizing social platforms like Twitter to spread the message about their products or services. The LifeLock Twitter page, for example, breaks up shorter text posts with multiple images that are relevant to their target audience. This allows for maximum effectiveness when those pictures are posted.

A carefully planned photo will be well worth the time you invest. Take care to find the best shot using the right equipment, be conservative with your editing work, and compile a social media post that will be meaningful and resonate with your audience.