HOW TO: Nail product shots on your phone

With Bec Hannaford

Any message you’re communicating to the world about your business should carry a strong visual story with it. Whether on social media, your website or EDM, beautiful imagery puts you ahead of the pack and grabs the attention of your audience.

Professional shots are essential but aim to supplement them by learning to take great photos yourself to add to the mix. With a little know-how and a consistent setup, you can create beautiful images to inspire your audience and make them feel like they’re right there with you in store.

“Do the research. Put a desk in the corner of a room where you have space and check the light every hour. Practice taking photos in this light then plan to shoot during that hour every time.”

TOP TIPS

The right light. Finding great natural light is the first step to killer photography. Look at the light in your best ever photos and try to recreate the setup. Start watching for good light everywhere - in your store, at home, or when you’re out and about. Soft lighting, good for photography can usually be found during mid-morning or afternoon.

Practice makes perfect. Take the time to set up displays and practice photographing your products or people. A lot. Take hundreds of images to establish what works best. Dedicate time and space to shoot something every day, even if it means moving things around a little.

Think outside the frame. Your photos don’t all have to be taken inside your shop. There may be great light at the front door of your flat, or on your bedside table. Get on Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration to find beautiful images you’d like to create and make a mood board.

Nail the background. Look around to see what you have and work with it. Find a clean wall or something with nice texture, or look to bring something in that’s simple to set up as a background each time you take photos. It could be a roll of cardboard, a bedsheet, or an old door.

Invest in a few tools. A good camera is not essential but if you have one, learn how to use it properly. If not, consider upgrading to a new phone with a better camera, or get a tripod if you’re often alone in the store or want behind the scenes images with you in them.

Try the portrait setting. Designed to blur the background of a human subject, the portrait setting on your phone will often yield nice results to focus on a product in the foreground.

Should you edit your own photos? Try to remain true to the product or experience you’re selling. Keep it simple if you’re to do any editing - don’t go for fancy filters. If you’re up for it, download photo editing apps such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

Keep it consistent. Whilst shooting and editing images, stick to a similar style in terms of look and feel so you can build a bank of images featuring many products in your store whilst sticking to your business brand aesthetic.

Take more than one photo. Think beyond the perfect product shot and take a “family shot” of all the products in the range, as well as individual shots of each product. Take close-ups too - textures, labels, packaging, and any details that appeal. Try shooting over the top of products, or change the angles to create interesting visual options to use on all your platforms.

Make your best sellers your best friends. Put extra effort into photographing your best sellers so you can feature them often without boring your audience. Take them home to shoot in a different environment, or bring them along with you on a walk outside. Hold things up against a tree or sit them on grass or sand for a change. Think “destination photoshoot” and have fun!