Quality product shots will increase your sales

Have you ever viewed a restaurant menu with less-than-flattering pictures of the food? If so, chances are the unsightly photos had a negative impact on your appetite. Conversely, visualize a McDonalds menu…mmmm. Makes you hungry just thinking about it, right? McDonalds Quarter Pounder with Cheese

It’s a well-know fact that the picture of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese always looks better than the actual burger they serve you. This is not to say that the QP isn’t a tasty treat, but the immaculate studio shot used on the menu does help sell more burgers. The concept is quite simple: When faced with a difficult buying decision (and we all know how difficult it is to decide on which burger to stuff our faces with), consumers tend to gravitate towards products with more attractive packaging and/or presentation.

Professional product photography is a no-brainer for more established businesses, but what about a small business on a budget? Needless to say, not everyone can afford to hire a good photographer. So how does the little guy that does his own photography compete with big companies who hire professional photographers? Well, the laundry list of factors that are involved is far too long to cover in one article, but let’s take it one topic at a time. First and probably the most important is lighting.

Lighting is everything. If you are not well adept in the science of lighting, then take a moment to study some of the basic principals (i.e. back lighting, fill lights, using reflectors and scrims, remote flash, natural light, etc.). When at all possible, take advantage of good natural or ambient lighting situations. The sun can either be your best friend or your worst enemy during an outdoor photo shoot. Learning how to position your subject positively in relation to the sun is paramount. Here is a helpful link to a website that covers the basics of positioning your subject during daytime photo shoots.

When it is all said and done, the proof is in the pudding, so below are examples of the Roaring Toyz custom big rig shot in natural daytime light. The first example fails to bring out the most impressive aspects of the rig’s custom paint job due to less-than optimal positioning as it relates to the sun and the time of day of the shoot. This image was shot near high noon (usually a deadzone for good images) with the sun to the left of the photographer.

This image better accentuates the fine candy paint job and the ghosted logos by using the basic principal of keeping the sun at the photographer’s back. The rich color of the sky is also brought out by the positive position of the sun. A slightly lower angle also helps bring out some of the refractive qualities in the paint job. Other more advanced factor come into play such as aperture and shutter speed, but we will cover those and many other topics in future discussions.

Detail shots are also very important, especially with large subjects. Take the time to capture close-ups of specific areas that aren’t readily apparent a t first glance. This is a good way to draw viewers in and pique their interest.

In future articles we will discuss how to make the most of your night shoots. Be sure to subscribe to this column to receive an email alert each time a new article is posted. Just click the “Subscribe” button near the top of the page. If you find this information to be helpful, please use the social networking icons to share with friends. Thanks for your time and consideration.