Contents of the guide:
1-Types of e-commerce photography 2-How to take beautiful product photos on your own 3-When to choose an e-commerce photography professional

In an e-commerce, product photos are a decisive factor for the purchase.

While in the classic physical store the product can be seen, touched and weighed, e-commerce must find a way to compensate for the lack of physical contact between customers and the object for sale. 

It can be done, but we need great product photos.

However, entrepreneurs do not always know how to behave: should you photograph the box or just the product?

Can you take DIY photos or do you have to call a photographer?

To do it yourself, what equipment is essential and how do you edit the image to upload it to the web?

We will answer all these questions in this practical guide, which will allow you to better manage your e-commerce photos, even if you are a beginner.

Types of photos for e-commerce

As you probably guessed, the type of product you are selling greatly influences the way you present it. A dress looks better if presented on a mannequin, while a food product can remain semi-wrapped in its packaging.

In some product photos it is advisable to communicate creativity and passion, in others purity, freshness, respect for the environment: for this reason the corollary of values ​​that you want to communicate must influence the choice of How to take great photos of your products.

Let's stay on the technical side and divide the types of product photos according to their interaction with the other elements of the photo.

1) Single product photos

This is the most common type on e-commerce, and involves the absence of other elements around the product, which appears photographed on a neutral or white background.

You can scale the product with another commonly used object, or indicate the dimensions with a tape measure, to give an idea of ​​its actual size. Or, you can add close-up shots that focus on a detail of the product.

Below we see an example taken from the organic perfumery online Biologically chic:

2) Group photo

Again from Biologicamente chic we take this example of a photo for group e-commerce.

Here the individual products are presented together, because they will be part of a Christmas gift kit:

These photos are great for an online store, but also for promotion through external banners or social media, because they give a global taste of the content of your shop.

3) Photo with the packaging

That's right, your e-commerce customers also pay attention to the packaging. But above all, in some cases it is the entrepreneur himself who invests in his own packaging, especially when it is particularly aesthetic or ethical. In these cases, the packaging should be shown as much as possible.

This time we take the example from an e-commerce that sells video games and gaming products (Retroplayers One). Since these are collectible products, which gain value if sold in their original packaging, showing the box is essential:

4) Photos with context

Some product photos gain credibility in the eyes of the customer if they are placed in a context. For example, a dress can be worn by a model, or an object can be tried on by a group of people, who ideally represent the target audience of your online store.

The perfect example is this baby carrier, as presented on the e-commerce site Babies and Bellies:

Still don't know what graphic design you want to give to your e-commerce? Maybe our article on right colors for an e-commerce.

How to take beautiful product photos yourself

Do-it-yourself is possible in this case, and certainly leads to significant savings compared to calling a photographer.

This is true for those who have some taste and perhaps own a camera, as well as for those who are completely new to the subject and don't even know how to set a reflex camera to manual.

Unfortunately, there is no escape for context photos: you need the professionalism of a photographer.

However It is possible to take beautiful photos of single or group products, or even with the packaging attached, in total autonomy. Let's see how to proceed in the simplest and least expensive way possible.

1) Choose the setting

You will need a room with natural light, with a white horizontal and vertical plane inside.

You can use a common roll of white paper and hang it on a support (for example two chairs) so that it starts from a certain height and then falls gently. The important thing is that a sort of white cradle is formed for your product. 

The larger the item you are selling, the larger this backdrop should be. There are several backdrops online that are specifically designed to create sets of this type.

Light box

Another option for creating a backdrop for small objects is to create a box with recycled materials and line it with white paper. By making the light come from a natural or artificial source placed on the sides of the box, you will immediately notice how the lighting spreads evenly over the entire object. 

This method is great for photos that want to be detailed.

2) Prepare the product

There is no limit to your imagination, in e-commerce photos. You can place your product next to its box, alone, surrounded by other small items.

Or you can shape it so that it is in the position you want, using pins, pieces of tape, supports of any kind (very useful for those who sell costume jewelry for example).

At this point, adjust the lighting so that it highlights every angle and detail that interests you.

3) Choose the camera

It's true that some cell phones can take great photos. But they will never be comparable to those that a good camera can take.

In fact, cameras have a larger sensor. This means that they are able to capture a greater amount of light and give the photograph the body and depth that makes it so similar to reality.

Ignore the megapixel parameter in your choice: it has nothing to do with the quality of the photograph.

Instead, choose a Mirrorless or a Reflex (NOT a compact digital camera), even a basic one with the ability to adjust the settings manually.

4) Set up the camera

You can try shooting in automatic mode, but it is much better if you learn the rudiments of manual shooting: the advice is to put the camera on a tripod, so that it does not move. 

After that:

• Set the file to save in .raw format
• keep your ISO low
• close the diaphragm, so that you have a certain depth of field
• try shooting with different exposure times, adjusting the shutter speed
• upload the photos to a computer and evaluate from there which ones you prefer
• Once you find the ideal settings, use them for all the other products you will have to photograph!

5) Post-production

Now it's time to upload your images to a computer and start retouching them to bring out the details you want. 

If you are on a PC, you can use a great paid program like Adobe Premiere.

If you are on your mobile or tablet, there is an app called photo room, great for removing imperfections in the background.

Finally, don’t forget to optimize your photo for the web (we’ll talk about this in more detail later).

When to Choose an Ecommerce Photography Professional

If you’re still a little wary of the process of taking photos on your own, or if you’ve tried it without much success, it’s time to contact a photographer.

Another case where it is better to call a professional is the photo placed in a context. It is very difficult for someone who is not used to taking photographs to capture the right expressions and lights of a person or a series of objects placed in a context.

In addition, the photographer adds a fundamental factor to the e-commerce photo: the taste.

If - as we said at the beginning of this guide - the customer is really so influenced by the photos of your e-commerce, it will be better not to appear as amateur and sloppy.

You can find a good photographer in your area simply by doing an Internet search (try “still life photographer” or “e-commerce product photographer,” for example).

Or, if you create an e-commerce with Pizero Design, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of a professional e-commerce photography service.

How to optimize photos for the web

Whether you choose the DIY option or the professional photography option, you will always eventually have to go through the optimization of your photos for the web.

In fact, Improper photo optimization hurts your SEO and risks making your pages slow to load.

The photos that you will have to upload to your e-commerce must have a maximum width of approximately 2000-2500 pixels, and must preferably be in .jpeg format.

Remember to include the image alt tag in all the photos you upload to your shop.

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