Are you thinking about how to get into product photography? If so then you must be thinking of being a part of the huge pool of photographers who are getting started in product photography to make a fortune.
Demand for product photographers is undoubtedly increasing, but there is also an increase in competition because more people are entering this field every day, making it increasingly difficult to land a job. Then how can you win this competition?
You need to learn product photography to make yourself an expert giving more focus to minute details. Add something extra to your skills to make yourself worth it for the companies, so they have clear reasons to hire you, leaving the others.
To help you out, we have compiled some skills that will help you to be a professional product photographer.
So are you ready to kickstart your career? Continue reading this article.
What Is Product Photography?
Product photography is the skill of capturing convincing and motivating photographs of different products to publish on e-commerce websites to help the buyers see the product before placing an order. With an increase in online businesses, there is a rapid increase in demand of product photographers.
Types of Product Photography
Product photography is an umbrella term for multiple subtypes. You can either of them and pursue your career in it. Here are some of the most common types:
- E-commerce product photography
- Studio product photography
- Lifestyle product photography
- Product catalog photography
- Individual product photography
- And more.
Key Skills To Be A Product Photographer
Learn some skills to make your place in the product photography industry. Give some time to detailed learning before getting your first client so you can complete your first job successfully.
Here are some skills for you to become a professional product photographer.
01. Focus On Product Features
Give a detailed look at the product itself before taking its pictures. Learn about the prominent features of the product, especially the ones you will be captured during the photoshoot. This will help you start working directly on the features that are worth focusing on instead of wasting time on the ones that do not add value to your photographs.
Do not miss out on minor product details while taking photographs because you never know sometimes; even a small feature can convince the viewer to convert into a buyer.
02. Understand The Viewer’s Perspective
Do not focus on what you like to be in the photographs instead think from the perspective of the viewer. Use the perspective to get the perfect photographs of the products.
Your photographs must be oriented according to the choice of the viewers so you can convince more viewers to buy the product.
03. Use Different Angles
Taking an image from a tilted angle can make it more convincing sometimes than capturing the product from a straight horizontal angle. Angles are everything when you are capturing products, especially the ones that are more in height and less in width. Think creatively and use every possible angle to get the desired picture.
Some platforms allow more than one product image, so you can add different angles of one product with the hope that one of them will successfully convince the viewer.
04. Know What The Client Wants
It is important to understand what your client wants and why he is hiring you for the product shoot. Do not put your own thoughts and choices while photographing the products until your client asks you to do your own creativity with the product.
If your client has given you clear instructions regarding every aspect of the picture, like a white background, a vertical angle, and a close-up image, then you must stick to the requirements of the client instead of putting them in your own way.
This will waste your client’s time, ultimately ruining your reputation in the industry, and leaving you unemployed. Of course, you do not want that, so be careful about the clients’ requirements.
Why Do Product Photography?
Choosing product photography over other kinds has some reasons. The first one is that product photography is the most highly paid type because companies hire you for advertising purposes. Most professional businesses invest a lot of money to get the best photographs because they know the high-quality images of their products will determine more sales.
The second reason is that product photography has a lot of variations allowing you to explore different genres under this type of photography. Also, if you do not want to stick to a single job for a long time, you will benefit from working on different varieties without boring you from the job.
No doubt, you will have to face a lot of challenges while starting a product photography business. The first one is how to learn product photography still; we suggest to opt this career if you want to excel at a fast pace, ultimately having your own product photography setup.
What To Charge As A Beginner Photographer?
This is the first question that comes to mind when you start as a beginner product photographer. You need to understand a few things regarding product photography pricing.
- Your level of expertise determines your price per image.
- A highly skilled photographer can charge up to $200 per image, but as a beginner, you must keep your rate as low as possible to even $10 to $30.
- The time required to get the photograph can affect the price you can charge. Like for a critical product, you may charge more.
How To Marketing Product Photographs?
Marketing product photographs is essential to fetch clients for your business. You must post your work on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest, and you can even market on YouTube, making videos of the tips and processes you use to get beautiful photographs of the products.
Some other websites allow you to make your portfolio, like Behance. You can search these websites on Google and share your work to promote your portfolio among people looking for photographers to get the perfect product photographs to advertise their business.
Product Photography FAQ’s
01: Is starting a product photography business worth it?
Yes, if you want to make good money monthly, then you must start a product photography business. But make sure you learn the skill before you start selling.
02: What’s the ultimate way to get professional product photographs?
Stay close to reality, avoiding highly ideal things like editing that exaggerates your photo. Add some ingredients to the product in the frame to make it more authentic and professional.
03. What are the best practices for becoming a product photographer?
To gain some real knowledge of product photography, enroll in a paid course or learn from a free online resource. Start photographing random products once you complete the course. This will give you practical knowledge of photographing the products.
04: How can I become the best. product photographer?
Enroll in a paid course or learn from a free online source to get some real knowledge of product photography. Once you complete the course, start photographing random products until you get real experience.
Final Thoughts
More companies are heading towards product photography because presenting beautiful and professional photographs of the product help with advertising and marketing. Product photography is used to convince the viewer to purchase the product immediately.
Advanced product photography techniques make the photograph more convincing and welcoming to turn viewers into customers. If you want to excel in your career in product photography, you must learn how to get into product photography.