Why Product Photography Is Essential For a Thriving Business

When a business is selling tangible products, there are many elements they have to consider to entice customers to purchase. Having a professional branding photographer take photos of these products can elevate a business by explaining why the product is the best and how it can improve the customers’ lives. Read on to understand more about product photography!

Product photography is a crafted collection of photographs featuring specific products that highlight the item or items for sale. 

But, it is more than just a simple photograph of an object. 

The way the product is shown tells the story of why it’s being sold and its meaningful purpose to the customer.

For example, have you ever looked at a beauty product online and could understand that its natural organic ingredients were good for your skin just based on the photo? Or, handcrafted earrings from a small business were so unique because of how they were photographed? This is product photography in action.

However, displaying an object with a story and aesthetic in mind takes time and effort. 

Many businesses are turning towards product photography because having a professional branding photographer shoot and edit their products takes time off their hands to focus on other business needs.

The results of carefully crafted product images mean more attractive photos for customers to see and feel like it’s the right product for them.

There is more than one way to capture a product. Within product photography, there are a couple of different types: featured and lifestyle.

When a client wants their specific product to be shown in the photographs, this is known as a featured product photo. It’s a clear and straightforward photograph that features the product in the best lighting. 

Featured product photos are great for e-commerce purposes, like selling on Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, or on the business website itself.

These photos are commonly taken on a simple white background but can be done in any color or aesthetic. Plants or other props can also be added simply and not distract from the product itself.

This sounds very simple, yet having a professional photographer take these photos ensures the right lighting and background for the product’s story and the business’s aesthetic are used.

Besides taking direct photos of the product, there is another way to do product photography. Instead of taking a photo of one highlighted product, the photos can instead tell a story and push a narrative - to see the product in action.

This is known as lifestyle product photography. These photos are story-driven and meant to sell the idea of the product and push the brand and aesthetic of the company.

Lifestyle product photos are great for social media, blogs, and websites, to drive home the brand more than simple one-by-one product photos.

These lifestyle photos are great for attracting customers to a digital doorstep, and enticing viewers to interact with the brand beyond just one sale. By showcasing the story and brand through product photography, any business can find success in gaining more new customers to become repeat customers.

One reason I love doing product photography is getting to interact with my clients differently.

Instead of planning outfits, locations, and people to photograph, I get to work with my clients by understanding their products, brands, and what story they want to achieve by working with me.

My current pricing for product photography includes a per-image pricing structure.

To determine this, I first meet with my clients in a Zoom call to discuss exactly what they are looking for. We will talk about how many products you want to be photographed and how many photographs of each product you want.

When I receive the products, my process begins! I carefully set up the background and products, and take the photos. After this, I do any necessary editing and then I send over the gallery link to my client. 

The final gallery will include more than the contracted amount of photographs.

This gives my clients the ability to choose their favorites and download the number of photographs that they paid for, and if the client wants to download more than the contractual amount, they can contact me regarding additional costs.

I find this pricing to be fair for my clients and their needs. It gives me the artistic flexibility to do what was discussed plus more and also allows my client to have many photos to choose from in the end.

Before I can start photographing products, I need to first receive them!

My clients are responsible for sending me the products they want to be photographed. Once I receive the products I can start to work, so my client’s timeline is dependent on when the products arrive at my doorstep.

I am open to using additional props that the clients want to be included in their photographs. These can be shipped with the products. I do have a collection of props that I share with my clients during the initial Zoom call and can incorporate some or none of them.

Some clients may want their products and props returned, and I am happy to send them back shortly after the photos are done. The client is responsible for paying for the return shipping and sending me the label.

There may be a lot of initial setup, and shipping to accomplish, but at the end of the day, my number one priority is to achieve the best photographs of my client's products and brand. 

Understanding how important it is to achieve the right product photo is a detail I take seriously, and also enjoy doing!

These photos can elevate a brand online, through social media, and more, and help the client tell their story and share their products.

If you are interested in product photography and are looking for a product and branding photographer, contact me today.