E-commerce businesses always need to display their products in a professional and easy-to-see way in order to sell their products. It’s important for the consumer to be able to see the details of the products they’re purchasing, otherwise, they won’t spend money. One of the most common ways for e-commerce stores to present product photographs is product-on-white photography.
Most e-commerce businesses know why good product photography is important, but do they actually know how product photography should be done in order to make it sellable to their customers?
In this article, we’ll give you a few product photography tips for making sure your product shots turn out great and why it’s important to use product-on-white photography as your main way of displaying products for photography.
What is Product-On-White Photography?
Product-on-white photography is simply as it sounds. It’s photographs of products on a white background in order to post on an e-commerce shop.
You’ll see this type of product photography on most e-commerce sites like Amazon or Best Buy. It makes it easy for the consumer to see the product without being distracted by a background as well as allows for better light in order to see the small details of the product you’re trying to sell.
Why You Need Product-On-White Photography
There are a number of ways product-on-white photography has an advantage on product shots with a background.
First, it allows for better product visualization since you aren’t distracted by the background color or anything on it.
Second, product-on-white photography is more professional due to how product-on-white photography allows product shots to be taken in a controlled environment (this is less true with product photography using natural light).
Why is Product-On-White Photography important?
White product photography turns a product into a feature item. It is no longer an object amongst others, but the hero of the product shot. Showcasing your product on white makes it stand out from the product listing and puts it in its own world – making it easier for users to spot and click on.
This product-on-white photography is perfect for product pages as it brings out the product, not the background. It makes it easier for customers to quickly browse through products and view them from all angles. Furthermore, many e-commerce businesses make product videos to show off their products from all angles; white product photography is pretty much essential for product video listings.
Here are a few tips on how to create the perfect product photo using a white background that will make your e-commerce store look professional and clean:
Always take your product-on-white photos in a controlled environment:
A controlled environment is one where the photographer can control every aspect of the photoshoot. This means everything from product background to product lighting. Being able to control every part of the photoshoot guarantees that you’ll be able to get the perfect shot of your products, once you figure out the perfect balance of lighting, background, and angling the camera.
A product-on-white shot may not always look good at first; at the very least, make sure you take one (or more!) product shots in a controlled environment in order to show the product in its best light.
Setting up product-on-white photography shoots in a controlled environment can be difficult depending on the type of product you’re photographing. For bulkier products, product-on-white photos can be hard to take since they may not fit inside product studios or product white photography rigs. Luckily, professional studios like C&I Studios have large cyclorama walls (or CYC walls) that are large enough for even photos of a car on white!
For smaller items, product on white photography can be easy since they can be contained within product white photography rigs or smaller product studios.
Use product white photography lightboxes to get high-quality product photos:
Lightboxes are simple white box-shaped backgrounds that are used in product photography. They are excellent for getting good product shots regardless of the product being photographed. If you have a bigger budget, it’s great to purchase product white photography lightboxes for product-on-white photos.
Creating your own product white lighting rig is another way of getting product-on-white photography done quickly and easily, without having to spend money on product white photography lightboxes. There are many tutorials out there to build your own lightbox, but we don’t recommend this route unless you really know your way around the tools. It can cost a lot and it’s not guaranteed to be a good light source or background.
Hiring out a studio to create your product photography is a great way to ensure your photos are taken in a controlled environment and that you’re using professional equipment that will help you to get the best product photos possible.
Use a white product photography backdrop:
Using the proper backdrop not only makes your product stand out from its surroundings but also allows for more creative product photos.
And in order to get product-on-white photographs, you need, wait for it, a white backdrop. Should be easy, right? It can be more difficult than you’d think. There are so many off-white options out there that you need to make sure that you’re getting a true, crisp white backdrop. White shows dirt easily, too, so it’s important to make sure it’s stored in a clean place when not in use, and never left out for dust and grime to collect on it.
It’s important though to get the right backdrops for whatever product you’re trying to photograph. If you use a product photography backdrop that is too big, it might look odd and unprofessional. Too small and you’ll get unwanted colors in your photo that offset the product you’re trying to show off.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, a white sheet, a white tabletop, white poster board, really anything that reads as a true white can work. However, sometimes taking the inexpensive route can really show in your work. For example, using a white sheet of fabric that has a large weave won’t read as a white background as you’ll be able to see little shadows in the texture of the fabric. And white poster board can wrinkle easily in transit from storage to set, and often will reflect light in unusual ways. It’s important to invest in the right kind of background and take care of it properly so that you’re not having to replace your backdrops constantly.
To be able to take product photos on the go, small white backdrops are essential for product photography because they provide you with the possibility of creating product photos that are professional-looking without needing too much equipment or effort.
You can easily purchase small lightboxes that serve as white backdrops from most companies that specialize in camera technology. If you’re going to be taking a lot of product photos, the price is worth it to invest in the right tools.
Make sure the product is evenly lit:
The key to product photography is making sure that everything about the photo looks professional and clean. Even lighting ensures that no shadows fall onto the product and it shows off your product at its best.
If you have the right type and amount of lighting, you won’t need to edit your photos too much in post-production.
Some e-commerce businesses use simple ring lights and cellphone cameras to take photographs of their products. While this is an inexpensive way to get photos of your products up onto your site, it’s certainly not the best way to present your business. Photos can turn out pixelated or blurry with a cellphone camera and ring lights, while they do provide a good amount of light, can still allow for shadows to show up in your photos.
Using professional lights will help you to create clean photographs that anyone on the internet can access.
Make sure you’re using the correct camera:
While we all carry a small camera on our person at all times of the day in our cellphones. They’re pretty decent cameras, too, for everyday pictures. But they aren’t meant for product photography or any kind of professional photography at that.
Filters and photo editing applications can only do so much for product photography. The product itself needs to be taken in the right lighting, photographed on the proper background, shot with the proper camera, and edited later by professionals.
Using a professional camera will create cleaner photos in higher definition than a cellphone camera. You won’t need to edit your photos as much, and you’ll be able to display the photos proudly on your website without having to fear if they can be zoomed in on without the photograph pixelating.
E-commerce product photos are images that will potentially go viral across the internet. They represent your product, business, and brand. It’s important to make sure they’re the highest quality of photographs so that your business is properly represented.
Use different angles when taking photos of your products:
You’ll notice on many big-box online stores that they’ll have more than one photo of a product. For product-on-white photography, it is best to have one photo that shows the product from the front and another that shows the product in its entirety.
That way, you can show off all your product’s features without requiring the consumer to interact with your product in order to get a better look at what you’re selling. Consumers are more likely to make a purchase when they’re well-informed, and being able to see all sides of the product allows them to see everything they need to.
Take a computer for example. You’re looking for something with certain specs, right? You want to see how the ports are set up, where the power button is, and how the keyboard is laid out. You can’t see all that from just one photo. No, you need to see the computer from multiple angles in order to see all of that.
You also want to take pictures from different angles in order to make sure you’re getting the best shot. It’s best to have many different options to choose from when deciding what photos to edit and upload to your e-commerce store.
Use product photography props to enhance your product:
Product-on-white photography is not just about how you light up or place your product on white, but also what you do to enhance it and make it look more attractive for consumers.
Adding certain props to your product’s photo can make a product look more appealing to customers and give them a better understanding of the product. It can also help the customers gain a sense of scale when trying to decide if a product is right for them to purchase.
Don’t be afraid of editing:
Your photos won’t come out perfect right off the camera. Of course, product photography with product-on-white will require some editing in order to look professional and clean. You can’t expect a product photo that is taken in your house or outside to come out looking like the photos you see on big e-commerce sites like Amazon.
Perhaps there’s a small shadow underneath the product that you just can’t quite get around with your lighting situation. Those can be edited out. You can also edit out any dust or dirt that finds its way into the shot. If your lighting is washing out the colors of the product, you can bring them back to their original color with just a bit of editing magic.
It’s important for e-commerce businesses to invest money into product photography that includes editing by professionals who know what they’re doing. Firms like C&I Studios know how to create appealing product photography from concept to post-production edits.
Consider hiring a professional:
It takes a lot of time, energy, and effort to make product-on-white photography into something that looks professional and clean. It’s best to hire a product photography studio that will have the tools and knowledge required to take product-on-white photographs.
The money you spend on product photography can be very rewarding when it comes time for consumers to purchase your product online, especially if that product is something that requires a certain aesthetic in order to sell well.
C&I Studios is one of these professional marketing firms that offerings product photography. But, that’s not all we offer! Check out our other services, like video production, here.
Product-on-white photography is one of the best product presentation methods that you can use for e-commerce businesses. It brings products into their own world and allows users to quickly get an idea of products without being distracted by
Don’t let product photography hold you back from selling online! Get the product-on-white photos that will sell your product quickly and easily. Contact C&I Studios today to get started!