Ecommerce Photography in 5 Easy Steps

 Photography for e-commerce is booming due to the growth in e-commerce. E-commerce photography can be a very lucrative side business if done correctly, but it involves a few tricks to get it right.

A guide to shooting e-commerce photography

A strong photograph can help sell its images (that's why product photographers are some of the highest-earning photographers in the industry). Though e-commerce photography is much simpler than advertising photography, it is equally powerful in convincing people to purchase, so keep a few key factors in mind when you shoot.

• Preparation: If you want a successful shoot, getting prepared is crucial. Preparation means ironing, cleaning, dusting, thinking about what shots you need, or testing your lighting before. With photography, you can never be too prepared, so take your time during this step. You might need to prepare your items for shooting in various ways, depending on the item you're shooting. Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed before you use them. 

• Equipment: When you look at the equipment requirements for e-commerce, it's not too expensive. If you have a few lights and reflectors for lighting, any DSLR or mirrorless camera, a tripod and a stable base for shooting, you can get by without much. These are just a few of the essential elements you'll need whenever you're shooting a product, which is helpful for a wide range of situations.

• Lighting: Although many of the blog posts advocate for natural light, studio lights will allow you to control the light and enable you to shoot at any time of day. E-commerce photography typically involves white backgrounds and well-lit products and can be easily achieved using just a few studio lights in a small studio.

• Shooting Process: Ideally, this is where you can bring all your planning together. Planning is key to a smooth shooting session, so plan well. Don't forget to pay attention to the details (this is where tethered shooting is most helpful).

• Post Production: Getting as much right in-camera as possible is very important, but use your post-production skills to make the film perfect. This usually involves applying simple crops, raising the exposure slightly or liquifying rough edges.

You can learn more about each of these by visiting our Ecommerce Product Photography section, where you'll discover several functional Photoshop skills to help you enhance your images. Also, you can watch a full practical demonstration of retouching a product shot here.