Salla, the Future of E-commerce: An Easy Platform to Start Your Business

Professional product photography is one of the essential elements in product marketing online. When a customer takes a look at the product image, they can evaluate it and get to know it better, which increases the likelihood of their purchase. In other words, if a picture is worth a thousand words, an outstanding product image will mean thousands of visits to your e-commerce site. 

 There are many factors to consider when shooting to ensure high-quality and reliable images. For example, it is necessary to choose the appropriate lighting, determine the optimal shooting angle, carefully focus on the minor details of the product, and much more that we will talk about in this article on how to photograph products professionally, including caring for background details and focusing on its precise elements and appropriate colors.

Salla offers you 6 tips on how to photograph products professionally 

Product photography is not that simple; they all require equipment, lighting, and appropriate space to produce the most beautiful images of products that are sold directly from purchase and shopping pages. 

Here are 6 tips provided by Salla to its merchants so they can capture high-quality images, and to show them the most prominent supplies that a merchant might need to photograph their products and market them effectively in a way that attracts visitors and potential customers to move quickly to the purchasing decision step.

 1- Do not hesitate to use your smartphone camera

Not every photographer is expected to do this and practice photography as a hobby or profession for professional product photography using a high-quality 50-megapixel camera with only a 100mm prime lens. The tech world has changed, including its photography methods and professional tools, and since it is a smart world - as it is described - the photographer must also be smart so that their photography is not limited to this circle of tools only, to the exclusion of other less complex devices.

If you already own a camera that fits this description, there is no problem investing it in your marketing. But for many types of products, it is perfectly acceptable to take product photos with a smartphone.

As the latest smartphones feature powerful camera lenses and settings that allow you to optimize your shots for different types of light and environments that you might capture to achieve a high level of professional product photography at a lower cost.

And if you need more convincing, try looking at Apple's Shot On An iPhone campaign and the images that resulted from it over the years, like this image:

2- For image consistency; shooting with a tripod 

Before explaining these tripods of tools, there is a golden rule that says:

     "Do not prop your phone on a moving object to point your lens at the product"

As it is very easy for this temporary setup to slip during shooting and cause inconsistencies in the look of your photos. If you place the camera on a stack of books, for example, just make sure that this arrangement does not change throughout the shoot.

We also remind you that there is no harm in holding the camera yourself when taking some product photos for your e-commerce site. But as your business grows and you take more photos of many products, it might be difficult to standardize the orientation of the product in each photo when shooting by hand. To ensure this consistency across all your products, and in pursuit of professional product photography, you will need a tripod.

• Below are two types of tripods that you should look at before purchasing:

• Traditional vs. Flexible: Traditional tripods are available for both cameras and smartphones.

(And by the way, you can find one of these tripods through a local application among millions of other products, like this one) 

You can control the flexible tripod in several ways by bending its legs and placing it on different surfaces to get the angle you want.

Mobile phone grip:

Often there is a movable screw at the top of the tripod that connects to the camera to hold it in place. The underside of most professional cameras has a threaded hole just for this purpose, but smartphones can use the following adapter:

The adapter grips the sides of your smartphone and can secure to any type of tripod, allowing you to operate camera controls with the phone screen facing out towards you.

  Once you have determined which tripod you will need, set it up in front of your product and consider placing three pieces of tape on the floor to mark where you want to place each leg of the tripod throughout the shoot for professional product photography.

3- Look for natural light, and if the sun sets, create artificial light

"Never underestimate the immense power created by certain types of light!"

 In professional product photography, lighting controls the improvement or hindrance of your product photography. Remember that buyers get the best look at an item in person by believing what their eyes see, where they can see everything they need before purchasing. 

The correct lighting arrangement helps you reveal product features which in turn will influence the critical decisions of all your site visitors about buying and continuing to shop.

"And one lighting setup is not required to work with every product; a lighting arrangement that works for some products may diminish the appearance of others"

• There are two types of light you can choose as your main light source: 

• Natural Light: 

Natural light simply refers to sunlight. It is also known as "soft light" because the sun casts a larger, softer range of light than a lamp or light fixture shining directly on the product. 

• E-commerce product shots are often characterized by natural light if:

• The product is filmed or intended to be used outdoors.

• The product is used, worn, or photographed with a person (as people look better in natural light)

• You are trying to focus on the product's surroundings, rather than the specific features of the product.

Here is an example of professional product photography via a photo taken using natural light:

Artificial Light:

Artificial lighting includes candles, fire and heat sources, and most commonly, lamps. 

This type of light is also referred to as "hard light" as it produces a smaller but more focused area of light. This light is also suitable for products with physical details that need to be highlighted to impress the online shopper.

And here is another example of using artificial light for photography:

As a general rule, stick to only one type of light per image - natural or artificial - and adding natural light to an artificially lit image can soften a product that is supposed to look sharp. Also, adding artificial light to a naturally lit image can sharpen a product that is supposed to look soft. 

4- To soften shadows; fill the light or make it reflective

Whether you are using natural or artificial light, you will need to reduce the shadows cast by any potential harsh light on the opposing side of the product.

• There are three ways to do this:

• Fill light

Include another less intense light source to supplement the main light. This additional light is called your "fill light" and is used as a counterweight to soften the natural shadow produced by the main light behind an object.

To do this, place the fill light opposite the main light so that your product is positioned between the two light sources.

• Bounce Card / Flashbulb

A bounce card or reflector card is a small card that reflects or bounces the main light back onto the surface below the product to reduce shadows.

Some bounce cards connect to the "flash" of a professional camera lens to disperse the light from the camera flash. This card disperses a softer light onto the target from above the elements - instead of pointing it directly - so that there is no lingering trace of shadows behind the product you are shooting while applying professional product photography techniques.

In the image below white screens (left) and foil (right) can diffuse the flash light:

• Standalone Bounce Card

If you are shooting with a smartphone camera for professional product photography, a flashbulb bounce card is not an option; because there is no physical flash you can connect it to. Instead, make a self-standing bounce card placed opposite the main light source.

For beginners in product photography, this bounce card can effectively replace the fill light, which compensates for the hard light from your camera flash or lamp facing the front of your product.

5- To focus on the product, use sweep or portrait mode

There is no single correct way to place your product and position lights or bounce cards for professional product photography, as it can change significantly depending on your background - and that doesn’t mean choosing a specific background based on what is easiest to create - as backgrounds must resemble the way you want buyers to perceive your product when they see it online.

First consider whether you want a white background or a more dynamic, realistic background. There is an easy way to achieve each:

• White background = Sweep

For white backgrounds when applying professional product photography tips, it is not as simple as setting up a table against a white wall, as even smartphone cameras can pick up tiny imperfections on a white wall that you wouldn't notice with the naked eye. To capture a perfect white background without corners or blemishes, use a sweep, just like the image:

By sweep we mean: a large bendable sheet of paper, the bottom of which acts as the surface beneath your product and then bends upwards into a white wall behind the product.

• On the camera: the curve of the sweep is invisible, emphasizing key product details and allowing the item to catch the eye of every visitor to your site. This confirms your success in applying professional product photography techniques.

Here is a side-by-side comparison showing why the sweep process is important:

 Where the right side shows the image with the sweep feature, unlike the left side.

• Realistic background: Portrait Mode

In professional product photography, realistic dynamic backgrounds are highly attractive when photographing products that have a specific use or are styled by a person.

However, it is easy for a real life scene background to steal the focus of the photo, making the item/product far from clear. Therefore, give your product depth and focus with portrait mode, and this camera setup is available on most professional cameras to obtain professional product photography, and is also available on many new smartphones. This function blurs the background so that the product context is clear but does not compete with the product itself, for example:

6- Capturing a variety of images

The last tip in the field of e-commerce product photography and for applying professional product photography techniques is not to stop at one image for each product. Just as your customers search for items in a store, hold them, use them, and even try them, your business site must be populated with a wide range of images to simulate this exact experience.

If you are photographing clothing - for example - take photos of the clothes alone - spread on a white surface - as well as on a mannequin to showcase the product colors even better.

After that, for additional photos, style the clothes on a person, allowing you to take product photos from different poses and angles of the person.

In conclusion, do not feel lost or stressed out about shooting every product. All you have to do is apply the professional product photography tips above gradually to see what makes your store look its best. Step by step, your approach will change as your photography skills improve.