Photography for E-commerce

If products do not look great visually they are not going to be sold easily. There are many consumers shopping online today. Photography for e-commerce has become important.

There were disadvantages of shopping online once upon a time. Consumers complained that they were unable to touch or check the products before buying them. The same is of today. But now the pictures of the products are more professional and worthy of buying. This all despite the consumers still cannot touch or feel. But what they see is so eye-catching that it must be bought with the right click! And this is the power of photography for e-commerce. Web store owners also realize that professional photographs of their products are very essential for selling them online. Good-looking pictures can make the buyer feel he/she is able to touch and decide to buy. And this is a great strategy for selling; it is cost effective and less time consuming. The product delivered to the buyer is just the same as the visual with a few varying degrees! And when the buyer does not feel cheated the process of online buying can be continued. So if the online merchant needs to ensure a steady flow of business he can ensure that he has the best product pages. There are many e-commerce photographic jobs that are being done daily by photo studios.

To achieve this some points can prove useful:

Think about how real it can be while one is actually shopping. Making it real means the products shot should look the same. What is in the picture should also be the same when sold to the consumer. This means that quality control is paramount while shooting the products. Each product needs to be displayed with clarity so that the consumer has a choice of zooming on the picture and reading the contents and information.  For the online buyer the visual has to be most riveting. Like regular buying the customer is king while shopping on the Internet. So web store managers who invest in good and high quality pictures of their products fare well when it comes to business.

If you are distributing the same products as an online stockist then don’t use the same looking picture that another store uses. Use power play and get more professional shots done. Outsource the work to a professional firm and see the results. Always take pictures of the same product from different angles. And make sure they are displayed so that the consumer is not deceived in any manner. On the Internet the sales are dependent on the details of the products. Perhaps it is an alternative visual or angle that will help a person to click and buy the item. Details can be done with close up. Hence photos with zoom facility score over others. Product reviews also are important with the pictures. So web managers need to balance the two. Zoom also helps in preparing the consumer for a better and clear view. Photographers are themselves seeking innovative ways to improvise and better their skills. For once it is literally true that one picture can sell better than what a thousand words of a salesman!

Salable Electronics and Appliances Photography is a Need for Web Based Stores

With the use of digital cameras it is possible to shoot anything. Since devices like electronics and appliances are used photographing them is essential. Several clients selling these products online need good photos for buyers to choose the right models.

Sometimes the simplest or minimal style works wonders. Instead of creating drama to sell, some items can do well with less glamour. Electronic items like television sets, ipads, cell phones, music systems score more on their own performance. Hence even if a good looking model with fewer features is not saleable. But a drab looking piece, which has more valuable features, is sold quickly. But the manufacturer will now need a combination of the two to make his products fly off the shelves. He needs to give distributors pictures of all the models. Shooting different models and making a distinction between them for the consumers to buy is a challenge. The photographer should keep in mind how he will shoot different models of the same product and yet make them look distinct. All the photos are taken in high resolution so that they can be printed or used on the web.

The equipment and tools required will be a good quality camera with lens, contrasting tabletops or any other backdrop for placing the electronic devices. If the camera has a few basic editing programs it is ideal. If not the rest of the work can be carried over the imaging software. Since some items like television sets and refrigerators can be big and cannot be shifted a portable tripod or a steady handy camera is essential.  Foam and umbrellas for lighting may also be required at some stage so keep them also in the checklist.

While aiming for the shoot the shutter speed of 1/60th of a second is ideal. The camera flash should not be used when artificial lighting is being set up. If the product throws off a glint or glare then white balance needs to be adjusted also. Wide-angle lens is used to capture the inside and out parts. For example a refrigerator that has been opened to show its compartments-it needs a wide-angle lens for the shoot. Several pictures will have to be taken to choose one of the best. While taking pictures of laptops one may have an issue of barrel distortion. This can be taken care of with the zoom and use of right focal length.

Image editing can also be required after the shots are taken. The pictures can be cropped or even re-sized. Text can be added like technical specifications of the products. When so much visuals and information is given on the website it is easier for the consumer to buy the products. Home appliances like mix grinders; irons washing machines also can be shot in the same format.

This information is very useful for clients who have a sizable web presence. They should be able to get this service from any outsourcing professional company. As they add new products to their inventory they will need pictures also. A professional company pays attention to all the detailing while shooting. It can make the proper distinction between the models of the products even if they look similar on the face. Trust a good service provider for such important jobs.

Pack-shot Photography is a Constant Challenge for Specialists

Creative pack shot photography has become a competitive trend with Internet giving way to many businesses of web vendors. Photographers need to come with better ideas of doing pack shots.

At one time simply putting all the products on a single table in rows was considered the most preferred way to do pack shot photography. Today the technology has changed. So have the techniques and the creative content. The products are clicked in more innovative styles. Each now client gets a better result as the constant challenge continues to bring in brisk business. In a way with technology the craft has been simplified. But the art is now deceptive. It comes with some caveats depending on the products that are showcased. Today the photos have to be worthy of being purchased. Thus a professional service studio is more in demand for this work.

The traditional way to shoot a bevy of products is to cut out the dramatic effects of lights, now shadows falling, no reflections creating illusions or any other thing to destroy the impact of the product itself. Can this be possible? It sounds like the most boring shot to do. But a creative photographer will not rest on his laurels. He will still use his grey cells to invent better and smart versions. One smart style is to lay the products on a flat surface and have a curved background. Why? It gives an appearance of an infinite space in the atmosphere. So the products even if they are all together do not look cluttered. It is not only professional but also aesthetic to look at. Few designs have been captured like this in magazines or newspapers or brochures. This is just one of the several ways to shoot the entire pack.

Whether one likes or not minimum two sources of light are required to flash on the products. The two lights from opposite source ends will work towards clarity without giving a dazzle or flash of over exposure. Avoid flat lighting of the standard camera. It can make the visual look boring and the contents of the product will not be justified. Soft lights are acceptable but not the bright florescent ones that could change the color scheme. This also may distort the original look of the pack shot. It is also over a time that many photographers have realized that reflections can be uncanny. For example if one is shooting steel containers getting the reflections right can be a tedious job. But if achieved it can have a wonderful effect to the items being shot together. Just the right bit of illumination works fine.

Pack shot photography can pack a punch also after the shots have been taken. Since they are shot with the digital cameras, it is best to upload the pictures and check on the computer. Image processing can be applied if depth needs to be given to the overall effect. In advertising such possibilities do arise when branding exercises are used in print or web media. With the help of the editing the overall look can also be made more crisp and clean. Additions like text and messages can explain the shot better.