Product photography is an important part of the selling process. It showcases the product and helps customers make purchase decisions. Listings with excellent images attract more customers and lead to higher sales volumes. Despite this, many business owners choose DIY photography over professional services. DIY photography may seem like a good idea on the surface, but it can have a big impact on your sales volume and brand image. Unless you have some professional photography experience, it is best to hire an expert for the job. Here’s a look at some reasons why DIY photography is a bad idea:
1. Camera Equipment
Professional photographers have excellent camera equipment. They have professional-grade cameras and sophisticated lenses. They can take great pictures outdoors, indoors, and even zoom in for crystal-clear macros shots. While modern mobile phones and point-to-shoot devices have excellent photography capabilities, they don’t produce the same results. You can clearly see the difference between a phone or regular camera and an expensive, professional-grade one.
A wide range of lenses allows expert photographers to take different kinds of pictures easily. They can shoot good-quality images at all locations and from different angles.
2. Planning and Composition
Product photography isn’t as simple as pointing a camera at an item and taking a picture. Experts carry out considerable planning and research before they conduct a shoot. They ask clients a series of questions regarding their brand, target audience, products, and competitors. They also ask the clients what kind of message they want to portray.
Once they have collected all of the information from a direct source, they explore indirect sources by conducting some industry research. They look at product images from your successful competitors and other examples from different locations before coming up with a composition concept. This allows professionals to get the best possible results for their clients.
3. Lighting and Studio Set-Up
Lighting and studio backgrounds are also an important aspect of product photography. Lighting ensures the product is clearly visible and details like color, texture, size, and shape stand out. Lighting also sets the mood for the picture. For example, the lighting can be dramatic, soft, or bright. An experienced photographer will choose the lighting set-up carefully and work with technicians to ensure their photography area is well-lit.
They will also add different background elements based on the client’s preferences. Studio photographers rarely work alone and have a great of experts ready to assist them with different aspects of the shoot. You don’t have the same kind of assistance with DIY photography.
4. Post-Production Editing
A photographer’s job doesn’t stop after they have taken a picture. Even casual photographers use app filters to refine the image. Professionals take it a step further by using software like Photoshop to polish the images. While raw images look great if they’re taken from the right camera and shot under the right conditions, they are still unfinished.
Post-production editing can help refine the picture and remove all flaws from it. A photographer will carefully correct the contrast, light-balance, remove any reflections, and ensure the image is readable. This post-product processing is what sets professional product photography apart from DIY approaches.
5. Different Styles of Photography
There are different styles of photography to consider. You can choose between product-on-white, creative in-studio, or lifestyle photography based on your goals and budget. Experts encourage incorporating all three of the styles into the listing to give prospective customers more information.
Product-on-white background photography highlights the product and doesn’t have any distracting elements in the background. It also showcases the item’s color, dimensions, and shape clearly. Creative in-studio photography is livelier and showcases the product in a dynamic environment. Experts will add relevant background items that highlight the product’s purpose clearly. Lifestyle photography showcases the item in real-life conditions, which can help clients make an informed decision.
6. Photography for Different Platforms
Different platforms have different rules when it comes to product photography. You can set the rules for your business website but need to follow the guidelines on platforms like Amazon or eBay. Fortunately, these e-commerce platforms explain how to take acceptable images that will show up on their listing. Most DIY photographers have to carry out in-depth research and familiarize themselves with the guidelines of different platforms before taking pictures.
Professional photographers have experience and have provided pictures for these platforms before. They are familiar with the guidelines and know what kind of pictures are accepted or rejected by websites like Amazon. They will make sure your product pictures live up to the standards established by third-party websites.
7. Branding and Messaging
Does your product image have personality and represents your brand accurately? Most DIY shots seem to like purpose and don’t convey the brand message clearly. That can have an impact on a customer’s purchase decision and perception of the brand. You need to make sure the image conveys the right message to everyone.
If your brand has a youthful vibe, a professional photographer will make sure the composition conveys it. If your brand luxurious, an expert will alter the lighting and staging to ensure the product looks suitably dramatic. DIY photographers don’t have enough experience or understanding of background illumination to create the right effect.
8. Great ROI
Professional product photography may seem expensive at first glance, but it offers great ROI. A single image can lead to thousands or millions of conversions. A great product image doesn’t just elevate your brand but also helps earn brand loyalty. People are always attracted to good-quality images and will consider your brand trustworthy because of them.
As you can see, professional product photography offers several advantages over regular DIY efforts. You just need to find a reliable photographer with experience in your niche to get the best results. Request quotes from multiple vendors and compare them carefully before choosing a good fit. It is a good idea to focus on local studios as that will cut down the photography and shipment costs considerably. Professional services are nearly a one-time investment and you can use the resultant photographs for several years to come.
