Product Photography: Your Hidden and Powerful Advertisement
It’s a well-known fact that first impressions matter. That’s why having high-quality photography is so crucial for a brand. After all, it’s often the first point of contact for potential customers, and can greatly influence their perception of a company.
Why is product photography so interesting and inspiring?
Thanks to the technical capabilities of smartphones, we all take pictures now, but few of us create exciting shots. This is the essence of art and photography — to evoke emotions in the viewer and leave a positive experience in their mind.
Every photographer who has dabbled in product photography aims to present their products in the most beautiful way possible. However, as practice shows, this doesn’t always happen, and sometimes the final result can be quite disappointing. But what is the most important aspect of product photography?
During my time as a graphic designer for the cosmetic company Aroma, I was tasked with creating a creative and engaging brochure for their night face cream. To develop a beautiful brochure, we needed high-quality product photos. In this case, the company hired a well-known local photographer who assured us that we would receive professionally shot images of all the products.
The next day, we delivered all the products we wanted photographed to his studio. After three days, the photographer sent us the finished photos via email. And guess what the result was: DISAPPOINTING! Some of the images were out of focus, the composition was utterly standard and boring, and the colors of some of the products appeared muted and unnatural. This inadvertently made my task quite challenging. As a graphic designer, I know how difficult it is to create a beautiful brochure with such poor-quality images. I realize that perhaps the photographer didn’t expect such a disappointing result either, but photography is an art, and in art, you never know what the final result will be.
My first steps in product photography
Over time, I realized that if I wanted beautiful and interesting images, it might be a good idea for me to start practicing product photography myself. This way, I would achieve the results I expected. After all, I graduated from an art academy, and most photographers are self-taught and even some have no formal education in the field. And so, my journey into the realm of product photography began.
I started studying it at the art academy and then invested time and money into acquiring professional equipment suitable for product photography. The results came quickly. Thanks to my education at the art academy, I had practical knowledge of composition, color theory, editing, and retouching photos. I already knew how I wanted a product to look in order to use it for advertising purposes later on.
I began to distinguish between different lenses that are suitable for capturing products. I also purchased a Full Frame professional camera. I now apply all this knowledge in my creative photo sessions and use them for various types of products, including jewelry, perfume photography, and cosmetic product shoots. I am grateful for this decision, which has given me great freedom to capture products the way I envision them as an artist and then edit them as a designer.
I always strive for natural and genuine images
This is a closed process where you need to know every next step. Sometimes the photo is successful from the first shot; other times, however, good editing and retouching are required, and in many cases, the concept itself may even need to be changed during the shoot.
Another strong trait of mine in product photography is that I do not use additional flashes or softboxes. This is because such setups often make the photographs appear somewhat unnatural, and when something is unnatural, it also looks artificial. Who would want their product images, which they intend to use for their online store, to look artificial?
So, when you really need quality product images, consider the opportunity to cover the entire process, allowing you to achieve fantastic shots along with excellent editing to end up with great color and creative composition. I hope you take the time to check out all the images in my portfolio and that you enjoy them.
Explore the other two services I provide to help boost your brand
Logo Design
A logo is super important for building a solid business identity.
Packaging Design
Elevate your brand with my creative packaging design.