{"id":28441,"date":"2023-03-06T09:40:30","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T09:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/localhost:10003\/ecommerce-photography\/"},"modified":"2023-04-26T10:23:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T09:23:56","slug":"ecommerce-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/ecommerce-insights\/ecommerce-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Taking the Best Ecommerce Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When selling online, photographs can be powerful. There\u2019s nothing quite like a photograph to showcase your product, catch some eyes, and generate sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m writing this, grudgingly, as a copywriter. Words are important, of course, but when it comes to getting your products noticed, photography and video are key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But eCommerce photography is a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do it right, and reap the rewards. Do it wrong, and well, people are going to notice for all the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While photography remains an art, we\u2019re thankfully living in an age where even bad photographers can take good photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smartphones, filters, and software make it easier than ever for a newbie photographer to take professional-looking photos with just a little bit of research, rather than a degree and thousands of pounds worth of kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this article<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/ecommerce-insights\/ecommerce-photography\/#why-is-good-ecommerce-photography-important\" >Why is good eCommerce photography important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/ecommerce-insights\/ecommerce-photography\/#tips-for-taking-better-ecommerce-photographs\" >Tips for taking better eCommerce photographs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/ecommerce-insights\/ecommerce-photography\/#how-to-give-yourself-more-time-to-take-ecommerce-photos\" >How to give yourself more time to take eCommerce photos<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-is-good-ecommerce-photography-important\"><\/span>Why is good eCommerce photography important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, the quality of your photographs are going to influence a customer decision on whether or not they\u2019re going to buy your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How much or how little influence differs between business and industry, but for most businesses, the quality of photographs can make or break a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at the why in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breaking through the noise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While we\u2019re talking about the visual rather than the auditory senses today, \u2018breaking through the noise\u2019 remains an appropriate if not slightly confusing metaphor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The internet is noisy &#8211; there\u2019s hundreds and hundreds of advertisements, photographs, notifications, and other noises competing for attention on our screens each and every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An interesting, unique, and high-quality photograph can help you stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Filling in the gaps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying online, customers don\u2019t have the luxury of physically picking up a product. It makes it harder for customers to get a sense of whether it\u2019s the right product for them, as it\u2019s more difficult to make a connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While a photograph can\u2019t teleport a product to your customer for them to hold, it\u2019s the next best thing. High quality photographs from various angles and distances helps customers to make a buying decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some cases, a flattering photograph may even result in customers buying a product they might\u2019ve never seen or considered before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building a brand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality photographs can help you build a better brand. They can help make your brand more recognisable and trustworthy, and help you to tell stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers can usually smell a stock image from a mile away, and such photos can often come across as generic and boring. These are some of the worst adjectives in the English language to describe a brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a more positive note, photography can be an excellent way to cost-effectively build a better brand. Focus on what makes your company unique, whether that\u2019s your people, your building, your story, or your personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Being the real deal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perception is important. If a customer arrives at your website and finds amateur-looking photographs, first impressions take a beating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"tips-for-taking-better-ecommerce-photographs\"><\/span>Tips for taking better eCommerce photographs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create a studio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Setting up a studio or designated area to take photographs can result in better quality photos and more efficient photography sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to hire a professional studio space or spend thousands of pounds on high-spec equipment and peripherals. Here\u2019s what you should consider for your studio:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Camera:<\/strong> A DSLR camera is handy, but by no means essential. Most modern smartphones have fantastic cameras that are more than up to the task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tripod:<\/strong> A good way to keep your camera still as you snap, and makes it much easier to get the desired angle and focus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Window:<\/strong> The more natural light you have in your scene, the better. While lighting equipment allows for a bit more flexibility in where you set up, it\u2019s an unnecessary expense. Natural light works better anyway, so set up next to a window if you can.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Surface:<\/strong> A simple, sturdy table or desk is perfect for most products. Bathe your table in as much natural light as possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Background:<\/strong> A plain, white background is best for product photography, as it keeps attention focused on where you want it &#8211; the product!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Experiment with different shots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the spirit of creating a good variety of photographs to display across your website and social channels, it\u2019s important to experiment with different types of shots. Here are some of the most common shots:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Individual shots:<\/strong> A single product within the frame. These are useful to showcase best-sellers and high-margin products across your website, including banner images, featured images, and more. Perfect for flagship products that you want to shine in their own light.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group shots:<\/strong> More than one product in the frame. Group shots can be useful to show off bundles and collections, or show comparisons between different products. For example, if you sell hand cream in a variety of different sizes, you might want to photograph them next to each other so customers can compare.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Close-ups:<\/strong> Perfect for drawing attention to the details and intricacies of your products. They\u2019re particularly useful for jewellery, certain hand-made goods, and other items where the devil is in the details.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Context shots:<\/strong> Showcase your products in action. That might be a model wearing your apparel, using your appliance, or eating your food. Context shots can tell a story, and make it easier for the customer to imagine themselves using it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Backgrounds and props<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While we\u2019d always recommend plain backgrounds on your product pages, sometimes it can be a good idea to get creative with backgrounds and props for marketing material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way of doing this is to grab some props and head to a real location to do a shoot. Depending on the product, it could be on a beach, in the big city, inside a forest, or a million and one other places that make sense for your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Location shooting is a luxury not everybody can afford, however. It\u2019s perfectly valid to digitally add a background to your products, or grab a few props to add to your studio. It\u2019s a chance to get creative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Add a watermark to your eCommerce photographs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, there\u2019s a lot of people out there who, given half the chance, would copy your photographs for their own website. This is especially true if you\u2019re selling products that can\u2019t be identified by a logo or another element that\u2019s unique to your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, a watermark can be easily added to the images you\u2019ve worked long and hard to perfect, preventing unsavoury folk from copying your hard work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A watermark is an extremely faint overlay on your image, usually displaying your business name or logo, that acknowledges you as the original owner of the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s lots of free software out there that can do this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optimize eCommerce photos for your website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have a batch of great photographs, it\u2019s time to display them on your website. If you\u2019re using a website builder, most photographs will automatically be scaled correctly so they don\u2019t stretch or pixelate when you upload them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, you may need to manually scale or crop images appropriately to meet the recommended specifications of your theme or page builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also important to ensure the images don\u2019t take too long to load on your website. Images that don\u2019t load instantly are a recipe for a poor user experience and negative SEO. It might be necessary to reduce the file size of an image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most CMSs have plugins available that will automatically do this for you when you upload an image. Failing that, there are plenty of free tools out there that can do the job for you, before you upload the photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t forget to add some alternative (alt) text to your images when you upload them. It makes your website more accessible for impaired users and has enormous SEO benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-give-yourself-more-time-to-take-ecommerce-photos\"><\/span>How to give yourself more time to take eCommerce photos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\u2019ve covered here today, you needn\u2019t break the bank in order to produce some high-quality, professional, and interesting eCommerce photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But one thing that is definitely required is time. This rings especially true if you\u2019ve got a lot of SKUs or stock that changes regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We understand how difficult finding the time can be, especially when there are hundreds of other day-to-day aspects of running a business that demand your attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fulfilling orders is probably one of these time-sinks. That\u2019s where we come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">J&amp;J Global Fulfilment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>J&amp;J are an industry-leading <a href=\"\/en_US\/order-fulfillment\/third-party-logistics\/\">3PL<\/a> with fulfillment center across the world. We can take care of <a href=\"\/en_US\/order-fulfillment\/\">every aspect of fulfillment for you<\/a>, including storage, picking, packing, shipping, and returns management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We put time back into your pocket while creating a fulfillment experience that\u2019s scalable, reliable, and FAST. We\u2019re confident that your customers will love what we do, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more, don\u2019t hesitate to give us a call on <a href=\"tel:01604968820\">+44(0)1604 968 820<\/a>, or fill in this <a href=\"#requestQuote\">quick and easy online contact form.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When selling online, photographs can be powerful. There\u2019s nothing quite like a photograph to showcase your product, catch some eyes, and generate sales. I\u2019m writing this, grudgingly, as a copywriter. Words are important, of course, but when it comes to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[377],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecommerce-insights"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"James Dillon","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/eCom-Photog-1.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/eCom-Photog-1.png","author_info":{"display_name":"J&amp;J Global Fulfilment","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/author\/james-and-james\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}