If you think this post is going to be yet another guide to shooting products to sell on eBay, rest easy. I’m going to discuss the fundamentals of everyday, professional commercial work. I’ll provide tips for getting clients, obtaining the right equipment, and constructing and lighting a basic set.
Ever notice how many catalogs, brochures, and sell sheets include product shots on white or simple color backgrounds? There are many reasons why this has become popular. Cost is just one factor. In addition to being relatively inexpensive to shoot, this type of work doesn’t require fancy equipment and gives the client a very flexible product that can be used in many ways.
Getting Clients
It’s surprising how many small and medium-sized companies need a competent photographer to help with their basic imaging needs. Companies are constantly creating or distributing new products – items that have to be added to websites, catalogs, tearsheets, handouts, trade-show documents, manuals, and more. Plus, a growing number of creative “solopreneurs” are creating and selling products online. They are quickly learning that high-quality photography of their products can help generate more sales.
Here are a few tips for converting prospects into clients.
Let them know you exist. Keep in mind that one email, or one mailing, can’t get the job done. People have to see your ads and publicity at least five times before they’ll remember you. Think email, snail mail, pro publication ads, blog posts, web ads, and the like. Update your own website with new work as often as possible.
Seek word-of-mouth, personal referrals. Remind people that you would appreciate any contacts, referrals, or networking opportunities they can send your way.
Always be prepared to show what you can do. If you meet with a prospective client, have good examples of past work, client lists, and business cards ready to go. Many client meetings are set up on impulse, or in response to a last-minute project. It’s always best to be able to say “Sure, I can meet with you tomorrow.”
Keep your fees competitive for your regional market.
Choosing Equipment
Equipment doesn’t have to be best-in-class, but it had better be pro quality. By this I mean at least a
DSLR with an APC-sized sensor, a range of pro-level lenses, three to five decent monolights, a handheld meter, and tripod. You can use halogen/continuous lights instead of strobes, but at close quarters the heat can become an issue.
Does this mean you have to spend $20k to get started or upgrade? Of course not. Think about good quality used equipment. It’s out there, particularly since people are always upgrading their gear. Just about everything mentioned here can be found through private sales and dealers. Rentals are also an option.
Constructing and Lighting the Set
Setting up for product photography isn’t quite as simple as setting up a nylon tent and a couple of lights and firing away.
You can accomplish a lot with a sturdy table, a pair of backdrop stands, a few hand clamps, roll paper,
two to three lights, a couple of light modifiers (soft box or umbrella) and some reflectors. In many cases, clients will want product photographed on an even, white, background so it can be “cut out” in Photoshop and used in multiple applications.
I frequently put a monolight with a softbox on a boom, as shown here.
One benefit of this kind of set-up is that once everything is in place, you can shoot item after item using only small changes and adjustments. Shoot a gray card for color balance at the beginning, and when you change your lighting. I recommend that you shoot with your camera tethered to a laptop – this makes it much easier to see the detail in each shot.
I also recommend that you be meticulous in cleaning up the items before shooting. Dust and fingerprints are more than an inconvenience—they can double your post-production time, costing you time and money. You may need to set up white foamcore or white cloth around the product to kill reflections.
You can also use a large piece of white translucent Plexiglas for your backdrop. This can be set up on a couple of sawhorses, or in a purpose-built shooting table.
The advantage of this is that you can set up one light underneath the Plexi, pointed up, and illuminate the backdrop and product from that direction. This helps kill shadows on the backdrop, and fills in darker areas. Put a colored gel on this light to create a colored backdrop with a nice gradient. You will get the right effect with a bit of practice.
There’s a lot more to this subject. Perhaps most important is “Practice makes perfect.” You can set this up by yourself, and practice with ease in your studio, office, or home. Your goal should be to develop skills to shoot simple and complex objects – including highly reflective ones – and produce images that need minimal work in post-production.
In the next post, I’ll discuss image management issues and post-production techniques.
RELATED POST:
Tips for Basic Product Photography, Part 2: Image Management and Post-Production
