Ecommerce: Tips to Visualize Your Products

Introduction

As with most people, your existing and potential customers are likely to be visually stimulated.

To further entice them to make purchases and put the odds in your favour, definitely give your products a picture. They're worth a thousand words, after all! We've compiled some tips that you might find useful, so read on!

Photographing your Products

Essential Equipment

Here's what you'll need to get started:

Sunlight
If you can't afford specific lighting fixtures, use natural sunlight and adjust as needed to get the right amount.

Camera
Cameras are getting better (and more expensive) these days, so you won't have issues finding a good one, but if you have friends/family that can help you with their professional equipment, use them!

Tripod
A tripod is highly recommended to keep your photos at the same level. Say goodbye to shaky hands!

Backdrop (craft/mahjong paper/plasterboard)
Be creative here; you can have striking (or subtle) backdrops to complement your products, design your own or find backgrounds that best fit your brand image.

Mannequin 
There are loads of half and full-bodied mannequins on the market in various shapes and colours. Search online to find wholesalers in your area or simply use your preferred online marketplace (Lazada, Shopee).

Mannequin bust
Smaller mannequin busts are perfect for displaying jewellery. You can also find mannequins of just an arm and hand which can show off wearables like bracelets, watches and sports bands.

Lightbox
For your smaller items, a lightbox is great for adding contrast and getting evenly-distributed lighting. Again, there are many types and sizes on the market, but you can also make your own! 

Photo editing software
You don't need the best or most expensive tools to enhance photos. Use these to sharpen, increase vibrancy or do any other touch-ups to your images.

You can try Pixlr or Canva, to name a few.

Shot Types

There are a few types of shots to consider, such as:

Product-only
As the name suggests, this would be a full-on shot of your product.

Mannequin
To show off clothing, consider taking shots of outfits worn by mannequins.

Contextual
You'll need to convey the position and purpose of your photos without needing to explain to the viewer. Remember that your background and the amount of lighting used can really say a lot about a photo.

Model
Consider using living models to showcase apparel or to show off your product.

Backstage shots
Best used in social media, these are backstage or behind-the-scenes shots of your brand's events and you can use them to show photos of special guests and activities.

Photo-taking Tips

To summarize, here are the takeaway tips for getting the best images:

• Always have good lighting
• Use a good camera
• Use a tripod
• Remember to post-process your shots

Have fun snapping away!