5 Simple Tips for Photographing Your Merchandise

Whether you sell online or in a physical store, creating a solid online presence is key to keeping your store top of mind with customers. Your website and social media accounts need to reflect the style and quality of the merchandise you carry and should showcase the items you currently have available.

Jan 20, 2017 They won’t deliver the same end result as hiring a product photographer with a DSLR, but you can take perfectly good photos of your products in the meantime. You just need to know a few tips and tricks. Related: Simple Product Photography Tips to Beautifully Showcase on Your Store. Get the Right Camera.

Here are 5 simple tips to help you produce high-quality images of your merchandise for your website and social media accounts.

For now, if you’re taking photos for a brand, invest in a higher resolution point-and-shoot camera so that your great shots stay looking great on Facebook and elsewhere on the social web. These are just a few ways you can smarten up the visual and creative appeal of the content you’re creating for your social channels. 5 Tips for Taking Product Photos On Your Phone Carrie Cousins. Carrie is a designer and content marketer. She works promoting the Roanoke Region of Virginia and has more than 10 years of media and marketing experience. Clean Your Lens. Before you even take a photo – clean the lens of your camera! This will make sure that the image is nice and clear! Don’t Use the Filters on Your Phone. You want to avoid using the filters that already exist on your phone I mean, you CAN use these filters but I wouldn’t suggest using them and then using my presets. If you’re taking a photo of something in motion, for example, it can be difficult for your camera to follow this subject and refocus as needed. Tap the screen to correct your phone camera’s focus just before snapping the picture to ensure the moving subject has as much focus as possible.

1. Know Your Camera

It’s amazing what you’ll learn spending an hour reading your camera’s manual, watching a video tutorial on taking pictures with your smart phone or taking a photography class at your local community college. It’s a small time investment now that will pay off big in the end.

Bonus Resource!

Check out this page here for tutorials on how to take better pictures with your iPhone.

2. Define Your Photo Area

Spend some time taking a look around your store to find a few locations that can be your go-to places for taking pictures of your merchandise. Look for backdrops that showcase the style of your store and aren’t too cluttered. Make sure there’s plenty of natural light so you don’t have to use your camera’s flash.

Pro Tip: Try pulling the items you’re photographing 4-6 feet out from the wall or back drop. This will give your image more depth and can help reduce visual clutter.

3. Turn Off Your Flash

Whenever possible, turn your flash off. Using the flash can wash out your merchandise and cause glares. Natural light always works best. Make sure the sun is to your back. It should be shining on your subject from behind the camera, not shining into your camera’s lens.

4. Accessorize Your Photos

Little details can go a long way. Pull in other items from your store that compliment the item you’re photographing and will help shoppers imagine how they will use it. If you need to use something to help display an item (like a hanger or a table) make sure it’s clean, interesting and fits the style of your store.

Bonus Resource!

Need some photo staging inspiration? Click here for more, easy ideas!

5. Show Off the Details

Think about what your shoppers will love about an item and make sure you capture those details when you take pictures. Photograph items at different angles and distances to highlight their best features. Use photo collages to showcase those unique details on your web site and social media accounts.

Pro Tip: Your shoppers look to you for advice as an expert on the merchandise you sell. Use the photographs of your merchandise to make recommendations on how to wear or use items. The images you use should help your shoppers imagine incorporating your merchandise into their lives.

Want more digital merchandising resources? Check out the Boutique Window blog here!

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