The picture quality of a product on an e-commerce website plays an essential role in capturing people's attention, encouraging them to click on the page, gain a realistic impression, purchase the product, and retain it afterwards. Savvy brands prioritize e-commerce photography to create perfect imagery of their products.

In today's marketing landscape, experts have discovered that audiences, both on social media and in real life, engage more readily with visual content compared to written content. Due to the effectiveness of pictures in attracting leads, having excellent product images in an online store increases sales conversions more than any other form of marketing content. Professional ecommerce product photography also enhances brand recognition by embedding the image of the product in the minds of prospective buyers, setting them apart from similar items offered by competitors. High-quality images build trust and improve the performance of the store at the bottom line.

The importance of professional e-commerce photographers

E-commerce brands rely on professional photographers to create brilliant, high-definition images of their products, attracting potential customers to make purchases. Using varied and intriguing angles and design concepts, these images highlight the physical features of the products, providing customers with a quick glance at every promising detail they need to know. It's no surprise that brands of all kinds of goods – not just fashion – seek creative and highly skilled photographers who excel not only in capturing the right angles but also in employing techniques that enhance the appeal of their product images.

A guide to excellence in e-commerce product photography

Creating exceptional e-commerce product photography involves much more than placing a product on a plain surface and taking a photo. It requires simple yet detailed techniques, specialized equipment, and a suitable studio setup.

At broncolor, we constantly strive to provide the best tools for professional photographers across various fields of work, including the rapidly growing field of e-commerce photography. Statistics show that in 2023, electronic devices, furniture, and do-it-yourself products, in addition to fashion items, are among the most popular goods on e-commerce platforms.

We've taken the initiative to present three representative products from these categories in a unique way that deviates from the typical e-commerce approach: more freedom, vibrant colors, and creative lighting. Equipped with a selection of power packs, lamp heads, monolights, and an extensive range of light modifiers, this endeavor was set up for success. The results are documented in "how-to" blog posts, complete with behind-the-scenes photos, sketches, equipment details, and explanatory texts.

Photographing a smartphone

This tutorial featuring an Apple iPhone 14 represents smaller (electronic) objects with screens. The premium packaging is included in the image, and the background color is adjusted to match the phone's startup screen. One challenge is to avoid overpowering the screen with excessive light. The use of a white reflective acrylic plate as a base plate creates elegant reflections and a setup reminiscent of a traditional online shop photo. This image could serve as a hero shot on an online store or in printed materials.

https://broncolor.swiss/news/how-to-photographing-a-smartphone

Photographing an office chair

The choice of an office chair serves as an example for furniture photography. Office furniture, especially, is frequently featured in online shops, and realistic images help reduce costly return shipments. Replicating not only the shape and color of the object but also its texture, such as the fabrics, is crucial. Depending on the chair's position, lighting requirements can vary significantly. In the selected setup, four lights offer the flexibility to quickly optimize the lighting for each position using the power setting of the pack's connected lamp. This setup is suitable for both traditional product photography and 360° product images, whether captured manually or through automation.

https://broncolor.swiss/news/how-to-photographing-an-office-chair

Photographing paintbrushes

Presenting low-priced volume items often found in DIY shops presents a challenge, as they need to stand out among the multitude of products listed on e-commerce platforms. While props are typically used in conventional shoots to add an emotional touch, such as plants, vases, fruit arrangements, or people using the product, these might exceed the budget or available time for high-volume e-commerce product photography. Creative and established ecommerce photographers can adopt a different composition style that achieves an equally captivating effect without the need for additional preparations or models: Creative lighting offers limitless possibilities, benefiting e-commerce shops and advertisement campaigns alike.

We've chosen three ordinary paintbrushes to demonstrate how objects can be staged solely through lighting. In this tutorial, discover how these paintbrushes were styled with minimal preparation – just a cord to suspend them in the correct position. Minimal preparation brings in this example maximum impact, with a clear spotlight on the product. Given the relatively small size of the objects, this setup required the use of small, precise light shapers to create sharp shadows.

https://broncolor.swiss/news/how-to-photographing-paintbrushes

At broncolor, we diligently provide top-notch lighting tools, including power packs, lamp heads, monolights, and in particular specialized light shapers for e-commerce photography. We understand the significance of premium product images in the field of e-commerce and would appreciate the opportunity to learn about your key ingredients for exceptional e-commerce shots. Please reach out to us or your local broncolor partner.