In this article I will list basic and pro product photography equipments. You know that a good photo is worth more than a thousand words, but a great product photo means thousands of customers for that product. Product photography is one of the most effective ways to attract an audience to a shopping website or Instagram page.
Product photography is a special branch of commercial photography that wants to show the products to the customers. The purpose of product photography is to show the features of a product that can be used in Online Stores, Social Media, Advertising Campaigns, Posters, Catalogs, Commercial Brochures, etc.
According to statistics and surveys, for more than 93% of online shops customers, product photos are one of the most important factors in deciding about that product.
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What product photography equipment do you need to start?
To start shooting, firstly you just need a camera. You don’t need to have an expensive DSLR. You can use your iPhone to start shooting. But if you want to take photos like a pro, it’s better to have some starter equipment.
As a shortlist, you need these items:
- Camera
- Tripod
- Lighting
- LightBox
- LED Lights
If you want to use natural light, you just need a camera and a tripod. In this case, you should spend a few dollars on some different papers with different colors for the backdrop and some foamboards to use as a reflector.
1. Camera
The most expensive of product photography equioments. To start the experiment, you can use your phone, but if you have a plan to be a pro, you should start with a DSLR or Mirrorless. Regardless of which camera you choose, be sure to know the capabilities and features of your camera. if you want to know more about camera settings basics please read my related article.
2. Tripod
Whether you are using a camera or a phone, a tripod will help you capture beautiful and better images. With a tripod, you can put your camera at some different angle with stability.
Except that, if you want to use the daylight or any other none professional light source, you need to take pictures with low ISO and slow shutter speed. The tripod will help you to avoid shaking the camera.
3. Lighting
This is the most important Product Photography Equipment. The right light can make a huge difference between casual footage or professional-looking product photos so. For using natural light you need to be close to the window or set your equipment outdoor. Cloudy days are best for using natural light. Because the light will be softer and smoother. But you can still take pictures in direct sunlight. In that case, you can use a white sheet to making the sunlight softer.
If you want to use artificial light, you can use a desk lamp, LED lamp, or Speed lights.
You should remember that each one of these lights has a different temperature. So before the start, You should set the right white balance for the best result.
LightBox
The lightbox will help you to reflect light in all directions. Most of the time We using a lightbox for small-size products. A lightbox looks like a tent with white fabric.
You don’t need to spend money on the lightbox. You can build it in less than 10 min. To create a simple lightbox, you just need a white sheet and paper clips.
LED Lights
In my opinion, the best option for LED lighting is RGB led lighting, because you can change the temperature and the light intensity on it. So if you want budget investment on the light, the RGB led lights will be very good choices.
4. White background
Another important product photography equipment. There are lots of options for a white background, such as a white sweep, a paper sweep or even a poster board. Since sweeps get dirty easily, it might be a good idea to use the paper sweep; you can cut off the dirty part and roll a new piece down. Always remember to look for pure white because off-white or cream sweeps make it more difficult to make pure white.
5. White bounce cards made of foam board
In the case you are lighting with window light, there will be a bright side where the light exposes the product, and a shadow side which could be typically too dark. Therefore, it seems necessary to use something white to reflect the light back into the shadows in order to brighten it up. A good option can be foam board that makes a great bounce card as it is rigid and white.
Alternatively, a black foam board can be used to make the shadows deeper. Photographer use it especially if they are shooting a white product on a white background. Also, the combination of a white bounce card on the front and black bounce cards behind the product provides a better lighting for a more sophisticated setup.
6. Table tents for product photography
Table tents are a kind of contraption with translucent sides. It is mostly used to diffuse the light which comes from multiple sides to the object being photographed. It allows the nearly shadowless lighting in contrast to a simple background.