Rebecca here from Rebecca Hannah Photo, I’m a photographer based in South West France who specialises in Business Branding, with a professional’s guide to go beyond the basics for images that actually sell your products.

Your product photos are - by far - your website’s biggest asset when converting visitors into buyers.

They are often your potential customer’s first impression of your brand. Whether that’s on social media or your website, studies consistently show that visitors focus on visual elements first, so you need to make a good impression.

Without being able to hold your product, your customers rely on photos to make their purchasing decision. We now know that people feel most comfortable purchasing after viewing at least 3-4 photos.

Product photos are your online “storefront” and if done well, offer an experience as compelling as a brick and mortar store. This is especially true in industries like apparel, jewellery, and cosmetics.

Impactful product photography builds and defines your brand, amplifies your voice, and makes your business stand out in a saturated market.

So what can you do right now with your product photos, to more effectively convert browsers into buyers?

This post may contain affiliate links. These are denoted by a *. If you make a purchase via one of these links I may get a small kickback. I only recommend products and services I use and love myself! Thanks in advance :)

Pick a theme for your product photos and stick with it

People are more likely to purchase from a brand they feel familiar with, a brand they trust. So before you pick up a camera you must have a clearly defined brand vision. Your product photos are your store, how do you want people to feel when they “walk in”?

What kind of lifestyle do your products suit?
Is your brand voice fun and energetic, elegant and sophisticated, or timeless and classic?
What backgrounds, props, and locations match this lifestyle or “vibe”?
What colours compliment this theme?

For example, one of my clients is a producer of beautiful handmade soaps. I photographed them with her worn wooden workbench as the background, I added accents of the ribbon she uses to wrap them, and we created something that tells her story, builds her brand, and authentically showcases the raw, handmade nature of her products. This is also a theme that she can easily replicate on her own in future.

2. Create a photography setup for success

Without a foundation you can return to again and again, each of your photoshoots will look different to the last. This goes against our goal of building that brand familiarity.

My advice is make it easy for yourself.

Pick a camera, and lighting situation that a) you have consistent access to and b) is easy to use.

Camera: Your phone’s camera is absolutely good enough. In fact, I recommend using it, as it’s the camera you’re most familiar with (unless you use a DSLR or mirrorless camera often). Phone cameras have driven camera technology to where it is today, so they certainly have what it takes to produce a quality image.

Please, no matter which camera you use - Clean The Lens - before you take a single photo. It may also be worth investing in a stand or tripod if you’re going to be taking many photos in the same place.

Lighting: To build your brand image with consistency in all your photos, choose a lighting situation that is easy to access. For example, if you like the “harsh sunlight, dark shadows” look, you’ll need somewhere outdoors to shoot. A lightbox can be a worthwhile investment if you regularly produce new products. However, for a low cost option that will show your products ‘true to life’, simply choose the brightest room in your home or workspace. You can hang a sheer curtain on sunny days to diffuse the light, remove it on cloudy days, shoot from the same spot and angle every time and voila; image consistency = brand familiarity.

*Captured on iPhone 12 - Portrait mode - Outdoors - No edits*

3. Keep it real - avoid over editing your product photos

To edit or not to edit, that is the question.

If you’ve followed the steps above, then editing your photos too much can actually be detrimental. As your photos aren’t going to look exactly like the product your customers will receive. More than 20% of all product returns are made because the product didn’t match the photos. So you want to tweak as little as possible.

Maybe toggle the brightness and contrast but don’t touch the saturation. I strongly advise against using generic/premade filters. Your phone’s built-in editor will be powerful enough for the tweaks we’re talking about. For a little more nuance, the Adobe Lightroom app is free and very easy to use. It also lets you save your style as a preset that you can then apply to photos in bulk.

To remove the background entirely (or replace it with a solid colour), Adobe Express is an extremely easy-to-use app, you can remove a photo’s background with a single tap.

4. Get photos of your products in action

The best way to sell something is to show off the benefits. That is, how a person is better off with your product. Showing your product in context, allows your customers to picture themselves with it, and want it.

If you can’t personally get photos of your products in action (for example you make baby clothes but your “baby” is now 4 years old). Do a giveaway of your products or “model call” on Instagram for photos in return.

Example: These were a couple I did for someone I had connected with over Instagram:

*She only needed photos of the pants but once I saw that there was a matching jumper, I had to buy it, and she got free photos. Win all around!*

5. Hire a professional product photographer

As a business owner, you wear many hats, and all of those hats are overflowing with work to be done. Often the best thing we can do (but seldom do) is outsource. Your product photography is an area you really want to get right and it’s a photographer’s job to make your products look irresistible.

A photographer that specialises in branding can help you come up with a vision for your brand and bring it to life, right before your eyes. Get an album of beautiful product images, ready to be added to your website and sprinkled through people’s Instagram feeds for many months to come.

If you don’t have a photographer in your neck of the woods, never fear. If your product can be shipped, it can be shipped to a photographer. Remote shoots allow you to go with the pro of your choosing, not just the one who lives closest. And you might even get a good deal if they get to keep your products 😉

For more on how to choose a photographer read this!

In summary

Want to build a recognizable, trusted brand, and sell more products?

Invest in consistent, quality product photography.
Photograph your products as true to life as possible, and show potential customers how they’ll improve their lives.