Product photography– what is it?

We thought we would give you the low-down on what exactly it is

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though many of you may read the title of this blog and think, “well that is totally self-explanatory…” we thought we would give you the low-down on what exactly it is just so there is no confusion regarding the topic.

when someone refers to product photography (also known as e-commerce photography), they are talking about the photos taken of a particular product that are used on an online platform– whether it be for an online store or for social media. these photos are used to encourage sales of the product or service of a business. 

in commercial photography, typically the niche of ‘product photography’ is highly specialized, in that the photographers are more technically advanced as manipulating light via studio strobes is essential. in addition to knowing the technical side of photography, there are creative nuances that a successful product photographer should also be adept in. 

the main difference between e-commerce and creative photography:

ecomm photos are the bread and butter of product photography. the images show customers what they are purchasing and are quintessential to selling a product online. typically these images are the more basic shots of a product on pure white which have a 

creative product photography is when the fun really begins! say you had a product line of candles and you really wanted to include props so customers can understand the scents of the product. you could add in flowers, spices or natural ingredients to make the scene pop. these photos can now help tell a bit more of a story and can also be used for advertising purposes! 

as well as being used for advertising purposes, product photos are commonly included to supplement blogs, press releases, social media posts, product pages, email marketing campaigns and many other customer touchpoints. whatever their purpose, they are all examples of product imagery.

why is product photography important?

the effectiveness of product photos in boosting sales and attracting customers is well-documented. according to entrepeneur.com, consumers say they have bailed on a purchase because they didn’t trust the image they saw. the same article also notes that 67 percent of consumers consider high-quality product images to be more important than the actual product description.

product photography is a quintessential accompaniment to any store, whether it be online or for in-store promotion! as the world shifts towards more virtual and online offerings, ecommerce product photography is becoming more and more essential to a business’s online presence. 

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