Shoot Product Photography at Home

Product photography is a section of commercial photography. It is about representing a product accurately and attractively through photos. The main goal of product photography is to create a product catalog.

You can also use some portion of the product images for adverts. Product photography can increase improvement in the e-commerce business. E-commerce business is impossible without product photography.

Product photographers need to understand the procedure, use correct lighting, background materials, camera angles, focus, depth of field, and product photo optimization. Mainly product photography is done for commercial purposes. Business tries to promote and sell a service or product with product photography.

Product Photography at home

As you know product photographs are the main element for sell in e-commerce. Product photographs are the only way to show your product on the internet. So the demand for product photography is very high. So renting a photography studio is very expensive.

Here I am going to discuss how to set up your own home studio for product photography. You can shoot your photos home using these methods-

Though you can use a lightbox for small products, we are going to talk about photography with available natural light, a technique known as the ‘Window Lighting Technique’. You will be amazed at how easily you can turn your living room, spare bedroom, or garage into your own photography studio. So you can consistently produce good quality images for your online store.

To set up your own studio at home, you need to arrange a few things:

A Camera: Most people have a camera these days, but if you don’t, buy a basic camera from a good brand that has manual exposure settings apart from auto functions.

 A Tripod: A tripod is essential to stabilize your camera while shooting. In a home scenario, you may be required to shoot in a place where the lighting is not optimal. Low lights require long camera exposures which increases the chances of camera shake as you breathe.

Memory Cards: The SD Memory card is an important part of your photography. Your SD card is where you will store your pictures and use it to transfer pictures from your camera to a laptop for post-production work and archiving.

White paper roll: A white paper roll provides a seamless background for your pictures and minimizes post-production touch-ups. A roll is required because you would need at least 10 to 15 feet of the white sheet placed in a sweeping curve behind the product for a smooth background.

Foam core board: White foam boards come in handy to reflect and increase the available light. You can use them to reflect light from your window onto the product. This will reduce the shadow of the product on the side.

Folding Table: You will need a folding table to lay the curve of your paper background on before you place your product for the shoot.

Duct tape and Clamps: You will require rolls of duct tape and clamps to secure your white paper background curve to the walls and the table on which you will position your product so that nothing moves when you shoot. You can also use clamps where possible as it makes it easy to clean up after the shoot.

Window: Last but not least is your main source of light. You need access to a large window close to where you plan to shoot. Clear the space around the window so that you have sufficient room to place your table and background and also allows you to move around the subject when you are shooting.

Now you have everything you need, start setting it up. It’s quite simple. Place your table near the window and then spread the white paper roll starting from the bottom of the table, stretching it over the table and creating a curve while you take the sheet up to a wall where you can fix it with duct tape.

Place your foam core boards at an angle so that the light from the window reflects on the product. Open your tripod and adjust the height so that it is flush with the surface of the table. Fix your camera to the tripod and you are ready to shoot in your very own home studio.

Above all, you have identified a place to shoot, you can start equipping your home studio. The list of professional photography equipment can be daunting, but remember that good quality photographs can be produced without the expensive equipment that professional photographers and studios use.