Product photography uniquely combines both the artistic creativity and the technical skills involved in making great photographs.
Whether you’re a professional photographer looking to further define your niche, or you’re just getting your photography business off the ground, refining your product photography skills can help you tap into new markets, from e-commerce to high fashion.
This guide will take you from a basic understanding of this unique commercial photography category to real tips and tricks you can use to build your portfolio, improve your images, and land the clients you want.
What is product photography?
Product photography is more than just accurately showing what something looks like – a good product photo can also tell a story, evoke emotion, and drive real action. Product photography has become increasingly popular with the rise of online e-commerce stores and digital advertising. It is now a vital pillar for countless brands and businesses, creating unique opportunities for photographers that can consistently create top-quality product shots.
Specializing in product photography can give focus to your photography business, helping you get more clients and establish a unique market for your unique skills. Even within the product photography niche, there are further specialties that you can explore to help set yourself apart.
Types of product photography
A diverse portfolio of different types of product photography will always help set your work apart and give confidence to clients that need a photographer that can wear more than one hat. Here are two primary product photography categories you should consider as you develop your skills and portfolio.
Studio product photography
This type of product photography focuses on showcasing products through clean, high-quality photos taken in a controlled studio environment, usually on a plain white or black background. Studio shots highlight the product itself with minimal distractions, and are commonly used on e-commerce websites and catalogs where consistency can be crucial.
Studio product photography often requires specific gear – and space. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with backdrops, different types of lighting, as well as post-processing techniques to create the best quality images. We’ll touch on all those things in a bit.
Lifestyle product photography
The other primary type of product photography focuses more on showing the how, rather than the what of any given product. Lifestyle photography showcases products in more natural settings and leaves plenty of room for creative direction that can appeal to emotions and help connect viewers with real-life use cases. Good lifestyle photos go beyond just showing the product, they help create a story around it.
Get inspired by real lifestyle photography prompts with VSCO Brand Challenges. See what brands are actually looking for and join any active challenge for the opportunity to get paid for your product photography.
Set your skills apart
By intentionally developing these two approaches, you can begin to create your own niche and even think about combining different services that create value for your clients. A product photography package that combines both lifestyle and studio product photography can help give you an edge over some competitors.
You can also set yourself apart through even further specialization – think about niche technical skills like photographing detailed packaging and macro photography, or specific products like jewelry and cars. Consider both your personal interests and demand within your area or network when developing your business or specialization.
Build and showcase your photography portfolio
Your portfolio is often the best way to communicate your skills as a product photographer. If you’re new to product photography, focus on building your portfolio first. If you’re experienced, never stop refreshing and refining your portfolio – editing out old work, adding new, and ensuring potential clients can easily navigate your portfolio.
Your VSCO Profile is perfect for showcasing your photography and shaping your portfolio. With a Pro Membership, you can also use your profile to build a portfolio website in seconds and keep it up to date with all of your recent work.
One of the best ways to start is with photo Albums. Organize your photos by project, client, genre, or style – or get even more creative. Consider making dedicated albums, with names like Product or Lifestyle, just for your product photography. This way, anyone curious about skills can easily find your prior work and see your expertise.
Creating great product photos
As for how to take photos of products, there’s a lot that goes into making it all come together – from gear, and knowing how to use it, to editing and gathering feedback from clients. Each part of the process also creates a unique opportunity for you to showcase your skills and continue setting yourself apart from the competition.
Product photography gear
Gear can cover everything from the camera in your hand to vast arrays of lighting and studio equipment. Not a lot of gear is needed to get started in product photography, but as your skills develop so will your need for equipment that can match your creativity. The gear that best suits you will depend on the types of photos you’re making.
Lifestyle versus studio photography gear
For lifestyle product photography, you’ll often be working on-location to capture storytelling moments, so portability and flexibility can be an important factor. This can stand in contrast to studio photography which often involves stationary sets, large backdrops, and plenty of lighting equipment. With these differences aside, a well put together kit in the hands of the right photographer can work across a wide variety of contexts and approaches.
Product photography lenses
Having a variety of lenses on hand always helps in adapting to challenges on the fly, and depending on what you’re photographing, you may need something more specialized. For example, a dedicated macro lens may be the only way to create top-quality, close up shots for clients that need them.
Product photos often demand high-resolution and perfectly sharp details, so consider the qualities associated with each of the lenses in your arsenal before you start clicking the shutter. Prime, or fixed focal length, lenses are great options for product photography that can offer both value and optical quality for those that are just getting started.
Product lighting and setups
Lighting setups for product photography can follow a recipe or be open to the elements depending on what look you’re going for. Things like seamless backdrops, tabletop tent setups, and softboxes can help you create consistent looks that work great for ecommerce sites and batches of many different products that need the same treatment. Creating natural, diffused light in an artificial setting is a skill that can take practice, but it can also help you scale your business with a highly replicable process.
If you’re just getting started in product photography, don’t hesitate to take a DIY approach at first. Sometimes all you need is a nice window and a clean sheet to create a simple, yet effective product photography setup. Experiment and practice with products that you already have on hand, and think about what kinds of photos would make you want to buy them.
How to edit product photos
Product photography doesn’t end after you take the picture, in fact, that’s when things are really just getting started. Editing product photos is often a highly detail-oriented process, but getting lost in the endless options can also paralyze your process.
With the VSCO photo editor, you can batch process photos, create Recipes from your favorite looks, and easily fine-tune your photos with tools and photo filters.
Tools like Dodge and Burn are invaluable in making local adjustments to exposure and getting the right balance between shadows and highlights. The Blur photo editor gives you full control over beautiful background blur effects, great for drawing attention to products with small details.
If you need to work a little magic, the Remove tool uses AI to clean up distracting details in your composition with a simple brush.
Working with clients
Creating product photos for use in the real world is highly collaborative work. You’ll need to plan with brands to ensure their vision is met and that all details are ironed out in time for the shoot. A process for smooth collaboration and feedback can help make sure your clients are happy to keep coming back.
When it's time to share selects and gather feedback, VSCO Galleries give you a professional way to create client photo galleries for each of your projects. Share different looks that clients can choose from and make sure they’re happy with the final set of deliverables before you even send them off.
Keeping at it
There’s no substitute for sticking with it. Product photography is a skill that requires attention to detail, technical knowledge, and creativity. No matter where you are in your journey, mastering the basics, experimenting with new techniques, and putting yourself out there will help ensure your success in this competitive niche.
Make the most of VSCO to elevate your product photography and get real professional exposure as you build your skills. Join the latest Brand Challenges for the opportunities to get paid for your creativity and get a taste of what it’s like to work with top brands.
If you’re ready to start landing your own clients, update your VSCO profile to let others know and we’ll make sure that brands can connect with you on VSCO Hub. Check out our resources on making yourself more visible to brands in VSCO Hub and pursuing your product photography career:
- Updating your VSCO Profile for Better Visibility in Hub
- Creating Portfolio Photo Albums
- Working with Brands through VSCO Hub
- How to Become a Product Photographer
Get inspired by other photographers
Discover amazing photographers from around the world on VSCO. Get inspired by these product photographers that are sharing their work on VSCO:
- vsco.co/lessaiv
- vsco.co/markweinbergnyc
- vsco.co/modernalchemystudio
- vsco.co/thatbeautifulliving
- vsco.co/traut
- vsco.co/cbowden
- vsco.co/asaliffner
- vsco.co/codyguilfoyle
Sign in on desktop at vsco.co or open the VSCO app to follow these product photographers. Favorite and repost their photos, or even start a discussion to comment or ask them a question.
