4 Product Photography Ideas for Beginners

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^{Photo by Rawpixel via iStock}

If you’re just getting started in product photography, you might find that one of the biggest challenges is simply coming up with interesting product photography ideas.

Fortunately, you don’t have to pull your hair out trying to think of ideas that make the products you’re photographing look like a million bucks.

In fact, there are a wealth of tried-and-true approaches you can use to create images that are eye-catching, beautifully composed, and that highlight the product well.

With that, let’s get to the list of top product photography ideas for beginners!

#1 Background Product Photography Ideas

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When photographing a product, it’s important that you design a setup that highlights the product in ways that provide interesting visuals for potential buyers. A great way to do that is by using textured photography backdrops.

The great thing about this product photography idea is that it’s something that offers you a lot of utility. For example, you can use product photography backdrops over and over again for a wide range of product images. Likewise, you can use product photography backdrops both behind the product and underneath it to create a well-curated shot.

When you’re photographing small products, you don’t need a giant roll-up backdrop like portrait photographers use. Instead, a small, portable, lay-flat backdrop will do the trick.

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I personally recommend Best Ever Backdrops for product photography (and food photography as well) because they have an incredible variety of backdrop textures. Whether you want a brick background, a wood background, a concrete background, or something in between, they’ve got you covered. Right now, you can even get 15 percent off your order from the Backdrop Collection and the Mix & Match Collection. Just head over to Best Ever Backdrops and use the promo code PTALK15 to get your discount!

Of course, with their Mix and Match collection, you can choose one texture for the front of the backdrop and another for the back to double the utility of the backdrop. This two-in-one design is both budget-friendly and space-friendly, too - at just 24 x 26” in size (and ⅛” thick), they are easy to slide under the bed when I’m done with them.

product photography ideas to try at home image

When shopping for product photography backgrounds, also consider the build quality of the backdrops. For example, Best Ever Backdrops Mix and Match backdrops are waterproof, stain-resistant, and virtually indestructible. On top of that, the non-glare rigid substrate means your product photos will highlight the product - not the glare from your studio lights.

While the background of your product photos isn’t the star of the shot, it can certainly make a difference in the quality of the images you create. By investing in high-quality backdrops, you help ensure that your product photography ideas come to life.

#2 Product Photography Ideas to Showcase the Product

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My second tip is a simple one - if at all possible, show the product being used. This applies to all sorts of products, from make-up to cans of soda to athletic gear. You can also read my guide on types of product photography to know more about it.

By showing the product in use, you help shoppers envision themselves using the product - and that can lead to more sales.

Take the images above and below as great examples of this concept. In the first image, the skateboard looks perfectly fine. Shoppers will want to see the bottom of the skateboard, and this image gives them that view, but little else.

But in the second image, you get a much better sense of what it might be like to actually ride the skateboard. As a potential buyer, you can see yourself at that skate park doing that trick with that skateboard.

Skateboard in sunlight as a product photography idea image

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Now, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t take traditional photos of products like the first image of the skateboard - those images are needed to give customers a close-up look at the product. Just don’t make those the only types of photos you take.

Instead, supplement them with action shots that give context to the product and excite people about the experience of using it. Doing so brings the product to life and increases the chances that a shopper will press the buy button.

Learn More:

#3 Shooting Product From Various Angles

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When you think of product photography, you might think of a shot like the one being taken above - a bird’s eye view that looks down toward the product.

These types of photos can be useful, but as I mentioned earlier, having a mix of viewing angles and compositions among the photos you take will help you build a much stronger visual story about the product.

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So, with that being said, experiment with the angles from which you take your product photos. Shoot from above the product and in front of it. Take photos from the left and the right as well. Also frame up shots of the back of the product and even the bottom, if possible.

By combining images from various angles with action shots, you’ll create a collection of product images that is much more compelling.

#4 Shoot Macro Photos of the Product

Food photography idea image

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When you photograph products, getting up close to provide highly detailed images of the product is a great trick for continuing to develop its story. You can also try this trick to create beautiful food photography backdrops.

Think about it - we have traditional product shots from various angles, action shots of the product being used, and we’ve set the stage for impactful images by using backdrops. Now we need to expand the repertoire to give potential buyers some detailed shots.

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^{Photo by NickS via iStock}

Macro images of products add another level of creativity to the collection of images. When you shoot macro, the depth of field is minimized, thereby blurring the background while keeping a small area of the product in sharp focus.

Doing this allows us to direct the buyer’s eye to a certain feature - the strings of the guitar shown above, for example. By highlighting a product’s features, we give potential buyers yet another way to explore the product and consider what it might be like to use it.

While there are many more tricks to mastering the art of product photography, these product photography ideas will get you headed in the right direction. As with anything in photography, the key is to practice and build your skills, so grab your camera and lens and start experimenting with these product photography ideas!