How to Find a Product Photographer With the Right Skills
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If you’re an e-commerce retailer, you already know the importance of having good images that showcase your products. You may be tempted to do the photos yourself on a cell phone. However, you must know that there are many small details and subtleties to getting your product images just right.
This type of photography can only happen from a Los Angeles product photography professional’s experience and knowledge. So how do you find the right product photographer for the job? Let’s find out.
Have they Shot Different kinds of Products?
Regardless if you’re selling boots or electronic equipment, you should know that different types of products require different sets of skills. If a photographer has limited experience with only a handful of categories (for example, they’ve only shot jewelry items), this does not qualify them as professionals.
Real product photographers have experience shooting a wide range of items in every category. If given the task to shoot something they’ve never shot before, they will already have the intuition and foundational skillset to successfully capture the images. Hands down, professionally shot product images for your e-commerce website are vital.
One way to know the photographer’s range of experience is to look at their portfolio of products and accessories that they’ve shot in the past. Not only does this give you a good idea of the types of product photos they’ve shot in the past but also their ability to adapt to an item’s unique features and angles.
Not all products are alike. There are intricacies to each, such as their size, colors, and shapes. These factors also affect how they appear in front of the camera and create varying challenges such as shadows and other issues. A skilled photographer will have a thorough understanding of the challenges and be able to overcome them quickly.
Before hiring a product photographer, choose one with broad experience shooting different product types.
Do they Know about Proper Lighting?
Certainly, anyone who calls themself a “professional photographer” should know some basics about proper lighting techniques. But knowing the difference between landscape lighting and product lighting is not the same.
You will want a photographer who has exceptional experience with the latter, ideally someone with experience in a studio environment working with white-backgrounds. Getting the proper lighting is perhaps the single most crucial issue for a photographer. You can’t edit your way out of terrible lighting.
A good product photographer knows when to adjust lighting for different products, including their shape, size, color, reflectivity. What’s more, they will be able to make these changes quickly and without second-guessing themselves.
On the contrary, a photographer with limited experience will spend more time on lighting and be less efficient. Imagine if you’re looking to get images for your store of 50+ products and need them by a particular deadline; which photographer would you want to hire? Obviously, the one with an extensive product lighting experience.
Are they Using Quality Equipment?
A professional photographer should have the right equipment to accomplish the job and get the images you need. Undoubtedly, you want a photographer who owns a high-quality digital camera and lens. But, there’s more than just having a quality camera. You’ll also want someone who has the appropriate equipment for lighting, props, and staging.
Do they Have Good Editing Skills?
Professional product photographers are not only skilled photographers, but they are experts editors as well. They should have extensive experience using image editing software and programs like Photoshop. Whether it’s the photographer doing the editing or a team assigned explicitly for the task, don’t overlook good editing skills when hiring someone.
Are they Organized?
A professional photographer has a slew of items on their checklist consisting of inspections, prepping, staging, adjusting lighting, photography, and post-production duties. On top of these tasks, there are other day-to-day things to do, such as shipping orders, responding to emails, calls, etc. A photographer with better organizational skills will be capable of running their studio with ease and efficiency. It also makes it more likely that they will be capable of handling multiple requests and get work delivered on time to their customers.
The Bottom Line
When your customers shop online, the only interaction they have with your product is through its images. You must ask yourself, “will these photos entice my customers to click on the “buy” button?” Your product images must reflect the best qualities of your items and display them as realistically as possible. The only way to accomplish this is through professional product photography services like Clothing and Product Photography Studio.
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Clothing and Product Photography Studio
1031 South San Gabriel Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626)703-4469
