What makes a good product shot?

Most people who have tried their hand at selling their handmade goodies on Etsy, Made it or any other handmade site knows that good product shots are SUPER important. Photography is a skill that takes a lot of practice but you can do it!

I asked six Etsy sellers “What makes a good product shot?” Here is what they had to say…

Lesa from Lesa Likes

You know a good photo when you see it right, but there are usually a few key boxes that have been ticked to make a great product shot.

Light, so important. Natural light from one direct source that gives beautiful highlights and shadows is integral to a shot. You want a little drama, but also the customers needs to be able to clearly see the product.

Background. I hate the glowing white backgrounds you see so much around the place, I believe there is even an app for it. Whether your background is dark, or light, the eye still needs to see shadow. A disembodied product floating in all white doesn’t sit well with the eye. That said, keep your backgrounds fuss free, you don’t want too much going on to distract.

Framing. Think about your framing, putting your product off centre can create interest.
Get to know depth of field. Crisp focus combined with bokeh (aesthetic blur in the out of focus areas of your image) can create very professional looking pics if it’s done well.

Christine from Back Bay Pottery

I think there are several things that make a great product shot. Being in focus is number one. A clear bright image will draw your customers in. Getting the right light so important to a beautiful image. I use natural light with no flash. Most of my pictures are done on my dining room table next to the window during a certain time of day when there is no direct light coming in, but it is still bright. I always edit my photos with a simple photo editing program. Adding brightness, contrast and a bit of saturation can make your photos look professional.

Keeping it simple is also important. Using one or two props can help your product pop but make sure that they don’t take attention away from your item. I love the classic white background. Its pure and bright and works with most items.

Ashleigh from Wood Ink

There is so much that goes into a great product photo. Lighting is extremely important- a set up where you can control your own lighting is ideal. We like to play around with our light sources, creating shadows and highlights that lend a certain mood to our shots. It’s also a good idea to get creative with interesting angles and well placed props that enhance the shot and give the item context. Post production editing can really take the photos up a notch as well, serving to not only create a richer look, but also to draw the focus to a particular section you’d like to highlight.

Helen from Frances and Francis

I am very fortunate as my partner is a professional photographer and so when he has (if he has) a spare minute we’ll pop to the studio to take some product shots. If he’s not available I always make sure to use a decent SLR digital camera for image quality sake and use a space in my studio with lots of light. I have a white background which is just a large A0 piece of white card that you can purchase from any craft store allowing the products to really stand out. I’ve noticed that magazines & blogs prefer products that are against white as they are easier to cut out and place into their article and also if you use a colour this can often reflect onto the product making it look slightly strange when the background has been taken away!

Laura from Felt Jar

Shooting a product is not as simple as it seems. I believe the best shot is achieved by using natural light, angles, and a background that will enhance your product.

Katharina from Golden Spleen

In my opinion a perfect product shot should accomplish these three things:
1. It should highlight thrilling details of your artwork. I use a short depth of field to accentuate the characteristics of my jewelry pieces such as textures, patterns and colors.
2. It should give you an impression of the haptics of the product and at best makes you wanna touch it right away. I love to use rough textures for the background like old wood and stone surfaces to correlate with the materials of my jewellery.
3. It should be atmospheric. Trying to achieve that, I heed the first two points, add some beautiful natural light and follow my intuition.

Want to see more good product pics? Take a peek at these Etsy shops.

Kinkler, Studio Lorier, Plantworks PDX, White Owl, Jane Foster, Handymaiden, Skrynka

Do you have any tips for creating great product shots?
Are there any parts of photography you struggle with?

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