As we head towards an increasingly visual, virtual and often saturated online world, the overall quality of online images has jumped up hugely. Progression in both professional and consumer technology has meant that there’s less excuse than ever before not to photograph and display your products beautifully, cleanly, in focus and well lit. With consumers now able to snap a sharp 20+ Mega Pixel image straight from their phone, the emphasis on the pros is now to throw some extra pizazz into the mix. We hoard and forage to bring you a warehouse sized collection of useful props and backgrounds – marble, wood, slate, straw…. you name it, we probably have it. We’re very clever at judging just the right props to show the size, use, emotion and price point of your wares.

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Reasons To Hire A Product Photographer

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A brand is more likely to be purchased if the photograph of the item is captivating. In fact, according to the market survey, 93 percent of consumers consider visual appearance the major deciding factor in buying a product or not. This statistic is remarkable. It points out, rather dramatically, that your product image must be attention-grabbing.

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The reason a picture of your product, taken by a professional photographer, looks so overwhelming attractive is easy to explain. Pros have an arsenal of equipment and tools to which most e-commerce sellers do not have access. A photographer who is worth his or her salt has:

• Tripods

• An assortment of lenses made for capturing the best possible image in any setting

• Lighting packages that enhance the product from every angle

• Cameras that are capable of shots using intricate focus, zoom, and flash capacities

• Editing software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and Cyberlink Photo Director and many more.

• Cameras that have the image quality of 1,500 to 3,000 pixels per inch.

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Let’s face it. The better the image is at the time it’s shot, the more time and money you will save on editing.

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Not Everyone has an Artistic Eye, That’s Okay : In most instances, the “Artistic Eye” is learned over time. Just as in any other fields of endeavor, there are those who seem to be born with a creativity level that surpasses others. But, it is more common for photographers to hone their creative gifts with practice, practice, practice. Once you decide to employ a professional photographer, you will be engaging a person who has:

• Studied the photography of others, professional and otherwise

• Sought and received feedback on his or her photographs

• Developed his or her unique artistic style

• Learned and broken the rules

• Mastered manual adjustments (aperture priority, shutter priority mode, exposure compensation) and understands how changes affect the look and feel of an image.

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Lifestyle Images can be Tricky : Lifestyle photographs are those that show people using your product. These types of photos increase sales by helping customers visualize your product in context. Consumers want to see:

• Who will likely be using the product

• Where the brand will be useful

• How the item will affect their lives

• What other products are related to this product

• The product in a photograph showing it at different times of day

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When a brand shows individuals using your product, staging the surroundings in a way that shows the object increasing the family’s comfort levels and happiness status is a plus. The photo must not, however, seem overcrowded or draw attention away from the product.

If taken inside, professional lighting sources may become necessary. If the shoot is outside, choosing a location and an area with natural lighting that enhances the brand may be easier said than done, according to Jeffrey Opp, an American artist, photographer, and bookmaker.

 

Consistency is King : E-commerce sellers can achieve consistency by hiring a professional photographer. Using the same photographer for all the images on your site gives consumers the feeling that your product is high in quality and is consistently engaging. Customers want customer-journey consistency. If a consumer interacts with your site six times within a few months, they need to experience your site (photograph quality, ease of navigation, quick response) in the same exceptional way each time. Expertly-taken photographs tighten the consistency of experience on your e-commerce website.

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Product Detailing is a Job for the Experts : It’s vital to offer your customers the capability of zooming in on your products. If the original photo is not of the highest quality, zooming in can distort, blur, or otherwise change the image. Experienced photographers can ensure that your product photography can withstand enlargement.

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Professional Photography Adds Authority : In this case, the words authority and trust are interchangeable. If a visitor to your site is vacillating between your product and a competitor’s product which is identical and has the same price point, how do you get him or her to purchase your product? In a majority of cases, the quality of the product photography and how your product is featured will make the difference.

Conditions that will set your product apart include:

• Simple, sleek, and minimal photography

• A consistent backdrop which allows consumers to focus on and engage with the products

• Use of photographs that work best with the design of your website

• Letting your website designer work with the library of quality professional images you’ve acquired and design your site around them

• Alternate photo angles, size, close-ups, and direction, to allow the pictures to answer all your customers’ questions

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