When meeting new people, the topic of conversation will often shift toward careers. “What do you do?” is the question. Answer with “I’m a photographer,” and the most common response will be, “Oh, like weddings and stuff?”
It’s a fair question. Since most people only hire photographers for major life events, such as weddings, mitvahs, and the occasional family portrait, they assume that all photographers are that type of photographer.
My answer is “I’m a commercial photographer.” While special event and portrait photographers earn their fees being present for those special occasions and selling prints after the fact, my photography is made for commercial applications. That means people hire me to take pictures of things that they are selling. Whether it’s shoes, handbags, jewelry or clothing, I am most often shooting products, not people.
E-commerce photography for Susu Handbags
What is E-commerce photography?
E-commerce, or Ecomm for short, refers to on-line retailing. Instead of a storefront there is a website. Some brands are large enough to have their own websites, or they may sell their products through online retailers such as Amazon. E-commerce photography is the process of taking pictures of products that are being sold online.
Oftentimes small business owners start off by taking the pictures themselves. You can see plenty of examples of this on websites like Etsy. Over time, however, if the company is a success, the business owner will start hiring a professional photographer. Why? For one thing, photography is a time consuming endeavor. It’s not just the photography itself, but the building of a set before the photo shoot, the shoot itself, and the retouching after the shoot.
Second, and more importantly, is the quality of the photographs that professionals can provide. An iPhone can produce impressive results, but it is nothing in comparison to a skilled photographer using the right lighting equipment and other tools.
As with all things photography, there is a visual language for e-commerce photography. Customers are used to seeing things in a particular way, now that so many of us are accustomed to shopping online. So the third thing that separates a professional e-commerce photographer from an amateur photographer/business owner, is that the e-commerce standards are already part of a professional photographer’s skill set. We’ll get into those specifics next, but it should also be mentioned that on-line retailers have image standards that an amateur is simply unable to produce. Amazon used to be more permissive with their image requirements, but these days they demand professional quality photos for listings.
What are the E-commerce photography standards?
When you think of e-commerce, think of Amazon. The main image is always on a white background. There may be numerous angels of the product on the white background, there may be images of the product in an environment, and there may even be videos of the product in action. But the main view is on white.
Shooting a product on a white background may seem easy enough, but in fact, it can be difficult to achieve. The white background may wash out the colors on the product. If you add enough lights to make the background go white, the product will then be too light. There will also be shadows going in different directions. Not a good look.
What is a photographer to do? Well, there are many different ways to achieve the same end, but the standard relies on clipping. Clipping simply means removing the background in a photograph. What I do is to put the product on a white background, and set up the lighting to enhance just the product itself. Then, when I am finished with the shoot, I will retouch the product to remove any scratches, harsh highlights, or anything that might distract from the beauty of the product itself.
After that I send the images to a retoucher who clips them out. From that point, the background can become whatever it needs to be. Typically that is white, for Amazon and many other on-line sellers. For companies that are looking to establish their own branding, however, the background may be light grey, or even a soft taupe.
Realistic shadows can be added in this stage of retouching as well. Shadows make the product look like it was originally on that white background, even though it would be impossible to get a pure, white background with a perfectly lit product in camera. What’s important is that the pictures look believable. People want to know the product they are looking at is what they will receive after a purchase.
An example of environmental, or lifestyle photography
Second to the main product shot on white is an environmental shot. These are sometimes called lifestyle images. If the product we are selling is a blender, there will be the main image on white, and then perhaps some alternate views to show off details and features. Next there will be a lifestyle shot.
As the name implies, a lifestyle shot depicts the product as it would be used in the customer’s real life. For the blender example, the there would be a small set built to suggest a kitchen. The blender would be propped with colorful fruit. There would likely be a cool glass filled with a smoothie nearby. Lifestyle images show the product in use.
Lifestyle images are often what is used in advertising, on product packaging, or even as the lead image on some e-commerce websites. Amazon may require that the first pictures of the item is the main view on white, but not every e-commerce website does things the same way. For some on-line retailers, they may opt to keep the product pictures on white as the secondary views, and use the lifestyle image as the main view.
In addition to the clipped out product shot on white, and potentially some lifestyle images, many e-commerce retailers include videos of their products. Why? Primarily to fill in any questions that a customer may have to help them make a purchase decision. Going back to that blender example, the main view may be the front shot of the blender itself. Secondary images might be the control panel, the blades, the lid, and even the cord wrap underneath. For most customers, these views will be sufficient, but some people feel more convinced when they see the item in a 360 view. It’s like they are in the store and can pick up the product and see from all angles. Studies show that more images and including videos leads to higher sales. If a company has budget, it is always best to do all three.
A callout for e-commerce clothing photography. Clothing can be shot both on figure (worn by a model) or “product” style. Product photography of clothing can be shot in a number of ways. T-shirts and simple styles may be laid out on a board and shot from overhead. A more elegant solution, and the standard in general, is a pinning board. A product stylist will pin the garment to a board designed for the purpose. In this way, the garment can be styled in such as a way as to look as natural as possible. The final option is called the “ghost mannequin.” The mannequin is dressed with the garments, then the mannequin is removed in the retouching stage. This a great solution for many, but not all garments.
Two examples of product photography for clothing - ghost mannequin and pinning board
How to Choose an E-commerce Photographer
When choosing an E-commerce photographer, it is important to consider a few factors. First, you will need to decide what type of photography you would like. There are many different types of photography for e-commerce, as discussed above. Some photographers specialize in capturing images on white, but aren’t prepared to build out a set and provide propping needed in a lifestyle image. Some photographers do not have the tools needed to shoot 360 degree views. Many photographers who specialize in on-figure/model photography are not set up to shoot product images.
When you look at a photographer’s website, you should be able to see examples of all the different types of photography you will need. If you want all three types of photography, the photographer you hire should be showing all three types.
Next, you will need to figure out your budget. While a family portrait session may cost $300, you won’t get far in product photography with that kind of money. Why? Part of it is the nature of the business. The client has built out a business to sell this product. They may have paid to have prototypes and samples made. They may invest in space to hold inventory. In order to utilize the pictures, they will have a functioning website or an arrangement with listing sites. The pictures on the website are taking the place of a storefront in e-commerce, so the value an e-commerce photographer is bringing is significant, and should be paid as such.
Usage also plays a roll in photographer fees. Family portraits will only be seen by a few people, but thousands will be viewing product photography, perhaps hundreds of thousands. Those same images may be used in marketing, packaging, and advertising. All of these things will be discussed in advance and a contract will be signed with usage stipulations.
Photographers offer free estimates, but to give you a ball park, most e-commerce product photographers will charge $1500-$2500 per day with limited usage. Obviously this is a ballpark and prices can vary widely. In a market such as Los Angeles, that is a good reference point. The amount of products that can be shot in a day varies depending on the type of product and how many views are being shot, but an experience product photographer can get through a lot per day.
At Sonya Bowman Photography, I offer discounted rates for new small businesses and will offer an introductory $500 photo shoot for 3 hours. That allows the client to get started with professional pictures and see what it can do for sales.
If you are a business owner in Los Angeles and looking to expand your on-line sales, be sure to reach out to receive a quote catered to your specific needs.
You can see examples of e-commerce photography by clicking on the Product Verticals heading at https://www.sonyabowman.com/
Thanks for reading!