Thinking outside the box is key.

Product photography can be stressful but it can teach you a lot. I just recently started doing product photography and every time I start shooting, I try to produce something that’s different. Having the same basic images of that product is fine because it exists to showcase that product, but in order to make your work unique, you should also include shots that present the product in a memorable and different way. Your idea may not be super original but being able to add your own twist to it can showcase your talents and help you expand your skillset. Over the past few products that I have photographed, I’ve learned to just look at the product for a little, study all of its angles, and think about possible ideas that may work. I like to do this because, personally, it allows me to get a feeling for the product and to see what I need to make me stand out. Obviously, if you are being paid to take shots of a certain product, then you may be given instructions on what some of them should look like but I think it’s also important to provide shots in your own style touch. For example, let’s take a look at the pictures below.

The one on the left is a more traditional watch picture that you may see on many websites,  which was requested by the client. The one on the right is meant to showcase the watch in a different manner. When I think of a Rolex, I think of luxury and class so with this image I wanted to display those qualities. Nice watches are seen as art by many and being able to capture that can really bring the watch to life. I believe that the reflection in the picture exhibits the point of luxury and brings the focus solely to the watch. When I first got the watch, I was clueless because I had never shot a watch and I wanted to provide my client with something that would set them aside from other competitors. So after looking at the watch for a bit I started playing around with shots and backgrounds that would allow the watch to pop.

This process also applies to other products as well, such as shoes. I have shot three different pairs of shoes so far and the most recent was my most difficult. The most recent shoe I shot was a pair of custom Vans from CustomsbyMilehigh. Though the shoes are amazing, I found the shoe difficult to shoot for two main reasons. First, the shoes are all white, and second, they have no laces so some of my ideas were automatically eliminated. With the shoes, I actually used my camera to capture different angles so I could compare which ones captured the shoes better. This was very beneficial because it ended up taking less time since I already had an idea of how the camera should be set up to get what I wanted. I also went a little more basic with some of these shots, but I’m happy with the way they turned out.

Even though the first two pictures are a little simplistic, they are still able to show off the shoes and display them in a pleasant manner by providing a contrast with the white shoes and their reflective design and allowing the viewer to focus on the shoe. When I first started shooting the shoes I started with a black background and I didn’t end up liking them because they were just black and white. The black background took away from the character of the shoes and had made them look boring. So the next thing I did was play with the different colors I had to get that character back. I also wanted to get a creative shot, because I think that’s crucial, as I said previously. In order to do that, CustomsbyMilehigh was kind enough to include a Supreme banner with my shoes, so I thought that would be interesting to use. I was actually really impressed with how the shot turned out and it’s easily one of my favorites. After capturing the shots, I just played around in Lightroom and Photoshop to make the shoes pop more and add in their logo.

The Vans were an example of a more basic approach to the shoes but I did want to share some examples of more creative shots of shoes that I’ve done with my own shoes.

Both of the images are different in the way they display the shoes, but I do believe that they do a good job of presenting the shoes and adding some more character to the image.

In product photography, It’s important to think outside the box, even if the picture is going to be simple. You can see that in the first two pictures of the Vans that you saw. The image by itself is pretty basic but I feel that when I added the logo of the company, it added a little more to the picture, similar to the reflection in that Rolex picture. So far, I have only shot these two categories of products but going forward I know that in some pictures I would like to include elements of everyday life that compliment the product being photographed. For example, if I were to shoot basketball shoes again, I’d shoot them on pavement and include a basketball somewhere in the composition. The biggest thing to remember is to be creative but also to be yourself. Try experimenting with ideas that reflect you as a creator, even if that means playing with the image in post-production.