As a web design Los Angeles agency, our team provides website design, search engine optimization, social media marketing and more services to several different brands and companies. In this article, we explore the niche area of product photography and how you can enhance your web design with creative product images.

Product photography is a key piece of content to feature on your website. Think of it as a storytelling method to help customers visualize how your product can fit into their lifestyle. You need to make sure that you use stand-out, high-quality photos because the quality really can make or break consumers’ online purchasing decisions. That is why it is so important to be creative and strategic about your product photography. 

You may think that product photography is just a way to show your products to interested customers, but it actually serves a much bigger purpose. Product photography is an important part of your marketing strategy. It helps increase your brand value and credibility. It also helps lower customer return rates in your online store and boosts conversions. 

Here are product photography tips for your e-commerce site to impress customers and drive more sales:

1. Pick Your Distinctive Style

If you want to make a lasting impression on your customers, you need to have a distinctive style to make your product images pop. When you establish a style, you effectively increase your brand recognition and build loyalty from your customers.

Did you know that quality product photography can boost conversion rates by 30%? Product photography not only adds value to your website but also helps strengthen your marketing campaign and social media presence.

There are two basic types of product photos that you should know about:

• Minimalist product photos: These photos are detail-focused, and in most cases, they show the product on its own against a solid color backdrop.

• Active product photos: These photos capture the product in the context of its use.

Regardless of what type of product photography you choose, you need to ensure that your photos highlight the main message of your branding.

Our web design Los Angeles agency recommends e-commerce businesses use minimalist images for their products. If you run an e-commerce business, you should know that promotional photos like flat lays can boost your marketing strategy.

Flat lay photography offers a bird’s eye view of the product you are selling and offers a clear visual cue for customers. You can make flat lays as simple or extravagant as you would like. Your product could be pictured alone, or you could have it surrounded by other objects.

2. Pay Attention to the Lighting

Lighting is a crucial component of product photography. Lighting helps set the mood of your photo and captures details of the product you are trying to sell.

There are two types of lighting you can consider for your product photos:

• Soft lighting: This lighting creates a halo-like effect and eliminates harsh shadows. 

• Hard lighting: This lighting creates a contrast between light and dark areas and gives your image more definition. If you want your photo to emanate a dramatic effect, hard lighting is an effective option.

3. Go Macro

Have you ever looked at an image of an insect or flower that was so close you could pinpoint every tiny detail? If so, you have experienced macro photography. 

Macro is a type of photography that allows the photographer to deliver extremely detailed images with impressive focus. You capture all of the important elements of a product that you would not be able to do with a wide lens. 

Details can entice customers to buy your product. For example, if you sell jewelry, it is important to capture the intricate details of the necklace or rings you have in stock. 

You do not have to have an expensive DSLR camera with a macro lens to start learning macro photography. You can use your smartphone to capture items in macro. That being said, if you plan to go macro for most or all of your products, you should definitely consider investing in a DSLR camera.

4. Play with Composition

When you play with composition, you are essentially arranging the visual elements of your product image to create balance in the photo. You are leading your customers’ eyes to where you want them to focus.

Experimenting with composition can help you realize that your product image needs an extra oomph. You might realize that you need to add some color to create balance or that the items you are taking pictures of work best when photographed on their own. 

Props can help elevate your product image and pique customers’ interest. For example, you could add plants to give your product a sense of freshness or spices next to the food item you are selling. 
If you want to learn more tips from our web design Los Angeles agency, we have created a Part 2 article that you can read.