In this text, we quite briefly discuss the issue of taking packshot photos. We will present 3 techniques of taking photos, which depends on different types of products. We will also try to briefly discuss the whole process of taking these photographs.
If you want, you can also entrust us with the implementation of photos for your brand. We specialize in taking pictures of clothes, various packshots, as well as wider advertising photography.
3 basic types of packshot product photos
During our many years of work, we have distinguished 3 basic types of objects that require specific skills and equipment to properly photograph them.
- photos of jewelry and leather goods – that is, photos of products with elements that reflect light well. All gilding, silvering and precious materials perfectly reflect the so-called bliks (light reflections). Photographing an object is therefore about reducing reflections of light points.
- Clothes photos – here you can choose from three techniques of clothing photography. The most interesting and most frequently ordered are photos on a ghost mannequin – that is, a mannequin that you can not see it. They are characterized by high quality photos on a white background, because they emphasize the shapes of clothing.
- packshots of other products – photos of shoes, electronics, haberdashery, groceries and much more.
If you are interested in one of these sections, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the details of our offer.
We invite you to contact us or browse our offer
Phone: 533 410 388
E-mail: kontakt@bezcieniowa.pl
What are packshots and where are they used?
Packshot photos are specialized product photos that are used for commercial purposes such as advertising, product catalogs and online stores.
The term "packshot" is a combination of the words "packaging" and "shot", and these pictures are usually taken from products that come in some kind of packaging.
To get a good photo of this type, the product must be properly lit so that all the details are visible. The background should be uniform, without folds, so that it does not distract attention from the product itself. In most cases, packshot photos are taken with a macro lens to capture even the smallest details.
If you're selling a product online or creating an ad, photos can make your product look more appealing to potential customers.
What do you need to make good packshots?
You don't need a lot of expensive equipment to take accessible packshot photos. A few key things will help you get started:
1. Tripod — This will help keep your camera steady and avoid blurry photos. First of all, it is necessary for each product to be photographed from the same angle.
2. Remote shutter release – Allows you to take photos without having to touch the camera, preventing shake and ensuring excellent image sharpness.
3. Lighting box (softbox) or more professional studio lighting. Lighting is crucial for the proper execution of packshots. It is necessary to split and soften the light, so as to avoid unnecessary shadows – here it is worth using blends, reflective umbrellas, lamps with filters. Every photographer taking product photos invests practically more in lighting than lenses. Unfortunately, a separate elaboration can be written about lighting, and we do not want to increase the volume of this text too much. If you are interested in this topic, let us know, soon we will develop it in our other text.
How to set up a studio to take packshots
1. First you need to determine the subject of your photo. This will help you choose the right background and instruments to build the right lighting.
2. Then you evaluate the texture of the item, remove blemishes from it, clean it, polish it.
3. You check how the object reacts to light – whether it does not need to be obscured, eliminate the access of light from one or several sides.
4. The next step is to configure the camera and lighting. These are advanced parameters and require appropriate setting depending on many factors, which is why we can not easily describe it here.
5.Make sure the camera is at the right angle and the light falls evenly on the subject. Too intense spot light will brighten it in one place, which we want to avoid.
6. When everything is ready, you can take a series of photos of a few similar products
7. Then it is worth checking the effects in a graphics program in which more or less advanced post-production is performed. A lot depends on what quality of photos you expect. In fact, post-production can make up more than half of the work on a photo.
Due to the complexity of the process, it is worth photographing the products repeatedly with different test camera settings. The right photo profile developed during numerous attempts finally allows you to take pictures of the desired quality.
Making great packshots – tips and tricks
Continue reading below the photo gallery
Do you sell products online? So you know how important good product photos are. After all, a photo is often the first thing potential customers see. That's why we've put together some tips on how to make great packshots.
With a few simple tips, you can quickly improve the quality of photos for e-commerce or online auctions. It is worth investing not only in ordinary product photos, but also packshots, which are increasingly a requirement on marketplaces.
The better the photo, the greater the chance that someone will buy your product, or at least will not run away to the competition that has the correct photos.
Here are our top tips:
1. Use a solid, high-quality background – on a weak background you will see any creases or shortcomings of the invoice
2. Use a tripod and find the right angle to take pictures
5. Use the right lens – for detail, it is worth using a lens for macro photography
6. Take lots of photos to have good editing material
7. Edit your photos and save presets
8. Save photos in various formats, and save TIFF files.
9. Find the right settings for all parameters and duplicate them for the same products. Modify and enhance styles as needed
10. Do not forget about changes in photographic trends – observe the market, listen to customers and read expert opinions
We invite you to contact us
Phone: 533 410 388
kontakt@bezcieniowa.pl
Shipping address: Wygoda 7, 28-313 Imielno
Answers to supplementary questions on the text
This is removing the background from the photo. This type of photo is saved as a .PNG file, which has a transparent background, which allows further editing and increases its usability. Such a product photo can be used m.in to create computer graphics, banners, or it can be placed on any background. Proper gaping often allows you to integrate the object into different environments.
Full depth of field can be obtained by using a trick during post-production – the so-called focus stacking. This method involves taking a series of photos of different sharpness, which are successively combined into one sharp shot.
Of course it does. In the case of large-size furniture, a sufficiently large studio is needed.
How to do it? First, choose the piece of furniture you want to photograph. Then position the camera on a tripod so that it is pointed directly at the piece of furniture. Then use a light meter to measure the light coming from the direction of the camera and adjust the aperture accordingly. Take a test photo and check the exposure. If necessary, adjust the position of the tripod and/or camera angle until you are satisfied with the composition of the shot. Then take a series of photos by changing the parameters of the camera or lighting. Save the next settings to choose the best ones on your computer and apply them to other furniture of this type. Finally, review the photos and make the necessary corrections.
It all depends on the customer's needs. We work with both models of advertising photos.
The composition of products is created when many products are photographed or when one product has many elements that need to be shown in full, in a set, but also separately.
The photo session is carried out by taking into account the size, shape and colors of the products. The composition should be pleasing to the eye and make the products look their best. Individual elements should be photographed separately if the products are small or have similar colors.
It is worth remembering that these types of photographs affect the price list of a set of packshot photos.