The role of photography in ecommerce branding is becoming increasingly important but surprisingly, despite investing heavily in the development of their products and website, some ecommerce sellers overlook and undervalue photography. Big businesses invest heavily in imagery and for good reason, maintaining a strong e-commerce brand is important, it can have a huge impact on sales, customer behaviours and ultimately a company’s bottom line.
Before even looking for a photographer there are a few things to consider when thinking about your product photography. Once you have thought though your exact requirements your photographer will be able to give a comprehensive quote.
Show alternative shots
Show multiple product shots of each product. Consider key angles for each product, for example shoes will often show 4 images- side on, underneath, forward facing the pair together. Think about your traditional shopping experience, a customer would pick up the item and have a look and feel of the product, with ecommerce the photography has to act as these senses to provide and make their buying decision as easy and straightforward as possible.
Backgrounds
Traditionally product photography is done on a clean white background, however there is a recent trend to shoot against colourful and pastel backgrounds. Think about what image you want your brand to portray, if it clean and traditional or something a bit more young and hip. It is especially helpful to the photographer if you can create a moodboard of images and styles you like, this gives them a visual guide to how you want your final images to look.
On-Model
With fashion websites it has now become the norm to show items on a model as well as flat or on an invisible mannequin. A great recommendation when showing on-model shots is to add the model’s height and the garment size, this helps the customer understand the overall fit of the garment. It is also worth deciding whether or not to show the full shot of the model or to crop out their face.
Show details
Show close-up detail shots to draw the customer’s attention to key features such as fabric weave, special features, branding or other detailing. Where brand values focus on qualities like heritage, craftsmanship or tradition, detail shots can also help to convey a sense of these values.
Show in natural environment
Alongside studio shots, you should also consider lifestyle photography. Lifestyle shots are equally as important as studio shots because they show the product in use, helping to create desire for the product and telling the brand story. In short, as their name suggests, they sell a lifestyle.
