One of the most frustrating things I heard from people who want to take product photos for their social media and/or website is "My photos look meh! Something is missing I just can't pinpoint what it is?!?! How do I take food/product photography like a pro? What's the secret sauce in taking amazing, head-turning, wow-factor product photos??".
Do I need more stylish props?
Is my phone good enough? Do I have to upgrade to a professional camera?
Do I have to take a photography course?
How about trying this tip and see what difference it can make to your photos, shall we?
You may find yourself standing in one posiiton, shooting from the same angle......that could be the issue.
Just by playing with angles and distance, your photos can look and feel sooooooooo different.
This is the very same cupcake in all 3 photos. Can you see endless variations you can create when you move around, shift/tilt your camera and shoot from different spots instead of standing in one position?
When I mentioned "move" - does it mean moving the object?
Not neccessarily, I'd try to shift your camera angle to 45 degree, shoot from above to create a flatlay style, zoom in to reveal texture(s), aim from the side or zoom out. It's all about experimenting and see what you come up with.
It's more about perspectives and imagination. Think like a child (again) when taking photos, let your imagination guide you and try something out of ordinary.
Everytime you shift your position or camera, lighthing changes as well and each movement gives your photo different moods.
The truth about professional photographers is - they don't take just one shot. In fact, they take multiple shots, move around the object, rearrange product/food/props if neccessary to create different looks and take more photos.
Now let's get to this very important question and understand why it is important to crate multiple photos of the same product/food for your marketing efforts via website and/or social media? Why not just one best shot?
When you sell your products online, you want your customers to be able to get the accurate feel of your product as much as possible. Since they can't touch, smell or look closer in person, it's even more important to use visuals to aid your audiences.
Before you buy anything online, you want to see more than one photo. Your customers also do the same thing. They want to get a feel of your product size, dimension, texture and sometimes ways to use your products.
Now you have more photos to choose from and I guarantee you'll find a few that you're happy with and will work for your website and/social media use. Have fun taking photos and playing with angles.
Let me know how this tip works for you.
Background: Sunset Peach (limited edition) from Replica Surfaces
Golden spoon and folk: Amazon