10 tips for AMAZING product photography

Through a lot of education and experiments, I bring you my BEST tips for entrepreneurs who are trying to take photos of their products, as well as those who are working on personal branding.

1. Take pictures in natural light (no flash or extra lighting of any kind) and know the golden hour. This calculator is my favorite tool to find the best time to take photos.
   The goal is to have enough light, but avoid direct sunlight. Check out one of this awesome advice from Two Loves Studio. 
2. Use an editing program. All photos need to be edited to fix any colors, lighting, cropping, etc. My FAVORITE is Lightroom Classic; you can apply changes to more than one photo at once. I know other people like VSCO and other apps like Alien Skin. Google even has photo editing tools.
3. If you’re not a photographer, it’s alright to use auto settings. If you want to learn more about your camera, then you can eventually move onto manual settings.
4. Use a tripod! Use a tripod unless you are very confident in your ability to hold the camera. Even if you’re using a phone there are affordable tripods and lenses you can buy.
5. Try different angles and vary the distance between your subject and the light source. Flat lays are very popular for products. Any pictures of people look best at eye level or a little above eye level.
6. Take a lot of pictures when you’re starting out, then cull your images to the best ones. Try to have a lot of variety and include small details for an editorial look.
7. Know the rule of thirds
8. If there’s a person in your photo you need to coach them to get a good picture. It is very easy to take unflattering pictures of anyone. It’s up to the photographer to make your subject look amazing. Read my tips on taking your most flattering photos.
9. If you are working with a DSLR (you really should be) you need a good lens. Your lens is as important as the quality of the camera. I love the affordable 50mm lens as a first upgrade. You’ll see a big difference in your photos and this is a very versatile lens.
10. Know that it takes practice. Photography is harder than it looks and you’re going to start liking your work less as you get better (that’s good!)

If you need help getting started, I’m taking a small amount of clients to mentor online. You’ll receive a personalized critique based on your own photos. It’s as simple as emailing me your website and social media links. You’ll receive a detailed report full of advice, resources, and an assessment of what your strengths are as a photographer.

Check out the headband in this article at Free and Crowned.