Product Photography
Product Photography is a branch of commercial photography which is about accurately but attractively representing a product. The principal application of product photography is in product catalogues and brochures, with a proportion of product images also being used in advertising. The challenges of product photography are generally:
- To represent the product without distortion
- To represent the product in good lighting, with soft shadows and no identifiable reflections
- To photograph a range of products rapidly, one at a time, so that the shadows and light are consistent
Particularly difficult products to photograph include:
- Transparent products
- Chrome and other highly-reflective products
- Products which are white or black
Product Photography is the depiction of product design in an appealing manner. It is often used in product advertisements. It is also known as commercial photography. Most products are shot within an indoor studio setup. Often, the background is purposefully rendered as a monotone color.
For most types of product, the standard set up is a light tent big enough for the largest product in the range, an infinite cove, a micro lens, a tripod and studio strobe lights. Photo floods can be used instead of strobes, which makes visualising the shadows easier, although this is generally not a huge issue when using a light-tent.
For some types of product, such as jewellery, a textured cloth in a contrasting colour is preferred. Some products also benefit from a dim reflection, which can be achieved by placing them on a black or white glossy tile, purchased from a building supplies . In some cases, the commissioners of a catalogue will want a particular look which distinguishes them from competitors, such as using crumpled and then smoothed aluminium foil as the background.