When I first started product photography, all I had was my Canon 5DS, Godox Flash and an old concrete board that I used as a backdrop – and they did the trick, for a while.
Since then, I have invested some cash into my business and I have seen a significant increase in my quality of work because of it.
Doing this has enabled me to book more clients, HELP more clients and grow as a business. Let this be a little reminder to you that sometimes it can be daunting to invest in yourself, but what you put in, you get out tenfold!
[1] Studio Light | Godox Sl60w
I’m not going to lie – I have always been a natural light lover. I mean when you are shooting beautiful weddings every weekend, how could you not love that golden hour glow?
But then I moved to product photography and I foolishly (yes strong word) thought natural light would suffice.
To say it didn’t cut it is an understatement. I have bought 2 sets of studio lights, not to mention the tripods, wall mounts, diffusers and other trimmings that go with them.
This has been a total game-changer.
I can work whenever I like regardless of the time of day or the weather conditions. It’s amazing. I also have so much more control of my light and can manipulate it to do whatever I want meaning I can create exactly the image I have in my mind.
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- Natural Light
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- Studio Light
[2] Product Photography backdrops
I was using MDF board, concrete sheets, tabletops and whatever else I could find as a backdrop. And they worked, for a while.
I quickly discovered that I needed more backdrop options and fast. So I bought a few online. I now have a good collection of over 20 backdrops and am continuously wanting to add more.
Backdrops give you and your clients a bunch of options and can totally set the tone of an image. EG a tiled backdrop can emulate a kitchen or bathroom.
[3] Acrylic Blocks
Having such a simple prop in your collection is so important. Acrylic blocks are so versatile and can be used in so many different ways. You can use them to sit products on top of or to lean a product against. You can also use them to manipulate the light and create really fun reflections.
I already know that I want more of these! I don’t think you can have enough.
[4] Foam Boards
If you are shooting a reflective product, then investing in a few white foam boards from your local stationery store will save you! It allows the light to bounce off and reflect back onto the product reducing any unwanted reflections.
It can be an art shooting reflective products, but having 3-4 foam boards will certainly help you out big time!
[5] Tripod
Having a good tripod can save you so much time and effort. It allows you to shoot at the same angle with the same settings. This means you get a very nice level of consistency in your photos which makes them way more professional.
They also come in handy if you are shooting reflective packaging and need to shoot each product separately and then mask them together in photoshop (as I have done in all the examples below) Shooting this way means that the products don’t reflect off each other and it just looks much nicer and sleeker.
Tripods also mean you can do cool things like top-down flat lays and stop motions. There are so many ways to get creative so it is definitely worth the investment.
I really hope this helps you if you are just starting out in product photography, or if you have a business and want to improve the quality of your own photos.
I am always available on Instagram for chats or you can leave any questions you have in the comments below and I’ll get back to you!
