Our research suggests that online buyers value the products by seeing the pictures rather than reading the product description or product specifications. This makes pictures an essential part of the eCommerce sites and marketplaces. Having said that, good product photography is not as simple as placing items on a table and just pointing and shooting a camera. This guide will tChoose your camera:
The present day cameras can be divided into three broad categories :
1. Aim and Shoot digital camera
2. DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera
3. Mobile camera
Depending on your budget you can choose any category of camera. But the best camera is what you are now having with you.
In a camera resolution is calculated in mega pixels. But the important point to be noted in a camera is the sensor rather than the mega pixels. Larger sensor provides better picture. An advanced DSLR camera gives better picture because of the size of the sensor than a point and shoot digital even though both has the same mega pixels. For our purpose of uploading the pictures in the eCommerce sites an ordinary digital compact point and shoot or a mobile camera will be enough. In this article we will try to give tips for taking better quality pictures for the smart phone cameras also.
Lighting plays an important role
Most important part of a picture composition is the lighting. Ordinary compact fluorescent lights with metal shades and clamps can be made use of. The metal shades can be covered with white tissue paper so that soft even light will be covering the objects.
For bigger objects like sofa etc., can be moved nearer to a plain coloured wall or boards, with both sides covered by the CFL lights. The centre light can be the camera attached flash tilted towards the ceiling. Combined together these lights will give enough even white lighting.
Take it on a plain background and make it white
At present almost all the eCommerce sites ask for the pictures with white background. If the product has
been taken with plain background then the picture background can easily be changed into white background with the help of the picture editing software's provided by the system be it windows or iOS, or by any other free software. This can be done easily with simple steps as per the helpline provided in the system itself. There is no need to go in for an advanced picture editing software. (see the sofa picture shown here)
Another important step to be taken before going in for shoot is to clear all the clutters strewn around the product. Wearing a white dress will give more light to the shoot.
Taking photo of the small objects
There are many types of commercial light boxes available in the market. Our scope of this blog is to take good and clear pictures with minimal cost. To picturise the small objects we require small light box wherein we can place the object and take pictures with lighting.
While looking for a do it yourself light box in the internet we came across a light box (from lifehacker.com) which can be made easily, with cardboard and white paper and the light source are regular table lamps. We made a model as per the guidance given in the blog and we found it practicable and easy to make. The cost of making it is less than US$ 10.
The picture what we have taken in a white back-ground, has been edited in the system provided software and presented here as an example of how easily we can picturise small objects in the DIY light box. The lighting we have used here is two LED table lamps. The light has passed through the white tissue paper to make it soft and even. In the background white sheets have been placed to give white background. Rest of the things involved in the making are card boards and a two feet square one inch thickness Thermocol (Polystyrene) Sheet. This light box can be folded and kept for future use.
To take small white objects with white background in the light box
Place the small object in the center of the box on the white sheet background. Apart from the light sources from the sides, use the camera flash to get extra brightness and throw of light from the back. Always use indirect light.
Use a tripod stand for the camera to be fixed. zoom toward the object to be photographed. Be bold and innovative. Turn of your camera's automatic flash.
There are many free picture editing software are available. That can be used for editing the pictures as well as the background.
To take pictures in a mobile phone camera
If you are new to the online selling as a small seller, your investment need not be on a digital camera. Instead you can start using your smartphone camera. Choose your mobile with maximum mega pixels and of course with a standard smart phone camera sensor.
Whatever we have discussed above with regard to the digital camera's holds good for the mobile cameras also. The light box will be more useful with regard to the picturizing the small objects.
There are some essentials needed before we start to take the pictures.
1. Gorilla tripod or any other mobile phone tripod is needed to steady the mobile phone camera.
2. An attachable LED flash.
Many more attachments like extra lenses are available but they are not essentials. For editing the pictures Adobe Photoshop Express which is a free application available and there are many available software for a fee also.(ref. shopify.com.au)
Uploading the pictures into marketplaces
Many market places give minimum and maximum pixels for the online pictures. But almost all the market places ask for minimum 500 pixels to upload the pictures.
Upon analyzing the factors, it will be easier to upload the pictures on the eCommerce site provided we have the following criteria met.
1. Minimum 1500 pixels on the longer side.
2. White background
3. 5 pictures to a product.
If these conditions are met, your product pictures can be uploaded easily in all the market places.
Graas provides solutions like listing of your products, managing your inventory and order management etc. on Amazon, Ebay, Lazada groups, Flipkart, Shopify, Magento, Shopclues, Snapdeal, zalora etc.
Happy clicking and uploading !!