Recently, we spent a whole day shooting products for Mineral Resources, Inc. They manufacture health supplements containing minerals directly from the Great Salt Lake. We had a blast learning about their powerful products and showcasing how great they are. We focused on their Ionique brand of products, featured on their web page here. Their team was on deck the whole time prepping and primping each product for its time to shine.
Whether your product is health supplements or something else, it’s important to take proper steps to prepare for a successful photo shoot. While work can be done in the retouching stage to refine the image, it saves everyone time and money to start with a great photo. Here are our 5 easy recommendations to make sure your product is ready for the spotlight.
1. The Best of the Best
Avoid touching the front label where possible to avoid finger oils, and make sure your product and packaging is free from scratches or damage. It may sound tedious, but you don’t want fingerprints showing up when those lights hit the label. If possible, have a few extra of each product handy so you can easily switch out in case there are any blemishes showing. The products you photograph will help potential buyers decide where to put their money, so only include the best of the best of each product.
2. Set Up the Environment
The point here is to tell a story that your audience can connect to. Set it up so that the product feels like a logical addition to their lifestyle. You can use props that highlight a feature of the product.
With these Elete electrolyte supplements, we included various citrus fruits to show the ingredients in that product. We also shot some of the products in different scenarios, like next to a smoothie, next to exercise equipment, etc.
A bottle of supplements may not mean anything to Dave, for example, but Dave may love to bike and didn’t realize those supplements can enhance his biking abilities. Stage the product with a bike in the frame, and you’ve made a connection with Dave.
3. Keep the Product the Main Focus
On the other hand, make sure your staging doesn’t distract from the product itself. For example, in this image, where does your eye go first?
If we did our job right, it should go right to the Fortisalt bottle. Then, it should gravitate towards the popcorn bowl and make you go, “huh, I hadn’t thought to use it that way.” This “Fortisalt” product can be used in a variety of culinary applications. We wanted to portray that by showing that it can be used on popcorn, but we don’t want our audience to think our client sells popcorn. So, we kept the product front, center and clearly in focus. The popcorn is visible but doesn’t take your attention away from the product itself. Every aspect of the photo should complement and emphasize the product, not distract from it.
4. Consider the Final Destination
It’s important to think about how the images are going to be displayed. Are these images going on a social media feed that needs to be cohesive? Are you staging the product with items that will clash with your website design or product label? Additionally, remember that these photos are going to contribute to your overall brand. If the images are dark and moody, your audience will feel like your brand is serious. If they’re bright and colorful, people will associate your brand with being fun and energetic.
At this shoot, we made sure to include shots that can be cropped for different applications. Square for social media, long horizontal rectangle for web banner, etc. Framing the shots appropriately at the initial shoot makes for easier application later.
5. Hire a Professional
Nothing can replace hiring a professional to take the shots that you’ve expertly prepared your products for. Their experience, equipment, and expertise can’t be gained overnight. You’ve already invested so much in your product, so why would you compromise how you’ll display it to the world? High-quality photos mean high-quality customers putting money in your pocket. We’d be happy to help with this, of course, so do your research and find someone who’s a good fit for your business.
Photographing your product will provide a dramatic boost to your marketing strategy. These five tips are key to a photoshoot that runs smoothly and shows your product off to the world. Thanks, Mineral Resources, Inc., for being product-prep experts and making our job easy!
