Regarding website product photography, there are several best practices to ensure your products are showcased in the best light and attract customers effectively. Firstly, lighting is crucial. Opt for soft, diffused lighting to minimize harsh shadows and ensure accurate color representation. Use a tripod to maintain stability and avoid blurry images. Secondly, pay attention to composition and framing. Use the rule of thirds to create a visually appealing layout, and consider including multiple angles or close-ups to provide a comprehensive view of the product. Ensure the background is clean and uncluttered, focusing solely on the product. Thirdly, invest in high-resolution images to showcase details clearly and enable zoom functionality for customers to inspect the product closely. Finally, consistency is vital. Maintain a cohesive style and aesthetic across all product photos to create a professional and polished look for your website.
Equipment:
- DSLR camera or a quality phone camera. *Phones are easy and will likely save you time.
- Photo studio light box - make sure you get one large enough to fit the largest product you intend to put inside it.
- A tripod for your camera (the above camera comes with a tripod) or a tripod for your phone.
- A table in a well-lit area to put your light box on.
Techniques / Best Practices:
- Set up your tripod and camera or phone at a distance, allowing you to take a photo of the item inside the lightbox without photographing the actual lightbox edges.
- If you zoom in, you might prefer to remember (write down) how much you zoomed in so that your photographs on your website look consistent. We recommend zooming in to the point where most of the photo is the product, but you still have room to crop the image for different ratio sizes around the edges. See the examples below. Note how the first image has whitespace around it equally.
- Decide if you will take portrait o landscape images. Select for simplicity, which will give the photos on your website a uniform look.
- If you are unsure, we recommend landscape unless all of your items are for more tall than wide (for example, golf club).
- Take as many product photos as possible in a given time without moving the camera or tripod. Again, this provides consistency.
- Use a white background. Typically white backgrounds quickly melt into most websites with white backgrounds, giving your site a more polished look.
- Multiple Images: If it is helpful to the consumers to see a product from multiple angles, we recommend taking multiple photos of the same product.
- Take a photo of e product alone. Do not add printed labels or other items to the photo unless they are part of the product.
SUPER TIP: Use Adobe Lightroom to crop images based on your e-commerce platform and social media needs. You can appropriately crop and save images right from your phone! Adobe Lightroom app for iOS | Adobe Lightroom app on Google Play
Social Media Image Size Recommendations
Facebook:
- Profile Picture: 180 x 180 pixels
- Cover Photo: 820 x 312 pixels
- Shared Image: 1200 x 630 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Shared Link: 1200 x 627 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
Instagram:
- Profile Picture: 110 x 110 pixels (minimum)
- Photo Posts: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
- Landscape Photo Posts: 1080 x 566 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
Twitter:
- Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels (recommended)
- Header Photo: 1500 x 500 pixels
- Shared Image: 1200 x 675 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
- In-Stream Photo: Minimum width of 440 pixels
LinkedIn:
- Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels (recommended)
- Background Photo: 1584 x 396 pixels
- Shared Image: 1200 x 627 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Company Logo: 300 x 300 pixels (minimum)
YouTube:
- Channel Profile Picture: 800 x 800 pixels
- Channel Cover Photo: 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Video Thumbnail: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
- Video Upload: 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
Pinterest:
- Profile Picture: 165 x 165 pixels
- Pin Image: 1000 x 1500 pixels (2:3 aspect ratio)
- Board Cover Image: 600 x 600 pixels
Snapchat:
Snap Image: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
TikTok:
- Profile Picture: 200 x 200 pixels
- Video Upload: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
These are general guidelines, but it's always advisable to refer to each platform's official documentation or help center for the most up-to-date information on image sizes and aspect ratios.