Photography
When you’re just starting out with a simple photo shoot, it can be hard to know how to choose the right equipment. Lucky for you, you don’t have to invest a small fortune in professional equipment to get the best results.
With the right knowledge and a few inexpensive photography tools, you can make a set of attractive pictures that are good enough for your online store.
If you’re wondering, “What do you need to take pictures of products?” Don’t worry; there is a list of equipment that you will need and a step-by-step guide for doing product photography in Toronto. Check it out below.
1. Camera:
There are so many cameras on the market that it can be hard to choose one for a simple photo shoot. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s make things easy.
Even if your subject stays still the whole time, you won’t need a camera with a wide range of ISO settings or a lot of megapixels. The same goes for the way the camera focuses; it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A camera with 20–24 megapixels and a 50mm or kit lens will do just fine for a simple shoot.
Still, if you’re on a tight budget, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of the camera on your smartphone. Technology has come a long way in the past few years, and you’d be surprised at how good it can be.
2. Tripod:
A sturdy tripod will be another important part of your shoot. They work to keep the camera from shaking and make the pictures clearer, especially when there isn’t much light.
When buying a tripod, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on something fancy. As long as it keeps your camera steady, it’s a winner.
Though, for more flexibility during the shoot, it’s good to have a tripod with an adjustable column down the middle in case you want to make small changes to the height or shoot the product from above.
3. The Background:
When choosing a background for your product videography, there are a few things to keep in mind. These include the kind of product photo you’re taking, the product you’re working with, and the moods you’re trying to show.
Depending on the type of photo, the background will often be different. For example, the background of eCommerce images is usually a clean, white colour. But if you want the shot to have more personality and match the tone of your other photos, you could use a coloured background with either brighter or darker colours.
The type of product you are working with is something else to think about. When styling drinks or food, things can quickly get unorganized and messy. For these shoots or scenes, it’s advised to use a vinyl surface that is easy to reuse and clean, even though they can be more expensive.
Otherwise, paper backdrops are easy to use, flexible, and cost-effective for standard products.
4. The Light:
One of the most important parts of product photography in Toronto is the right lighting, but it’s also one of the hardest things to get right.
Natural light is a great choice for business owners on a tight budget because it’s free and can make photos look natural. Set up your product shoot next to a big window or door, and you’ll be good to go. And if you require to soften any shadows, use a reflector to bounce the light in the way you want.
But natural light can be good and bad at the same time. When there are clouds in the sky, the light can change all the time.
If you can afford it, you might want to buy a set of studio lights. You’ll have full control over the scene’s lighting when you have them. Plus, they are easier to use because you don’t have to plan your photo shoot around the time of day and location.
Still, artificial lighting can be costly and need more photography gear to use properly. Moreover, if you’re just starting with product photography in Toronto, use natural light for your first few shots and see how they turn out before investing in studio lights.
