{"id":9412,"date":"2016-04-12T11:34:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-12T10:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.repricerexpress.com\/?p=9412"},"modified":"2020-03-20T11:08:07","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T11:08:07","slug":"how-to-take-amazing-product-photos-with-your-smartphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.repricerexpress.com\/how-to-take-amazing-product-photos-with-your-smartphone\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Amazing Product Photos with Your Smartphone"},"content":{"rendered":"

You don\u2019t need to be Patti Smith or Annie Leibovitz to take amazing photos, even with a smartphone. But when it comes to your product photos<\/em>, RepricerExpress<\/a> knows you\u2019ve got to have a few skills under your belt to make \u2018em look snazzy and sharp. Read on to discover tricks you might not have been aware of.<\/h4>\n

But before we get into our tips, just a quick word of advice to repeat to yourself when you read each one: smartphones aren\u2019t built to the same level of quality as \u2018real\u2019 cameras, so you will have to put a bit more effort into getting good pictures. It\u2019s far from impossible, but you\u2019ll have to develop your side of things as opposed to letting the camera do the bulk of the work.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s All about the Lighting<\/h2>\n

Forget for a minute about the fact that you\u2019re shooting with a smartphone \u2014 any decent photographer will tell you that the key to good photographs has a ton to do with lighting. Use natural light as much possible, with a slightly overcast day offering almost ideal conditions (really bright sun can tend to wash out colours and add shadows). While you will have to adjust for the slightly decreased brightness by using a slower shutter speed, wider aperture and\/or higher ISO, the benefits are fantastic (i.e. colours that really pop, next-to-no shadows, more flattering light, and easier to take a tricky subject and make it look good).<\/p>\n

Depending on the shooting space and how much natural light there is, you might have to add in some side lighting, like the kind you see in professional model shots. Rent these lights so you don\u2019t have to commit to spending oodles of money on a one-shot deal.<\/p>\n

A Neutral Background is Your Best Friend<\/h2>\n

Occasionally, you can get away with shooting an object on a not-neutral background, but that pretty much only happens in, like, 2% of cases. For the most part, you\u2019ll want to stick to a background that\u2019s something like white, tan, beige, taupe or light grey. The idea is you want to make your background as bland as possible so it doesn\u2019t compete at all with the item being photographed.<\/p>\n

But wait, there\u2019s more! You may be tempted to use your wall as the background, but don\u2019t. Even though it make look ideally bland to your eye, your smartphone will pick up on imperfections that you can\u2019t see. Grab a neutral-toned sheet or roll of paper and set up shop that way. Copy the setup that pro photographers do by taping\/pinning the sheet\/roll to the ceiling, bring it to where it meets the wall, let it drape down the wall, and create a little carpet with it. This way, the to-be-shot item is completely enveloped by the background and everything is as even as possible.<\/p>\n

Swap out Your Hands for a Tripod<\/h2>\n

As skilled as you may think you are at grabbing fast shots on the go with your smartphone, this is one time to temporarily cease that habit. A tripod will hold your smartphone absolutely steady, reducing shakes that can blur and \u2018noise-ify\u2019 your images. A decent tripod isn\u2019t the cheapest piece of equipment (but it\u2019s not overly expensive either), but it definitely is something you should invest in.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be Afraid to Play around with Angles<\/h2>\n

When you look at an object, you\u2019re seeing it in 3D, in context, and in its entirety within its environment. But when your smartphone \u2018looks\u2019 at an object, it\u2019s seeing it in a totally different way: flat, 2D, and on a sort of grid-like system.<\/p>\n

f you haven\u2019t trained your own eyes to see objects the way a camera has, that\u2019s okay! This is when you get your smartphone to tell you exactly what\u2019s going on. Take plenty of shots from different angles, and absorb how each one looks on a screen. Some of the main angles you\u2019ll want to stick to are: head on, profile (both left and right if there\u2019s something different going on on each side), from behind, front-from-an-angle and almost-profile-but-tilted. Play around with them to see what works.<\/p>\n

Final Words of Advice<\/h2>\n

We have just two last little tidbits:<\/p>\n