7 Tips for Successful 360 Product Photography
Whether you are capturing 360 product views for ecommerce platforms, a web page or social media, it makes all the difference when you take the time to get the basics right before you start.
We've done the hard work for you and put together this handy guide to make sure that you are in full control of your shoot and that your clients are delighted with the results.
Understanding Your Subjects For 360 Product Photography
When it comes to 360 spin product photography, accurate representation of the product itself is key to the success of the shoot. However, many professional photographers and studios don’t pause at the beginning to consider and understand the individual objects themselves.
Knowing the physical gist of the product even before beginning setting up will save any photographer and studio immense amounts of time later. The product itself should dictate the stylistic approach to 360 photography.
We strongly recommend taking a few moments to get to know your product fully before launching into capturing your 360 degree product images. Is the object round? If so, then you’ll need to consider what your edges will look like for background removal in the post processing phase. I
s the object reflective? You’ll need to consider light sources and how they may become visible at points during 360 degree product spins. A little time spent before your 360 spin product shoot will go a long way towards creating a beautiful spin.
2. In Product Photography, Cleanliness Is Godliness
We notice dirty or scuffed products regularly when perusing online 360 views. You should have a variety of cleaning objects in the studio for different surfaces, for example:
microfiber towels
a few types of surface cleaner
Pledge spray,
goo gone, etc.
Make absolutely certain your cleaning agents are compatible with the given product: nothing is more embarrassing than telling a client you need another shoe sent because you changed the dye color with improper cleaning solvents. Compressed air, along with low-tack black paper tape, will greatly aid in dust removal for dark colored objects.
Take it from us, spending 5-10 minutes cleaning ahead of the 360 spin capture can literally save hours of editing once photography is complete.
3. Proper Display On Your 360 Degree Product Photography Turntable
The correct display implementation for your product will also greatly aid in post processing and background removal. Our biggest tip is to make everything the best possible IN CAMERA.
Again, take the time to make things perfect or nearly so before you get into post! Start with your clients needs and move to the display for 360 product spins from there.
Does your client want transparent pngs? If so, then consider using monofilament to hang products for the spins. You'll Have fewer or no shadows to remove in post. Consider a photographic glass table for both shadow removal and no need to post-out monofilament wires.
Does your client want reflections via a white plexiglass or a drop shadow on white photo paper? Proper preparation before the product shoot will save an exponential amount of time after the shoot.
4. Strobes or Continuous Light for 360 Product Photography?
We have a proper blog upcoming on this topic, so for brevity’s sake we’ll keep it easy. The key thing to remember is to have your light work for your product, and not against it.
We suggest placing the lights as close to the subject as possible for the most versatility (power/diffusion/etc) and subsequently the best looking light as well. Most professional photographers use strobes or flash.
Here at Revo we are also experimenting with the newest LED continuous lighting as well and getting phenomenal results. Whichever you choose, excellent affordable options exist in either strobe or continuous conventions.
5. Cameras For 360 Spin Product Photography
The right equipment for the shoot is always important. We strongly recommend the Canon R line of cameras: they are robust, reliable, easy to operate, and produce fantastic professional images.
They make excellent additions to any studio with their ability to use live-view and silent shutters, for example. Image quality is exceptional. The RF lenses aid in producing top-tier 360 views as well.
We have extensively tested the basic RF kit lenses against some of the best macro lenses in Canon’s lineup and have discovered no functional difference in image quality between the lenses.
We have a more in-depth blog on this topic, so head over and check out How to Choose the Correct Lens for 360 Degree Product Photography.
6. A Solid Camera Stand for 360 Degree Product Photography
This concept seems basic but we can’t say it strongly enough: having the correct camera stand will make your 360 product images much easier to produce. Repeatability and stability is key.For more information on the right camera stand, check out our blog on that topic, 360 Spin Photography with the Revo Vida.
7. Hosting Sites for 360 Product Spins
You need to find a way to display your spin or embed it on your website. Hosting sites are extremely powerful: they allow for file optimization, changing of size parameters, changing output resolutions, exporting for interfaces such as Grainger, Amazon, Walmart, and much more. Using a 360 viewer you host on your own site can also be effective. Getting the spins viewable on your site is the final step in your 360 degree product spin journey.
Hosting sites allow for use of a single link for completed spins. This is an added benefit. You can keep 360 product images in one place, making sharing or downloading incredibly easy. The only real consideration is cost of the service. For the power or the platform and relative ease of use…the cost in most cases is negligible. This is especially the case when you consider the price of IT work. We strongly recommend Sirv.com based on our years of overwhelming success with it. Having a service host your spins is straightforward and simple. For more, check out Uploading and Viewing 360 Degree Spin Product Photos.
If you’d like to find out more about 360 degree spin photos or 360 product photography equipment, we’d love to talk! Contact us through our website or call on 415.335.9114