How to make the most of your product shots.

Making the most of your product shots.

Whether it’s baking a cake, sourdough starters, making jam or trying to recreate a favourite take away at home (#fakeaway), our focus is on food right now. The world seems to have gone crazy in the kitchen.

So, what can you do to join the trend of home cooking and baking?

Start sharing your products!

Make sure you’re using the appropriate #’s on your social media posts. Have a browse around Instagram and Twitter and see what is trending that relates to your products or services. Ensure you post regularly and use hashtags in the right places. There is very little point using hashtags on Facebook as they don’t really do anything for you. Make sure you use at least 9 on Instagram and at least 3 on Twitter.

Are your products gluten free, allergen free or suitable for Kosher or vegan customers? Then make sure your hashtags reflect these important points. Maximise your reach with beautiful product photos too.

Here are our top tips for getting the best out of your product shots.

1-Check the lighting

Don’t use the flash on your camera unless you absolutely have to. Use natural day light wherever possible. Take your products outside if you can and make sure you stand so that your shadow doesn’t cast itself over your products.

2-Set the stage

Shooting a slice of cake? Pop it onto a pretty little plate, grab a cake fork and maybe a fresh flower lying next to the plate. Don’t forget the tablecloth, the background of the shot needs to be interesting too.

Taking a picture of a drink? What glass would it look best in? Does it need ice? Can you see the steam if it is a hot drink? Wipe the glass down if it condenses. Check for fingerprints. Again, think about the background. Does a brick wall give your drink an urban feel or would a clean tiled background work for your product?

3- Check your angle

Once you’ve set the scene, get snapping. Take some overhead shots, take some at an angle. Take some front on. Then check your images. Make sure you don’t have anything covering the lens. Don’t chop off any of the product unless you’re taking a close up and it is intentional. Check the shadows and most importantly, check that the picture is in focus and any writing on the product can be easily read.

4-Get sharing

When you post your images, make sure that they are cropped to the right size for each social media platform. Instagram and Twitter are the same square size. Facebook can use a wider shot. There is a resize option on Instagram which lets you zoom out to get the full picture in. Think about this when you take your photos and always shoot them in a landscape direction. This makes it easier to resize.

Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with to capture the eyes of your audiences.

Till next month.

PR Toolkit team x