Transcription
Hey everyone, it's Thu from Hypop, and welcome back to another video.
In this one, we're going through a quick rundown on how to shoot e-commerce photos.
What's different for e-commerce photos compared to lifestyle photos is that you want them to be consistent. You want each and every one of them to look the same, and you want to be able to produce as many photos as you want in just one sitting because you're probably shooting a whole range of products, for example, a fashion winter collection.
For this reason, preparation is key when it comes to e-commerce photography. A few things to keep in mind would be to make sure that your wardrobe is clean and ironed. If you're shooting fashion, make sure to create your looks in advance. And if you're shooting products, then make sure the package looks perfect. It also goes without saying that your camera, sensors, and lenses should be clean.
If necessary, book a stylist and look for references. We like to use Pinterest as a source of inspiration as it allows you to share boards and collaborate with other team members as well.
Before we get into the actual process of the shoot, give the video a like if you're enjoying it so far. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more videos just like this. And hit the notification bell to be updated on any new content we release.
Now let's talk about the gear you'll be using for your e-commerce photo shoot. For professional e-commerce images, two key things to generally keep in mind are a good backdrop setup and a lighting setup that produces consistent results.
Here at Hypop, we have actually put together a professional fashion lookbook portrait and e-commerce photography lighting kit that comes with all the support equipment you need to get started with your own DSLR or a mirrorless camera. If you're interested, you can check out the fashion lookbook kit at hypop.com.au. Links are down below.
Starting off with a backdrop setup, there's the heavy-duty 8-kilogram load backdrop stand kit and a full-size 2.7-meter paper backdrop. By default, we send you a marshmallow white paper roll, but you can choose any color we have in stock by getting in touch with us after placing your order.
The light setup consists of two 260 cm heavy-duty light stands and two mid-range 400 watts Godox strobes, the Godox DP400III-Vs. We've made a separate video on that unit, which you can check out linked here.
The kit will also include two Godox octagon softboxes that will help you provide a softer light. Since this slide has a Bowens mount, you can attach a wide range of softboxes to it if you decide later down the road that you don't want to stick to the light modifiers that come with the kit.
And if you did prefer a hard light in your photos, you can always just remove the softboxes and use the included reflectors as well. Lastly, you'll also receive a Godox trigger, which you will need to match up with whatever camera brand you are using.
On the product page, there's a drop-down menu where you can select your camera brand. The trigger will let you control the strobe settings wirelessly, and it's also what triggers the flash when you press the shutter button.
Now let's see this kit in action. We're shooting in our own studio space today with our model, Anggun, and a Sony a7R0-III and a 24 to 70 mm lens. If you are watching this and you are based in Sydney and you are interested in hiring this space for your own shoots, check us out at studio.hypop.com.au.
The backdrop setup is fairly simple and straightforward to set up. The first step is to piece together the four-piece crossbar and insert it through the core of the paper roll. Once mounted onto the two stands, you can raise it up and roll it out. The step ladder will help here.
Although the backdrop is thicker and purposely made for use as photographic backdrops, it's still paper at the end of the day, so you should take as much care as you can when setting it up. If you're interested to know our tips on how to use and take care of your paper roll backdrop, check out this video which we just recently filmed for you.
You can always play around with your light placement depending on what style you're after. Our kit is a two-point kit, and you will be amazed at what you can do with just two lights. If you're interested in a tutorial on getting the most out of a two-light pointing setup, let us know in the comments below.
For today, we'll stick with a classic combo using one as a key light and one as a fill light since we're shooting e-commerce photos. Since our studio can't be blacked out completely, there's always a bit of natural light that comes through the ceiling.
Because of this, we'll start off by changing our camera settings so that ambient light doesn't affect our images. The strobe kit we're using is a full manual kit, which means that there are no automatic settings. There are a few ways, though, to figure out what settings to use, such as using a light meter.
But for this example, we'll just be using test shots. Since the strobes don't feature high-speed sync, we'll start off by setting our shutter speed to 1/200, ISO 100, and then change our aperture until our images are completely blacked out without strobes.
After your camera is set, we can now turn on and change the settings of the strobes. We can do this all remotely by using the groups feature that the Godox triggers have. Once you figure out your camera and flash settings, you can generally work around those same settings every time you're in the studio, depending on what your ambient light is like.
Make sure you look at your histogram with your test shots to make sure you're not clipping in highlights or shadows. You basically want your histogram to look something like this so all of your values are balanced. We're shooting in RAW as well, so we'll be able to slightly adjust in post if needed.
For e-commerce photos, one tip I can give you is to take as many angles as you can. People buying online are not able to take your products into their hands and look at them from all angles. So you want to make up for that as much as possible to invite potential customers to buy online.
Another tip I can give you is to use a higher f-stop so everything is nicely sharp and in focus. Setting up your camera on a tripod also helps with this. For the sake of consistency, it's also a good idea to mark the model's position on your backdrop.
Before we get to the recap, feel free to leave down in the comment section below if you have any questions about shooting your own e-commerce photos. Follow us on social media for more inspiration and to see more BTS content of this shoot.
So just to recap, here's a quick diagram of how we have positioned our lights. This is just one way you can take your own e-commerce or fashion photography photos. But remember, you have endless options on what sort of light modifiers you want to use, whether it's a strip box or a lantern or even just using a bell bowl for harsher shadows.
Not to mention the different results you'll get from just playing around with where you place the lights. Here are some of our results from the shoot, which we use for our own product images on our website.
For more videos just like this, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and the notification bell. Leave a like on the video if it's helped you, and feel free to leave down in the comment section below your thoughts or if you have any questions about e-commerce photography or fashion photography.
Follow us on social media at Hypop and visit our website hypop.com.au. Thanks for watching.