Did you know that you can do product photography without using a professional camera?

Most smartphones these days have advanced camera features that enable you to take high-quality photos. With the help of some accessories and excellent post-processing, you will have your professional-looking product pictures right at your fingertips. And if you own an e-commerce website, the right photos will make it even easier to apply clipping path and other photo editing techniques.

Here are the basic tips for taking product pictures using your smartphone.

1. Lighting

Lighting is a key factor in capturing an image because it determines the quality and makes post-processing easier. The cheapest option is to use natural lighting. You can place your setup near a large window during the brightest part of the day to allow you to have enough light to play with. To control light intensity, you can diffuse it by covering the window with a white cloth or paper. Light intensity that is too high creates a stark contrast between the shadows and the product, while intensity that is too low creates a soft contrast. Try to find the right balance. It is also important to take note of the direction and temperature of the light which changes throughout the day. If you have enough budget, you can buy a softbox-type lighting kit for around $50. Artificial lighting allows you to have more freedom when it comes to light intensity and direction which you cannot have when you are using natural lighting.

2. Backdrop

Use a white sheet, rolled paper, or wall as your backdrop. This gives your photo a cleaner look and will make  post-processing easier. If you are planning to send your photo to a clipping path service, having a white background will reduce the processing duration.

3. Positioning

Place your product on a table or a chair. If you are not using any image stabilization equipment, positioning your phone on the table with a tripod will do the trick. There are a lot of options for affordable tripods online. Gorilla Pod can be a cheap option at $15. If you have a little more budget, you may opt to buy the Spiderpodium at $25 which is a bit expensive but a little more versatile than the Gorilla Pod. If you cannot squeeze in a tripod in your budget, you can use a pile of books to keep your camera fixed.

4. Lenses

If you are willing to spend more to have a higher quality image, you can buy external lenses for your smartphone. It will be useful for when you want to create a macro product image to focus the features of your product. The prices for external lenses can range from $10-$100 depending on the brand and specifications.

5. Camera settings

Go easy on the zoom. Scratch that, forget about the zoom completely. Unless you have a high-end smartphone built for close shots, do not use zoom. Zoom decreases the quality of your photo because smartphones do not actually zoom in but basically just crop the image. Also, make sure that your product fits the frame. Using the grid function allows you to position your product on the frame properly.  If you choose to go for manual mode, it might help to adjust the different settings such as white balance, exposure and focus. Do not forget to turn the flash off.

6. Post-processing

Now that you are certain that your raw photo is as good as it can possibly be, you can now proceed to post-processing. If you opt to edit your product photos, there is a plethora of apps you can choose from. Another option is to have your photos edited by a clipping path service provider. Using a software, a clipping path can be drawn on the edges of a product in a photo to remove it from the background. There are a lot of companies that offer a variety of services which often includes image retouching. To find the best clipping path service, consider the cost, processing duration and quality. The service providers usually offer free trials to test out the quality of their service.

A product photo is proof of quality and value and influences the decision-making process of consumer. Remember that you do not need a big budget to produce an excellent-quality photo. You just need to know how to utilize your resources. Quality photos speak to your customers. And if you want better results, hiring the best clipping path service might just make a big difference.