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360° Product Photos: Enriching the Sales Experience
Shooting product photography of sunglasses can be a challenge. Eyewear and other reflective items require a certain level of expertise. You need to master lighting setups, special photography techniques, and image post processing. In this article, we’ll share some tips for product photography of sunglasses, and look at getting the most out of your product photos for fashion e-commerce.
Product photography of sunglasses can present numerous challenges. There is working around reflective surfaces, highlighting tiny details in the right light, and capturing the best angles to showcase eyewear online and in print.
When selling eyewear exclusively online, there is even more emphasis on the product photography. The consumers can’t physically inspect items in store, so the product photos have to provide more than just a realistic representation of the product. They have to allow the consumer to truly experience the product, as if it were in-hand.
To accomplish this, brands deploy several approaches to eCommerce photography of sunglasses. Rather than lifestyle photography, nowadays it’s multi-angle still images and 360 product photography. The product photography itself requires professional photography equipment, oftentimes at least a small team, and knowing techniques for photographing sunglasses and other reflective objects.
The first essential tip to product photography of sunglasses is beware of reflections. Sunglasses have reflective surfaces such as the lenses and sometimes the frames. Capturing subjects like these perfectly often requires the right equipment, some props, and a few special techniques photographers employ.
First, you’ll need the right table for product photography of eyewear. PhotoRobot’s Centerless_Table is a welcome studio companion for this, providing all the functionality and versatility you need for multi-angle still shots or 360-degree photography of eyewear. Next, you need a few props: possibly a white cloth to put under the sunglasses, some white and black cards, and something to stand the cards in position.
The background as well as the surface of the table should be white, which is easily accomplished with the Centerless Table’s built-in backdrop. The white of the cards can be used to reflect into the sunglasses, while black cards can add negative fill if reflections are too strong or in unwanted areas. Photographers can experiment with the position of the cards, standing them closer or further away until they eliminate all unwanted reflections. The goal is to have clear edges and fine details, all without any reflections distracting away from the product.
Another tip to consider when photographing sunglasses for e-commerce is adding context to your product photos. This is where you get a chance to really present not only your product but also your brand to consumers.
Shoot some branding alongside the product (if only for an extra shot in the online showcase). It might be a photo including the case of the sunglasses. Maybe it’s packaging photography, or a product photo next to the box with your brand’s logo on it. Whatever it is, show consumers that you’re willing to go the extra distance to inform them about your product and everything they get with it.
Just remember, the sunglasses remain the star of your photoshoot. While you shouldn’t shy away from including some branding in your shots, be sure anything you include doesn’t distract away from the product experience. A glance of the logo or a little bit of branding is more than enough to present your brand while keeping primary focus on the product.
The final tip involves experimenting with angles to find the perfect “hotspots” for your product photos. Different angles will produce different colors and effects on your sunglasses. Experiment with close-ups to capture intricate details, or aim for a shallow depth of field to highlight different aspects of the product.
It might even make sense to shoot a quick product video to see how your studio’s light moves across the lens and down the frame. This can help you see how the colors change from angle to angle, and assist in planning the perfect still shots of your sunglasses.
If using PhotoRobot’s Centerless Table, you’ll have a variety of advantages for this, from the rotating turntable to camera control and image post processing. The clear glass plate of the turntable means there is camera access from bottom as well as top-views, and the rotation of the plate allows for consistent image capturing from all sides. It’s the perfect studio companion for capturing multi-angle still shots or 360-degree photography of sunglasses.
At PhotoRobot, we know the importance of product photography cannot be stressed enough. Online, your images are just as much your products as they are your brand. This is why we develop e-commerce solutions, including robotics and software for full product photography automation. We have a line of robots for any size product and love to share tips and techniques for getting the most out of your imagery for online sales.
To learn more about product photography of sunglasses and other reflective products, or to discover PhotoRobot for yourself, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
