The Ultimate Guide To Pack shot Photography

When you look around, you could easily see the drastic effects of technological advancement in the entire world. Digital marketing strategies are not strangers to such reforms. And one of these strategies is packshot photography. Learn how to capture professional-looking packshot images in this guide.

What is Packshot Photography?

We can define packshot or packaging shot images as a product’s image that includes packaging or labeling. Packshot photography aids in communicating a brand’s integrity and well-roundedness. When executed well, it can boost a brand’s perceived value.

Equipment You’ll Need for Shooting Packshot Images

Similar to any advertising techniques and strategies, packshot photography requires precise equipment, space, and lighting. It isn’t a simple point-and-shoot event. Packshot photographers must secure the right things for the products to fly off the online shopping shelves.

The following are the necessary equipment to shoot packshot images:

Camera

For starters, you may utilize your smartphones if you have any. Smartphone cameras have come a long way. Others even take better shots than professional cameras. With the right lighting and background, your smartphones could carry out the job just fine.

If you want to utilize a professional camera, a DSLR is the best choice. However, you must take note of the different dos and don’ts in using the said camera.  

Background

Utilizing the right background is necessary as it speeds up the whole editing process. The safest and most recommended background is a plain white one. A plain white or light background is easier to remove when editing or polishing the photos.

The good thing is you can improvise on a plain white background. Make use of a big and thick white paper, or a plain white cloth. Or you could make your own lightbox or light tent. You would only need a plastic or wooden storage container with a detachable part and a white craft paper.

Lighting

Natural and studio light are both great to work with. You only need to know how they work. Natural light is best for those on a tight budget. It’s easier to handle and can save you the time and hassle of setting up a studio light.

However, if you have the budget for studio lights, you have to secure at least two softbox light set-ups to capture and manage the shadows correctly to use artificial lighting. 

Tripod

Using a tripod eases out the entire shooting process. It provides room for consistency, focus, and stability. Without a tripod, your images could possibly end up blurry.

If your fund allows, secure a decent tripod as it will serve its purpose for years. However, if the budget is tight, you may improvise and use a pile of books or a high stool to keep your camera in place. You need to have one if you want to get a clear and crisp packshot. 

Postprocessing Software

Your job doesn’t end with a satisfactory raw image of the product. It goes beyond that. Retouching your images is vital in achieving a polished, clean look.

For beginners, the post processing could be a headache. Retouching includes background removal and color correction, among others; and it’s time-consuming. Fortunately, there are so many free photo editing applications to choose from, including Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

Packshot Photography Tips and Techniques

We’ve collected several tips and techniques formulated to help packshot photographers who are still starting out. 

Shoot Varied Images

Don’t stop at one image for every product. Take a look at customers in a merchandise store–they like to observe the products keenly. They hold the products, look at every angle, and even try them on if they could. And you want to deliver this kind of experience through your images.

In taking a packshot, don’t be satisfied with one shot. Shoot more. You have to give yourself options. Sometimes, we could get satisfied with the first shot, but would end up loving the fifth shot more!

Ensure the Clarity of the Label

In doing packshot photography, you want to make sure that the products’ labels can be read clearly. Isn’t this what the packshot is for? If the label comes out unclear or blurry, then you would have defeated your purpose.

You may use silhouettes or close-up shots to emphasize specific labels or worth-sharing areas to your clients. 

Resize Your Image for the Website

One best way to optimize your packshot photos is to resize its height and width to fit inside the HTML container. When we view an image on a website, we’re actually viewing an HTML container with a shot inside.

If the HTML container is a square of 648px and the photo inside is a 1500px photo, the picture will be displayed at 648px. However, the image it would reference would still load at 1500px. Imagine the time consumed waiting for the page to load, particularly if you have plenty of photos.

Thus, you have to figure out the container size of the HTML so you could resize your photos accordingly. You don’t want your customers to ditch your website because the pictures take time to load. 

Editing Packshot Images

After the photoshoot, you can’t just use whatever raw photos you have of the products. The photographs must be polished, and here are some useful tips to follow:

Deep Etching

Since packshot photography aims to let the customers recognize your products at a glance, you must edit the photo’s backdrop, especially if it isn’t plain white. This technique is known as deep etching. It could bring focus to the product without any distraction.

When achieved accurately, it could flock customers to your website and drive traffic. A lot of free and paid photo editing software can be found online, so explore as much as you can.

Color Correcting

This editing technique gives room for color and presentation accuracy. Regardless of your solid-colored background, this technique could enhance your photo even more. Bear in mind that a little touch up goes a long way.

Similar to deep etching, color correcting can be done through various photo editing applications. You can start by getting familiar with both the software and technique.

Packshot photography, when done precisely, can flood your brand with a sea of customers. It takes effort and time, but with the right background of the entire process and the goal to keep you moving, it’s worth the shot.