Martijn Prins
Product Photography Wimbledon
My ethos on product photography is a simple one: Products are sold on stories and lifestyle. Product photography is the art of telling the story not only of your merchandise, but also of your brand.
I would love the opportunity to tell the story of your products’ life, development and characteristics. Whatever makes your products unique, your product photography needs to be unique as well.
Thank you for visiting my website and for considering hiring me as your next product photographer. Please accept my humble advice on how to get the most out of your product shots.
What makes perfect product photography?
Consistency is king.
You probably realise it already, or perhaps not: But have you noticed how all (or most) product photos on a company website look very alike? Same angle, same space around them, same lifestyle shot, etc. Being consistent with your photos gives customer’s the sense that you are a serious brand, not a cheap-and-cheerful one.
Sell the vision.
Consumers are aspirational, even if they think they’re not. Product photography should feed their desires to adopt the lifestyle they want and your product needs to fit their ideal vision of themselves.
Show your product ‘in the wild’.
Your product doesn’t live on a shelf, unless it’s a can of beans! So let me take your product out into its natural environment for your product photography – be that a pub, a bathroom, the garden or the gym
Show your product in action.
A photo of a tent in a field is good, but a photo of it next to a camp fire with thrilled children at play is even better. In the planning phase of your product photography, let’s discuss your products and how they fit into your customers’ lives.
Make it memorable.
Many customers are visual memory people and research has show that while only 10% of written word is memorised, that figures rises to 50% for visual content. So the old saying is true “A picture is worth a thousand words”
‘Dress up’ your products.
While accessorising your product with other products might sound counterintuitive, it actually helps people to picture your products and how they might fit into their own lives. Dressing your product photography with other aspirational items can tell the story of your brand, visually.
Your Product Photography Checklist
Before considering undertaking your product photography and calling in a photographer, there are a few things to get right to ensure you make the most of your photographer’s time and you get the results you desire. Here are some top tips to help get your products ready for their close up.
Are You Happy With Your Branding?
Product photography is an investment, in money, time and effort. Coming out of the other side and being disappointed with your branding will not make you happy - so ensure you have your branding spot on before proceeding with you product photography. Does your brand communicate your messaging? If not then perhaps you should head back to the design drawing board.
Communicate Your Style.
Any good photographer will be able to give you advice on styling and overall creative vision for your products. However, no photographer will be an expert on your brand or be able to read your mind. In the planning phase of your product photography, be sure to communicate clearly how you want your brand to be represented and the vision you have in mind - just remember that good photographers will also push back and give you their opinion on what makes great product photography.
Check Out Your Competitors.
Do you have a strong competitor or a brand that you aspire to be like? Whether it's Apple or Audi, or just the bicycle shop in the high street: Take a look at their product photography and try to understand exactly what it is about it you like. Being able to communicate these ideas to your product photographer will really help them to achieve your desired results.
Set Your Budget.
Fantastic product photography isn't cheap, but it doesn't have to be hugely expensive either. Any good product photographer can help you work to a budget, while we would all love to have an unlimited budget to open up endless options, being realistic is a virtue. Communicating your budget expectations and having a buffer will benefit your final results.
Creating a Product Photography Brief
Approaching a product photographer with at least an outline of a brief will help to keep costs predictable, timeframes realistic and expectations met. Building a basic brief for product photography is pretty simple, it covers things like: Dates or delivery timeline, how the photos will be used (online, in print, etc), a list of ideas or requirements, creative ideas or direction and a checklist of the products to be photographed.
Testimonials
Contact Martijn today.
To discuss your next product photography project in Wimbledon, let’s speak today. I pride myself on being honest and friendly – no pushy sales people here.
Email: martijn@mpfilmandphoto.co.uk
Phone: 07565680468
Or send a message using the form!