Stop Taking the Same Photograph 20 Times
You've photographed the product. You've taken it from above.
Then slightly from the side. Then slightly closer.Then slightly further away.
And suddenly you've got 37 photographs that all look almost exactly the same.
Sound familiar?
One of the easiest ways to improve your photography workflow is to stop thinking about one photograph and start thinking about a collection of photographs.
Let's say you're photographing a beautiful bag of coffee beans.
Instead of taking twenty variations of the same image, create five deliberately different photographs.
1. The Hero
This is your clean, commercial photograph.
The product is the star.
Keep the composition relatively simple so the viewer immediately understands what they're looking at.
This could be the main image for a website or online store.
2. The Lifestyle Shot
Now create context.
Add the coffee cup.
Some beans.
A linen cloth.
Perhaps a book or a breakfast setting.
You're no longer simply showing the product.
You're showing the life surrounding the product.
3. The Detail
Get closer.
Photograph the texture of the packaging.
The label.
The coffee beans.
A particular design detail.
Close-ups are useful because they give your audience visual variety.
4. The Flat Lay
Change your viewpoint completely.
Move overhead and create a carefully styled arrangement.
This is particularly useful for social media, Pinterest and promotional graphics.
5. The Negative Space Shot
This one is especially valuable for businesses.
Leave an intentional area of empty space.
Why?
Because someone might want to add text.
A sale announcement.
A logo.
A headline.
A call to action.
Suddenly, you've created five different images from one product.
And each can have a completely different purpose.
That's the important bit.
Photograph for the destination, not just for the photograph.
Before a shoot, make a list of everywhere the images might be used:
Website.
Instagram.
Facebook.
Pinterest.
Email newsletter.
Blog.
Advertisement.
Packaging.
Catalogue.
When you know how the photographs will be used, you'll start seeing opportunities during the shoot that you might otherwise miss.
One product doesn't need one photograph.
It can become an entire content library.
