How to Work in Professional Product Photography

If you have a taste for lighting and the technical side of photography, there is a great opportunity for you to take photos of products. This interest is a great way to enter the photography industry and begin with a product photography company to make money from your skills or work as a firm’s product photographer. 

In product photography, there is no need for models or a stylist. In the comfort of your own house, you can also do this sort of tabletop photography.

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Here is how to get started with your own company or side hustle in product photography.

How to Work in Professional Product Photography
Image Source: Right Clipping

What Is Product Photography?

Product photography is a type of commercial photography that seeks to show the best photographic image.

Excellent product photography takes the tools of proper lighting, background materials, sharp camera focus with appropriate field depth, beneficial camera angles, and careful editing into careful consideration.

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Professional photography in e-commerce allows consumers to select between rival goods. To succeed in the 2019 marketplace, sellers of products are therefore advised to use professional product images.

Several new forms of images of products were not available until very recently, which help consumers distinguish between products.

Job Description: What Do Product Photographers Do?

You will be taking photos of products or individuals as a product or commercial photographer, which will be used to advertise a product or service.

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This might vary greatly: you could shoot fashion models for an advertisement in designer clothing, someone clicking away to sell a service on a computer, or something else that could appear on a business website, literature, or advertisement.

Currently, pinning down a commercial definition of photography is very difficult. Some people would claim it only refers to promotional shots, but others would include work from the catalogue and photographs from e-commerce.

How Essential Is Product Photography in E-Commerce?

The quality and style of photos used for e-commerce by a company will help support ongoing branding initiatives by educating audiences about how your business should be seen and increasing authority as a retailer by increasing the perceived value of goods.

Compete with another company to market the same items. It will make your version of the product more desirable, boosting sales and brand patronage by offering a higher quality of information through photos and explanations.

Educational Background to Become a Product Photographer

Degree Program

A degree program in product or commercial photography focuses on fundamental principles in art and techniques of photography. In art history, color theory, and digital photography, students take lessons.

Lab courses teach about film editing darkroom production and special equipment, such as filters, specialty lenses, and flashes. Students also study the business and sales aspects of photography work.

Graduates will find jobs in industrial photography, portrait photography, or photojournalism with a degree in commercial photography.

Bachelor Of Fine Arts

In photography and related fields, undergraduate degree programs may be available at universities, colleges, and art schools. A Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography programs concentrate on practical training in visual art’s technical and artistic aspects.

Courses may include photography techniques, lighting in the studio, color theory, graphic design, digital photography, and criticism of artwork.

Studio classes in which students use specialized techniques such as lighting and digital imaging can be included in upper-division courses. Usually, these courses allow students to experiment with their photographic abilities.

Many degree programs in photography culminate in a senior thesis. These projects help students develop their portfolios and transfer to a professional photographer’s career. A commercial photographer’s average salary is $39,130 (for photographers working in professional, scientific, and technical services).

Where to Look for Jobs

With a bachelor’s degree and the right experience, you have a wide array of job options. For instance, you can dive into photojournalism, industrial photography, and portrait photography.

You may also apply as a product or commercial photographer on the following sites.

How to Work in Professional Product Photography
Image Source: Brian Paul Studios, Inc. 

Conclusion

Overall, the specifications differ by sector and industry for product photographers. Some could just need a high school diploma or something comparable. Others may require further training or a degree from an associate or bachelor.

As they learn their trade, photographers frequently begin their careers as interns, assistants, or similar positions, gaining experience.

Also read – Discover the Best Apps that Turn Photos into Drawings