Photographing for the internet

When you’re marketing your product on online, people make their minds up very quickly. A first impression is often all you get.

Here are some tips from our professional photographer to help you make the best impression.

Great photographs are not all about your camera. Photography is all about light and dark — or shadow. Showing your products in “the best light,” means exactly that.

DO NOT shoot in direct light. Direct light, like sunlight or a room light, tends to produce harsh shadows, and sometimes also some change in colour. If you’re using a single light source, try diffusing the light with a sheet of tissue or paper towel. Consider using something reflective like a white card or cooking foil to reflect light back onto your subject, reducing shadows and contrast.

ALWAYS shoot in landscape mode. Your product will be presented in square mode, or landscape mode, so shooting in landscape is essential.

ALWAYS keep your subject in the centre of your frame. If your shot is cropped to square format, your product needs to be centre-stage, in the middle of the frame.

ALWAYS send your “best” shot. If you have a “wizard” function on your camera, see if that helps with the colour, contrast and brightness of your shots.

ALWAYS submit your photographs in a high-quality mode. They will never look better than they do on your device. Send the best available version of your image.

ALWAYS shoot as close to 90-degrees to your product as possible.

Finally:

Make sure you include a photo of every menu item.

High resolution photos or images are best - minimum 500 x 500 pixels, preferably larger and landscape.