All you need to know about product photography in Q&A
How long have you worked as a product photographer and why do you do it?
My first attempts as a food photographer and blogger was when my son was born in 2015 in England. Over time, my photos became better and more aesthetically pleasing, until at one point I had the honor of having them published in some food magazines in England (“Hectic Vegan” ”Vegan Food & Living”).
In 2016, I launched my own brand of handmade organic chocolate made with the rarest cocoa beans in the world. For the quality of the chocolate and tireless work, I and my partner were rewarded with 5 awards for a high distinction of quality.
Around this same period, I decided it was time to raise the level of photography I did on my chocolates. It was time to upgrade and in 2018-2019 I took two professional food photography courses in London.
The year 2020 (the appearance of COVID) as for many of us – was fateful for me and my family. Months of complete stagnation began in my chocolate business. As we were forced to close the small shops and businesses in England and as I had not developed my business online (falling for pseudo marketing specialists to whom we paid huge sums, but alas with zero results, thought it was time for a new page…
It was clear that businesses would focus on the online space more than ever…
Then I enrolled in a one-year training course at an American Photographic Training Platform for Product Photography. The skills with food photography were not enough in terms of knowledge and scope. Therefore I needed to expand my knowledge to be adequate in the market and really help businesses that produce and trade products.
Shortly before the end of my studies, I was awarded as one of the best students and was announced on the school page – “student success stories”.
In the meantime, I have gone through and continue to educate myself in marketing in its full scope – both practical and technical. Experience has made me understand that without adequate marketing you are lost in the online space. And through marketing, I don’t just help myself, but also manage to give adequate and relevant advice to my clients when they need it:
- how to correctly use their product photos,
- how to make the most of and utilize the full potential of a product photo to maximize their profits
- and be competitive on the market.
At the moment I live and work in Bulgaria. Helping entrepreneurs all around the globe to grow their sales by taking eye-catching photos of their products and crafting a distinctive vision.
It is important to mention that I specialize and work only in the field of product photography. This includes a strong knowledge of composition, product styling and creativity. All of these elements are absolutely key for conducting. A successful advertising campaign, marketing, presentations, catalogs, website positioning, social networks, etc.
I work quickly and under tight deadlines. It is important to me that my customers receive a service that they haven’t received until now, namely – a professional attitude, correctness and creativity in one place.
Photos created by me have been published in some culinary magazines in England (“Hecktic Vegan”, ” Vegan Food & Living”).
At the moment I collaborate as a photographer with a great photography agency in Italy “Boom image studio”. They operate with photographers and clients from all over the world. Also I collaborate with one of the biggest companies for stock photos called “Freepik”. “Freepik” has several million users from all over the world, some of them are: MICROSOFT, FedEx, Amazon, Shopify
Last but not least, I must mention my collaboration with one of the most popular online product photography training platforms – “Photigy” There I have the honor of teaching the new photographers the magic of product and food photography and the creativeness in those disciplines.
What kind of businesses are your customers for product photography?
The customers I work with are people like you – product business owners. I help them increase their sales by taking eye-catching photos of their products and creating a distinctive vision. I have worked with business owners in the field of cosmetic products, food products, accessories, products in the field of technologies & more
What if you haven't worked with clients in my industry before?
My believes are that every business is unique, as is the person behind every brand. This automatically means for me that everyone has their own vision of how their products would look most impressive and from there I build through an individual approach – a special vision according to the needs, requirements of the client, and the purpose of the product.
How do you come up with creative ideas, and where do you get inspiration from?
Before I create a creative concept, I collect a large amount of information from you, as customers. This includes the purpose of the images, goals, brand colours (if any), purpose of the product, what is the message we want to tell the audience with the product.
Of course, I get inspirational ideas from other product photographers around the world, some of whom I have studied with myself. It is important to note that every idea that I borrow is refined and reworked through my personal creative sense and to naturally suit the brand for whom I create, but also to stand out from the crowd.
What motivates you to work in the area of product photography?
I believe that there are many high-quality products – produced and offered, which are no less comparable in quality to their competitors. This makes me confidently create suitable concepts for my clients so that they can meet international standards and be as competitive as possible.
In two words, my wish is for my customers to be in leading positions in an international business plan. This motivates me to contribute to this, namely – through the creative part of the presentation and the image of the products.
What sets you apart from the other product photographers?
My knowledge and skills to combine so many spectrums of product photography through experience in each unit, namely:
- food and product styling,
- working with natural light and studio lighting,
- building creative concepts and compositions,
- high-speed photography – suitable for liquids, elements of levitation in the photo, movement of various objects.
- Marketing knowledge, which is extremely important in building the concept of the photos, as well as in their successful implementation.
Last but not least, I work with short and tight deadlines, which I always meet. This is how I build trust in my clients and they know they can always rely on me.
Will I definitely get higher financial results after you take pictures of my products?
Unfortunately, I do not claim that you will achieve the higher financial results that many of my previous clients have achieved. At the very least, because I don’t know the details of your business at the moment.
And I’ll be honest: many people achieve results, but not all. In addition to having quality photos of the products, you are asked to know how to apply and literally exploit them correctly. As I mentioned, I can advise you from a marketing point of view on how to use them, but the next steps are entirely up to you. The results too!
However, if you do the mentioned steps with consistency, dedication, and perseverance – the results would be exciting. Growth of customers, more profits, and more money of course.
What type of brands and products do you shoot for?
Since I work in a relatively small studio, the products I photograph are small and medium. For bulky items, live models, etc – please note that a suitable studio needs to be hired, which will affect the prices I work with.
Which clients are not suitable to work with you?
Here I have to carefully select the people I work with. Choosing only those who are dedicated to achieving results. Believe that their products are really good, want to develop their business to higher levels, and have a clear vision for their business growth. Also, I do not work with people whose products are harmful to health or have questionable origins. Last but not least, I don’t work with clients who constantly question absolutely everything I say when I advise them.
If you happen to be that type of person, I ask you politely not to look for me. In this case, I would recommend you to work with other colleagues of mine.
What is your approach to product photography?
As I mentioned above, before I start shooting, I conduct extensive consultations with my clients. There we clarify everything about the expectations from me and the results (the final photos). In this way misunderstandings on both sides are avoided and the creative process takes place quickly and with predictable results.
I want to work with you Diana, what are my options?
Congratulations on making the decision to move toward even greater success. It will be pleasure for me to work together.
There are options with 3 different packets that are for different time intervals and include different services.
Check them out to determine which one best suits your business needs. Of course, I also have individual services that you can also use if it is more appropriate in your case. You can view my package services here:
package “diamond” – 12 months
Includes:
* 120 photos for social networks, website (creative, storyteller style – with dimensions up to 1500 px)
* 6 pcs. “special occasions” – Christmas, St. Valentine, Easter, etc. optional photos for social networks, website (creative, storyteller style- up to 1500px in size)
* 24 pcs. photos for catalog, e-shop (white background)
* 24 bp. photos of advertising type (high class creative with large dimensions over 2500 px)
package “emerald” – 6 months
Includes:
* 50 photos for social networks, website (creative type & storyteller – size up to 1500 px)
* 3 pcs. “special occasions” – Christmas, St. Valentine, Easter, etc. optional photos for social networks, website (creative, storyteller style – up to 1500px in size)
* 6 pcs. photos for catalog, e-shop (white background)
* 12 advertising type photos (high class creative with large sizes over 2500 px)
package “ruby” – 3 months
Includes:
* 25 photos for social networks, website (creative, storyteller style – with dimensions up to 1500 px)
* 1 piece. “special occasions” – Christmas, St. Valentine, Easter, etc. optional photos for social networks, website (creative, storyteller style – up to 1500px in size)
* 0 photos for catalog, e-shop (white background)
* 6 advertising type photos (high class creative with large sizes over 2500 px)
OK, I think I know what I need. What are the steps I need to take?
Great! One of the hallmarks of successful people is that they make decisions quickly. This skill leads them to achieve results much faster than others. It is known that most of those people make their decisions with courage based mostly on their intuition. So if you feel that working with me is for you and will bring you results, go for it.
I'm not ready to change the photos of my products at the moment. How can I see the things you do that will be useful for my business and the presentation of my products?
The easiest way is by subscribing to receive my strategies and tips by email. With them, you will also receive all invitations to webinars and other events that will be useful for your business. From product vision, styling, proper composition and vision, marketing tips on how to exploit your photos to the maximum, and much more.
This way you will learn a lot of things that you can apply. At the same time it will show you what you can expect if you decide to work together in feature.
To subscribe, click here