Consistency in Product Photography

November 5, 2020

Although many people own the tools needed to take quality photos, acquiring the skills to take consistent photos remains a trade that takes a long time to learn. Early this fall, I photographed more colorful and unique handcrafted candles for the Oregon-based company Alchemy Candles. I made sure to document my setup extensively so the photos I did for them in April would closely match these most recent ones if displayed side-by-side. Above, you can see a photo from the Fall 2020 product line and also one from the Spring 2020 line. Six months apart, but close enough to look like they were photographed on the same day, if you ask me.

Consistency in the Making

I learned at my old photography job to take plenty of setup shots in case I ever needed to reproduce a photo. Memory is rarely as accurate as a few notes! Many times after a photo shoot I would take setup photos, record light settings, and even measure all the gear positions, heights, and relative distances with a measuring tape. Distance plays a huge roll in how lighting works, so it really pays to take the time to do all this tedious measuring and note-taking.

It pays to take setup shots, but it also pays to write down your settings!

While many startup companies are calling audibles at the line of scrimmage when it comes to visuals, more established companies have heavily-planned style guides for just about any type of visual.

I learned this lesson while doing freelance photo retouching work for a company whose client is a big athletic brand you’ve definitely heard of. This brand had a photography style guide document that was hundreds of pages long. Seriously, hundreds. There were settings, measurements, etc, for just about anything you can imagine, down to what brand of toothpicks the photographer could be chewing on to look cool while working.

I try to bring this planning and consistency-mindset to every photo shoot I do, whether it’s a portrait test shoot or a commercial photography gig.

Alchemy Candles: Fall 2020 Candle Line

This time around shooting product photos for Alchemy Candles, I felt a lot like a chef who was consulting his cookbook. I basically took one ingredient out at a time and referred to my setup shots and notes for correct placement. Soon, I had re-created an almost carbon copy of the environment I created back in April.

Turn on the camera. Adjust the exposure to the documented settings, and we’re in business.

As you can see, they look very similar to the candles I photographed six months ago. Not exactly the same, but close enough without getting obsessive.

Conclusion

I know that many small businesses can’t afford a product photographer. The margins are that tight. I also know many small businesses don’t think they need a product photographer because they have an iPhone 19++Super Edition in their possession. I see a lot of Etsy shops that use the following: iPhone, natural light, and a lot of enthusiasm. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would argue that many times the photos don’t have a cohesive look to them. I would argue that small visual details that most people don’t think about are actually very important for brand-consistency and trust on a subconscious level.

My hope is all of my product photos I’ve created thus far convey this attention to detail. I certainly enjoy the process of shooting product photography and had a great time creating more images for Alchemy Candles Fall 2020 product line. Check out their site!

-Chris