How to take a good product photo
When to use the portrait function and when to use the night mode? How to make a photo more dynamic? What is the golden ratio? These are examples of topics discussed at the workshops.
The workshops (5/02) were addressed to entrepreneurs from Hajnówka, especially those who produce products. The aim of the meeting was to provide tools that will help entrepreneurs learn to take good photos that will make their products look attractive. The workshops were attended by representatives of various industries, including: confectionery, printing or publishing.
– The topic results from demand. We are visual creatures, if we see something, it is easier for us to understand it. The workshops are intended to make it easier for entrepreneurs to function, the ability to take good photos will help them promote their business more effectively.
The workshops were led by Marcin Idźkowski from the Fourth Dimension Foundation. He is an award-winning photographer with many years of professional experience and a scholarship holder of the Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.
– Nowadays, it is difficult to function without social media, without publishing photos of your products there. The visual aspect is invaluable these days. I will show you how to do it in a small company, using simple tools.
The presenter explained to the participants how to take a good photo using, for example, a piece of paper and Styrofoam. There is no need to buy expensive, professional equipment. All you need is a few cheap but useful gadgets. This is, for example, a reflector or a photo ring that provides good lighting. Other tools include, for example, a shadowless tent or a lamp giving the effect of a setting sun.
– All these devices are within the reach of a small entrepreneur who cannot afford large expenses, but he or she can achieve an interesting effect.
The expert also talked about useful functionalities that can be found in an average phone. For example, the portrait function, thanks to which we expose the object and eliminate the background, or the night mode, which has an extended tonal palette. The presenter also talked about the types of photo sets and their advantages and disadvantages in the context of product photos. He also showed how to get a calm frame or, on the contrary, make the photo more dynamic. A significant part of the workshops consisted of practical activities – participants took photos of their products, using the information provided. Their photographs were then discussed.
– I needed such workshops because I have problems with several technical things. I have a lot of shiny products in my company, and this is a challenge in the case of a photo. Therefore, I don't advertise them enough on social media. I have the impression that the photos are not of good enough quality, which stops me. I hope that thanks to the workshops I will be more open to clients and work a little on photography, and as a result I will reach more people. I have already attended several photography workshops, but none of them concerned product photography, and this is quite demanding.
– A lot of practical knowledge, which I will definitely use when photographing our candles. I have never dealt with product photography before and I am entering completely new territory. As a hobby, I took photos of nature and architecture in Podlasie.
The photography workshops were held as part of the “Hajnówka ReNewal – Green Transformation” project.
