I recently wrote a post over how to make extra income by selling your calligraphy. In that post, I recommended professional-level product photography … but, this week, I realized that I left you hanging about how to achieve that! Today, I’ll discuss my top six tips for taking photos that catch prospective clients’ attention. Don’t worry if you’ve got zero photographic talent — trust me, I was there five years ago! It just takes some patience, experimentation, and time.
1. Get a DSLR Camera
“DSLR” stands for “Digital Single-Lens Reflex” … an acronym that makes an already-intimidating machine sound impossible to use (spoiler: it’s not). In layman’s terms, a DSLR camera is a camera that takes very high-quality photos compared to your average point-and-shoot or smart phone. Using a DSLR camera gives you the ability to change out lenses and customize photography settings to take professional-looking photos.
Researching DSLR cameras can be exhausting if you’re not a professional or an advanced hobbyist. I remember reading camera reviews and feeling very discouraged because people were using terminology that I couldn’t understand! After doing some homework and sifting through reviews, though, I decided to go with the following budget-friendly setup, and I haven’t regretted it:
- Nikon D3300 Camera Body – If you just buy the “camera body”, that means you’ll be getting the camera without a lens. That’s good because you can choose which lens you want!
- 40mm f/2.8G Lens – This is the only lens you need; it’s awesome for crisp, clear photographs of everything from paper goods to people! Note that it doesn’t have the ability to zoom — you’ll need to physically get closer or farther away from your subject to do so.
- Memory Card – You’ll need a high-capacity memory card to use a DSLR camera.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be overwhelmed when your DSLR arrives. At that point, take a deep breath and remind yourself that the Internet is your best friend. I would start by reading Digital Photography School’s article The Ultimate Guide to Learning How to Use Your First DSLR. Take notes and play with the camera as you read! After that, use Google to find the answer to any questions that you may have. Anything you could possibly want to know is available for free online!
2. Use a Tripod with a Horizontal Arm
While a tripod with horizontal capabilities isn’t strictly necessary, it helps so much in helping you to achieve perfect aerial product photography views! I use the exact set-up pictured above to take photos and videos. The quality of my photography has increased tenfold since getting this tripod! To take photos, I use the self-timer feature. That way, my hands aren’t anywhere near the camera as the photo is taken, which eliminates any risk of the photo blurring. (It’s hard to keep your hands steady, which can lead to blurred photos!) This set-up is also excellent for videos because you can use both of your hands to showcase a product!
If you’re getting a tripod with a horizontal arm to hold your $400+ camera, you want to make sure the tripod will keep the camera safely attached! Unfortunately, quality tripods are expensive, but a good one will last for a long, long time. I love my Manfrotto tripod, which I balance on the table with a 5 lb. weight. If you purchase a tripod like the Manfrotto, don’t forget to purchase a plate … otherwise, you won’t be able to attach the camera to the tripod.
If you’re not ready to invest in a tripod, you can always take side shot photos. The automatic edge lens blur turns this side photo of Janet Style envelopes into an artistic treat!
If you opt for a side view, make sure you take quite a few photos (at least 5). As I said, hands on the camera can lead to blurry photos. The more photos you take, the more chances you’ll have of getting a nice, clear photo like the one above.
3. Use Natural Light
Once you have the camera and possibly the tripod, the rest of your product photography set-up is free and DIY! To make the most of your photography, try setting up your camera on a table by a light-filled window. Lay down a background for your photos (like the orange/yellow piece of paper pictured), then open a large sketchbook to allow light to bounce back at the window.
The open sketchbook helps to ensure that the subject will receive plenty of light. You can see that the photo of the retro thank you card below is bright and clear thanks to the light bouncing off of the sketchbook!
While you can use artificial lighting for your photography, you’ll find that natural light is a cheap and beautiful way to illuminate your photos. As is the nature of sunlight, however, it’s only around for a few hours a day! Here in Colorado, I try to take all of my photos between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Before and after those hours, the light results in a strange tint.
As you experiment with taking photos using natural light, you’ll figure out what hours are best to take photos in your time zone!
4. Use Fun, Unique Photo Props and Layouts
While a DSLR camera can help you to take nice photos, you won’t notice a difference in your product photography if you don’t put some creativity into your layouts! Try to punctuate your photos with interesting backgrounds and elegant props.
Props don’t have to be expensive … in fact, I find a lot of my props outside for free! You may have noticed that a lot of my photos include leaves, and that’s because I keep a box of dried leaves on hand specifically for photography purposes. No matter the season, you can go outside, snip a few twigs off a tree, and use them for photos.
I also keep a box of trinkets handy on the windowsill. The trinkets consist of objects like old jewelry, ribbons, and knickknacks.
Finally, I have a collection of handkerchiefs that I often use as backgrounds. Vintage handkerchiefs are widely available on eBay, or you can just go to your local fabric store and buy squares of interesting fabrics to use as backgrounds.
There is no right or wrong way to style photos. As a result, teachings on the topic can be subjective. That said, I’ve found two photo styling articles that I really like: “How to Style Instagram Photos” and “Creating Backgrounds for Food Photography” (which I believe applies to all photography). Through reading articles like these and absorbing photo styling ideas through platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, you’ll soon develop your own product photography style!
5. Get the Adobe Photography Plan
The Adobe Photography plan consists of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. The cost is $10 per month, and it will revolutionize your product photography! I had the Adobe Photography plan long before I purchased a DSLR camera or a tripod, and I absolutely credit the growth of this blog to the software. Lightroom and Photoshop allow you to turn lackluster photos into works of art! For example, here’s an unedited photo of a watercolor invitation and an envelope …
… And here’s the same photo after being edited in Lightroom and Photoshop.
You can see that the colors are rich and appealing, with lots of nice contrast. As a result, the photograph is more eye-catching. You can see exactly how I edited this photo — and, effectively, learn how I edit all of my photos — in the video below (also available on YouTube).
6. Be Patient
No matter what, you’ve got to remember to be patient with yourself as you’re figuring out this photography thing. It takes a while to hit your stride and develop your personal style, but it’s worth the wait! If you are selling art or calligraphy services, good product photography helps you to communicate a professional persona and will attract more clients. With that said, I’d love to provide you with some of my early photography work so you can see that I don’t have a natural talent for taking pictures. Better photos really just came from online research, photo editing software, and experimentation!
You can see a big difference in my photography from year to year, and I’m still improving! Your skills will get better, too, as you work with your camera and use Lightroom/Photoshop. It takes a little bit of time, but you’ll get there!
I hope that you enjoyed this post, and that it gave you some ideas for DIY product photography. Photography is a big topic to take on, so I’m sure I left some things out — if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Thanks very much for reading TPK, and have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Really helpful and inspiring tips…thanks a lot.
OMG!!!! Really so nice wedding photographer. It’s always helpful for me.Thanks you so much.
This is the best blogpost ever! Thank you Lindsey for the knowledge and I definitely learned something and inspired at the same time! ♥️ You are so clear, short and sweet but very detailed! Its perfect. Thanks again for writing this ♥️✨
I am going to buy the first ever DSLR of my life. I am so much excited but nervous at the same time. Thank god I read your blog. Thanks for the tips. I guess every new DSLR users must follow these steps. Loved the way you expressed them. Thanks and hoping to learn more.
I absolutely love this post. I’m currently saving to buy a DSLR camera of my own! So excited to start playing with it! 🙂 Thanks, Lindsey!
Thanks Lindsey,there is not another blog like yours, this is so helpful to me right now. Your posts are so focused and bursting with color, tips, & creativity, that you share so willingly. Today is no different.You have no idea how much time you have saved me since I started reading your blog. Just by sharing such specific and helpful and clear advice.So. I processed with my search and trying to improve. Then i found you,and your blog and they have truly helped, along with other girls on IG with this beautiful skill of calligraphy have inspired my creativity even more and im frequently practicing so thank you so much for allowing me to follow my dream of calligraphy!
So thank you !
Lindsey, I so appreciate your blog. You have so many useful tips and often show inexpensive ways to tackle a problem (i.e. open sketchbook for a reflector, simple and easy to store and not an “only one use” kind of item). Helps me to prioritize and know what to spend on.
My “boom” style tripod just arrived! Not a really expensive one, but think I can make it do for a long time. How do you get your camera in focus for the shot?
Hi Nancy! There should be an autofocus feature, which I have set to “on”. 🙂 The camera should focus for you! I’d Google your camera’s make/model and “autofocus”.
Lindsey, I so appreciate your blog. You have so many useful tips and often show inexpensive ways to tackle a problem (i.e. open sketchbook for a reflector, simple and easy to store and not an “only one use” kind of item). Helps me to prioritize and know what to spend on. I had no idea there was such a thing as a “boom” for a tripod. I’ve been trying take snapshots of envelopes with my cell camera and still struggle with the “shadow” (that is cast from the camera as I am trying to get close). I’m going to invest in this style of tripod (for my smaller DSLR camera) and see what I can do to make some website worthy photos.
This is so helpful! I keep looking at people’s photos online and I always notice that their images are so much better than mine. I’m going to do this. Maybe I’ll even set up outside for some nice natural light. My apartment is kind of dark.
Thank you Lindsey for your blog and your willingness to share. Many would hoard the secrets of thier success but not you. You are an inspiration and your blog is a gift. If I could only read one creative blog, it would be yours!!
I second this. I can’t believe the amount of really useful information you have posted. Thank you so much!
Its always great and helpful to hear from a photographer himself about the real photography experience. As people use to face the same kind of issues during taking the shots. Thank you for sharing all of these tips with us here.
I’ve just recently discovered your blog and love it! I’ve found that some scrapbook papers (12×12″) also work fairly well as a backdrop.
Hi Lindsey, I have a quick question for you: I loved your instructions on how to make dark text stand out a little more with the burn tool, but do you have a similar approach to white text, especially when it is on a lighter background?
I love your blog, your advice always seems to come at the right time 🙂
Kind Regards, Charlotte
Hi Charlotte! You can use the stroke tool or the drop shadow tool in the layer options. I generally just add a drop shadow to the light text, and that really helps it to stand out on a light background. 🙂
Lindsey,
Ive been following your blog, im not going to lie and say everyday, but i do try my best to keep up with all you post, and honestly i dont do that like at all. Your blogs though are extremely informative, their entertaining, and i love the style of your blog.
Thank you so much for going threw all this research and providing it to us!
Ive been following you since like Dec 2o15 i believe or February 2016 around there and i definitely used your worksheets to do my envelope addressing for my wedding 8/2016. I have always loved calligraphy & i tried a bit in Highschool since my older brother would write me letters in this beautiful “gangster lettering” or so i thought it was so i decided to not go with it a lot, but as i researched more i saw hey, this is not gangster writing ! This is also very elegant and beautiful handwriting ! So. I processed with my search and trying to improve. Then i found you,and your blog and they have truly helped, along with other girls on IG with this beautiful skill of calligraphy have inspired my creativity even more and im frequently practicing so thank you so much for allowing me to follow my dream of calligraphy!
So thank you !
Sari, thanks for such a beautiful and heartfelt compliment — you made my day, truly! I’m so happy that you find inspiration in the blog … that makes me happy, because it means that I’m meeting my goal. 🙂 Thank you!!
Thanks Lindsey, this is so helpful to me right now. Time! Where does the time go?! You have no idea how much time you have saved me since I started reading your blog. Just by sharing such specific and helpful and clear advice. Heartfelt thank you.
Hi Lindsey–So happy to have found your blog. I’m torn between two lenses for my Canon T2i–the 50mm f/1.8 II and the 40mm f/2.8G. I know you’ve recommended the 40mm lens, but I don’t know enough to figure out which one is better for me–I can’t get both! I don’t take product photos, but love taking portraits and general close-up shots that are really sharp. I’d love your advice.
Hi Stephanie! I have never used a 50mm lens, but can speak to the versatility of a 40mm lens. Last month, I used it to take portraits of everyone on my husband’s side of the family. It did really well with both up-close photos and those that were farther away. Here are a couple of examples that I hope will help you to decide!
Lindsey–Thank you for helping me decide I so appreciate your response.
I still want a Triod like yours..Great shots Lindsey..always bright sharp and beautiful.
Lindsey, you’re AWESOME! But I think I’m repeating myself. . . 😉
Lindsey, there is not another blog like yours. Your posts are so focused and bursting with color, tips, & creativity, that you share so willingly. Today is no different. Been researching DSLR, totally overwhelmed, and you come along in your loving way and take away all my guesswork . Going with your recommendations. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
No, thank you! I hope that you like the Nikon — I really love mine, and am happy that that’s what I decided on!
Thanks Lindsey, that’s really helpful and inspiring. I’m taking note of your great tips and I’ll go and read the other articles you recommended now. Thanks again.
Wow! Great tips! I’m learning Photoshop, and always learn something new when I watch your videos!