Dan Peterson Photography: Products

In my two decades of being a photographer, I think that one of the easier subjects to handle is doing product shots.

With products, a photographer is able to have total control of the entire shoot. He can direct the subject product to his preference and have his way with it, unlike with live models who need to be given instructions in order to execute the desired poses and shots.

But to a certain degree, product shots can be boring because of too much control the photographer has. There is a tendency for experienced photographers to rely on past successes, applying one trick with the shoots they encounter. Complacency is what some photographers experience especially when they feel that they have used already the entire style concepts that are available to them. Sometimes, all we need is an open space where creative ideas can blossom and bring more options to the table.

You can distinguish a good photographer from the pack when the photographer tells you that it is up to him to make the shoot interesting. It is up to the photographer to inject excitement into an otherwise dull photo shoot. You can only go as far as the photographer’s creativity and imagination are concerned. A photographer must not be constrained with the item; instead of feeling limited, the photographer must be innovative in shooting the products. Doing so would open a lot of possibilities for both the photographer and the product.

I am fortunate to have done a lot of product shots when I was starting out in the photography business. All products that I have shot in the past possess a strong selling point each, and this is the natural choice in highlighting the product. After all, these strong suits are compelling reasons for shoppers to purchase a certain brand and pick it against various products on the shelf. Some of my works have been mounted in advertising billboards, while my product shots have been used in advertising campaigns of my clients.

With products being main subjects in the shoot, I try to shoot it in a way that the image will compel the public to pause and take a look at the advertisement. Photographers usually play around the shots using the shapes of the products, framing the pictures with the right mix of background and light to produce an attention-grabbing material that can be used to effectively promote the merchandise.

Another interesting aspect of shooting product photos is that you can always focus on a single detail of the item to highlight its entire beauty. For instance, the intrinsic details of pieces of jewelry like earrings or necklaces can be the main focus of product catalogue photos, and from a buyer’s perspective, they would want to get a very close look on the item since the patterns of the jewelry could after all be rare. Jewelry enthusiasts would want to get a close look at the piece to assess its value and whether the piece has enough detail to merit an interest.