10 Skincare Product Photography Ideas & Tips For Beginners
Updated on November 7, 2022 in Photography by Alifiya Mustafa
What is Skincare Product Photography? Skincare photography captures product images used for skin care, like cleansers, toners, essential oils, etc., that are used for better and healthier skin. The aim is to capture an image that is engaging as well as communicate the purpose of the product.
Brands perform skincare product photography to attract customers and make them buy their products. The product photographer must make sure that the image captured is the most memorable and impactful for customers to get attracted.
How to do skin care product photography? Well, there are hundreds of ways to perform every task; the same goes for skincare photography. There are some great ways you can try to stand out from the rest. Here are the top 10 skincare product photography ideas and tips you must use to capture mesmerizing product photos.
In this article:
10 Skincare Product Photography Ideas & Tips For Beginners
1. Prepare for your shoot
Preparing for your skincare product photography shoot doesn’t just involve the preparation of your camera and other equipment. It is also necessary to prepare an outline that you need to know before capturing the images.
This includes knowing how many product photos your client will need for each product and what kind of product photos they are expecting. Communicate with your client and ask for some inspirational images that can help you understand your client’s point of view.
Although you will not be copying the exact images that your client has shared for the idea, you can check the lighting, angles, aperture, ISO, and other camera settings used for skincare product photography. Once you get the idea, you can have a clearer picture of what you need to do next once you start skincare photography.
2. Understand what your client wants to see
Rember that your skincare product photography project aims to attract customers to buy the products. To fulfill this aim, you must understand for what purpose your product images will be used.
Your client might want those images to be used on the website, product pages, social media, or for a brochure. If you’re doing the skincare photography on behalf of a client, ask him/her where he/she will be using those images.
The images for the product pages need to be consistent and clean, whereas the photos for social media must involve some fun, colors, and use of multiple props. Or do they want you to capture all the ‘typed’ details too?
It is crucial to understand what your client wants and what your client’s customers will like. Why do they need that product? How they will be using it?
Know about some of the agendas from your clients, such as:
- Are they targeting high-profile customers ready to buy expensive skincare products?
- Or is it for the teenagers and your women worried about their skin?
- Are people targeted at working or studying?
- Who are they focusing on more – male customers or female customers?
These questions will help you understand how the customers will pursue the product image. It is vital because once you know the customers, you can easily catch their attention, relate to the product image, and make them buy it.
3. Know the brand aim
Every brand has an aim of its own with which they want to sell its products. Ensure that the product images are helping them achieve that aim, that USP (Unique Selling Point).
This means that you may find that the brand might be following a similar theme across all the channels to create its visibility. A similar background or color composition in its previous skincare product photography may give you the idea to stick with its identity.
For example, If the brand has used close shots of what is written on the products, you may want to continue following that.
4. Focus on the details
Details play an essential role in how people perceive the product. Most people fear buying products online because they fear that what they see online may not be the same in real life. They must have a clear understanding of how the product is going to look in real life.
If your skincare product photography style can remove this fear from their heads, consider your job half done. If the skincare product is creamy, ensure the texture is visible in the image. If it’s grainy, it must be visible too.
You can put a spoonful of the product by the side. It will add to the clarity as well as the aesthetic.
5. Cover different angles
Again, you want the customers to see the products as they will look in real life. You want them to see the product from all the different sides and angles.
Break the rules and explore different angles. Do not stick to the bare frames. Try a 360-degree product photo shoot, and soon you’ll find yourself being creative and adding a new perspective to the image. People love seeing the same photos from various angles, so make your skincare product photography as enjoyable as possible.
6. Leverage interesting props
Props add life to an image. Many brands love adding relevant props to their image to enhance the essence of the photos. For example, if a product is made with coconut milk or real oranges, you may use open coconut shells or orange peels in your skincare product photography.
Apart from the looks, they are also helpful in telling the customers what the products are made with and what they will be putting on their skin. If the brand claims to be very organic, such props also support their USP of using only natural ingredients in their skincare products.
7. Capture the product in action
When you capture a product “in use,” it instantly becomes more relatable. Use a model using the skincare product on her skin for the customer to better imagine themselves using the product.
You can easily find such photos on hoardings and in magazines. The in-use product videos are more than expected on Instagram and Facebook. It proves that customers want to relate with brands as much as possible, and capturing the skincare product photography ‘in-action’ can help you achieve that.
8. Choose the correct background
It is essential to choose the correct background. This skincare product photography idea allows you to work with what you like. However, make sure you already communicate with your client and figure out what they want.
The background should keep up with the mood of the product. Is it peaceful, relaxing, powerful, energetic, or calming and soothing?
If they want the product photon to look fun and colorful, you may choose contrasting backgrounds to enhance the look. A plain background would be more appropriate if they want the image to look firm and consistent.
You can use plain black or white background for bold colored products like red or orange. On the contrary, you may stick with a background of the same color as the product to create a monochromatic look.
9. Pick a tone
Pick a tone and follow it. If it is not an established brand, you will have the chance to introduce this idea to your client and help them create it. However, if it is an established brand, it must already follow a tone on its social channels, eCommerce website, and other virtual and non-virtual places.
Your job here would be to keep the ball rolling and continue to follow the tone. A set tone is the identity of the brand. It must be followed so loyal customers can easily spot the brand out of hundreds of other brands.
10. Follow the theme
Brands are more than active in working alongside a cause. Every brand is into supporting one reason or the other. And the beauty and skincare industry is among the first industries to be part of a theme.
So, if your client has been a part of such a theme, ensure that your skincare product photography reflects that easily. Do not let go of the tone but also stick with the theme that the brand wants to showcase. And that’s where your creativity begins.
Bonus Read
I hope this article helped you understand a few essential things you must consider while performing skincare product photography. Now before you go, there’s one more thing you must take care of, and that is – Post-production outsourcing.
Using product photo editing software is undeniably a necessary thing that no eCommerce business owner or professional photographer can ignore.
Outsourcing your post-production activities can help you save time editing thousands of product images and help you get professional results to attract more customers.
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