Once you have decided to enhance your eCommerce store with 360 product photography, you’ll want the time and effort you take to pay back dividends.
Here are 5 quick tips to help you be a 360-degree photo success.
1. Make sure your 360 animations are high-quality
360 product photography comes in all shapes and sizes – some are grainy and jumpy whilst others are smooth and slick and have the instant ‘Wow’ factor.
So what is the difference between these two extremes?
Well, the camera plays an important part here – as you will expect, the quality of the equipment will always impact on the quality of the final image.
There are many tutorials (usually there to sell 3D or 360 software) which explain how simple it is to create 360 photos using just your camera phone. And it is – simple, that is – except the final result is not going to be the best it could be (see the image below).
Even if you are on a really tight budget, there are now alternative professional options available for high-quality 360 product photos, that will create a far superior end result – as opposed to using a smartphone and a home set-up.
Source: car_revs_daily.com
The second factor that affects image quality is the number of photos taken to produce the final 360 animation.
In the case of the Porsche above, this was created with around 50 frames which, as you can see, is not enough for smooth animation.
As a minimum, you will need 72 frames (i.e. 72 separate photos) for a smooth result, and you may often find yourself needing more. This is further complicated if you use multi-position shots to demonstrate movement.
For more explanation of the different types of 360 product photography that are available today, read the arrival of automated eCommerce photography.
2. Use twin-axis photography to show off more of your product
Twin-axis 360 product photographs simply look better!
This refers to the final animation not only spinning the product around 360-degrees left to right but also 360-degrees top to bottom as well.
Not all products need this, as some will show everything needed just spinning in the horizontal plane.
But if you have an amazing product, or one with a lot of all-over detail, then you need twin-axis to show it off to its best.
This involves even more photos and some more advanced software features for pulling it all together at the end – but it’s worth it!
3. Use a 360-degree lightbox
Again, this is about equipment, but also can be a timesaver.
This is a specially created lightbox, designed to produce 360-degree images. They should have a built-in turntable and lights set in specific positions for optimal 360 production.
They will often come with a moveable camera mount for twin-access shots.
Using a lightbox such as this does not mean that you no longer need post-production on your photos, but it will reduce the amount of work needed on each individual image to create that perfect white background that you need.
Source: Webrotate360
4. Make sure your eCommerce platform supports 360 product photographs
Most major eCommerce platforms will support 360-degree photographs now, but you may find that yours does not natively.
You may need to upload a plug-in, or other special software, to your online store, to allow you to use them.
Before setting about creating beautiful 360 product photos, first check that you will be able to use them once you have!
5. Start now – don’t put off using 360-degree images
Finally – to get the most benefit from 360 product photography, start now! Don’t put it off until all your competition has already integrated it into their stores – get ahead of the curve and ahead of your competitors.
With more business being conducted online than has ever been seen before – and with more customers depending on eCommerce that at any time in the history of the internet – the golden hour of online selling is here and now.
With a little planning and a very modest investment, you can have the best 360 product photography available. And if you do, it won’t be just your products spinning – the extra turnover will have your head spinning too!
You don’t even need to wait until you can afford to splash out on new equipment or software; Splento is already offering 360 product photography and their rates – as with everything they do – will fit every budget.
If you need more detailed advice on 360 product photography, turntables, or software, then get in touch with Splento today, who will be happy to help you.
Alternatively, they can do all the hard work for you if you prefer!
Professional product photography for eCommerce is not the huge expense that it once was – even with 360-degree imaging. Call Splento for price information or take a look at some of their existing product portfolios.
Rather than scale price according to the size of your order, Splento has scaled their entire photographic process so that lower prices are available for everyone – regardless of the size of the order or number of photos you require.
Splento’s product photographers will come to you (or work in the studio remotely if you prefer) and you can book them for when you want them (even if that’s tomorrow). And your final retouched photos? They will be delivered within 24 hours – guaranteed
360 product photography is about to become the standard in online product sales, so make sure you are ahead of the crowd and start creating today!
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