When consumers can’t touch and try products in person, they rely on product photos to help them decide if a product is worth buying. Among the different styles of shooting products, white background product photography is one of the best ways to make your product irresistible.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know so you can use white background product photography that gets your customers swooning.
What is White Background Product Photography?
White background product photography, as its name suggests, uses only a white background and the product. In contrast to showcasing products being used by models or in an environment where it may be useful, in this style, products are shot against a pure white background.
This technique is an excellent choice for those who want their products to speak for themselves.
Why Use White Background in Product Photography?
You may think that white background is boring. However, the contrary is true. In fact, using white background offers lots of benefits:
- Your product instantly becomes more appealing as colors become more vibrant against the background.
- It also minimizes background noise, so viewers focus only on the product.
- It’s easier to produce consistent photos with a white background
- With a clean solid background, it’s easier to edit photos.
- Photos with a white background can be used on different platforms.
- Photos look professional and luxurious.
How to Shoot White Background Product Photography
When you’re shooting nothing but one product, the image should be strong enough to catch the attention of viewers. So, how do you photograph products on a white background and make them stand out against other creative photos?
1. Choose the Right Lighting
Lighting is central to shooting products on white background. It would be beneficial to take advantage of the reflective nature of the color white to make your product look captivating.
You may use natural light or studio lights.
The key to making white background work is soft, indirect light. If you’re using natural light, make sure that the studio has plenty of indirect light. Shoot near a window that brings in a lot of light. Cover it with a white cloth or paper to soften the light.
If, on the other hand, you’re using studio lights, invest in at least two daylight bulbs and a light box or light tent. Place one light in front of the box (key light) and another on one or both sides (backlight). Play with the position of the light to get the right distribution of light and shadow.
2. Set up Your Background
The most important part of white background photography is the white backdrop. You may be asking, “How can I make my product background white?”
Here are a few ways:
- A white wall
- Posterboard
- White backdrop
Having a solid white backdrop will make taking pictures and editing smoother.
However, apart from having a clean white background, you also need to make sure that the backdrop is seamless. The sweep setup is a must in this type of photography. This means that the backdrop should not sit at a 90-degree angle where a crease line will be visible in the photo.
To set up a sweep backdrop, tape one end of a poster board to the wall to cover the line where it meets your table or board. You can also tape the poster board to the inside of the light box.
A sweep background gives images a clean finish that requires minimal professional photo retouching.
3. Choose Your Products’ Position
With nothing else in the shot, it’s a given that your product should be front and center. Make sure that your product is placed in the middle but in front of the sweep (to avoid creasing).
Be mindful of where your product is facing—make sure labels are in front, for example—and they are not tilted.
White background product photography showcases your products, so make sure that you properly show the features you want to highlight.
4. Use the Right Camera Settings
Different types of photography require different settings. For optimal shots, balance the exposure triangle—ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.
Start with low to mid-range ISO setting to capture bright but not grainy images.
When it comes to the aperture, you need to make sure that there is sufficient depth of field, the entire product within the frame, and there are no blurred edges.
A lower shutter speed will give you brighter photos. However, this setting makes your camera sensitive to movement, so a tripod is recommended.
Lastly, if you want the images to appear natural, turn off the camera flash. With the right lighting, the items will look amazing.
5. Take Test Shots
After setting up your studio and camera, it’s always advisable to take a few test shots. This will help you check if the setup and camera settings are right. This way, you don’t need to make adjustments during the shoot or edit the photos heavily.
6. Explore Different Angles
Fundamentally, product photography aims to entice customers to buy a product. This means that the image should present the item in the best way possible while also showing as much of it as possible so customers can inspect it.
So, when taking pictures of products, try to shoot from different angles. Move the item around so you can shoot different angles within the white backdrop.
This practice will give you options later so you can use the best angles of your products.
7. Emphasize Product Details
Some products are so carefully made that it’s not enough to showcase them only as a whole. In some cases, the selling point is the craftsmanship, which, more often than not, is best seen in the finer details of the items.
How do you use white background in product photography to showcase the finer details of a product?
You can accomplish this by zooming in on the unique features of the products. With white photography, these details will likely appear crisp, so it’s easy to appreciate them.
Since there is no distraction in the photos, doing this with a white background is effective. The finer details like textures, shapes, and designs will really shine.
You may also include another item, such as a coin or a ruler, to show the true size of the items.
8. Retouch Photos for Maximum Effect
With product photography, it’s best to keep photos as natural as possible. However, some degree of retouching may be necessary to make it flawless.
E-commerce product photo editing refines the image by removing distractions, enhancing the shape or edges, adjusting the brightness, and compositing while making sure to bring out the product’s details.
It’s important to work with a professional who knows when to stop retouching so that product photos do not appear overdone.
White Background Product Photography ideas
The perfect e-commerce shot balances form and function. It should present the items and their features clearly but also entice the reader with its aesthetic. Here are 5 product photoshoot ideas you can try for more captivating images:
Shadow Play
In most cases, product photography includes minimal shadows, so including them can be refreshing to look at.
Play with lighting and product placement to get interesting shadows. Shadows can also be a way to add contrast to your image, for example when taking pictures of light-colored or white products.
White on White
It seems counterintuitive to take pictures of white products on white background—the product will easily disappear. So, how do you photograph white products on a white background?
The trick for this type of product photography is playing with natural lighting. Direct the light, such as with a reflector, so it lands on the front of the product. This will avoid overexposure and, at the same time, create shadows at the back of the product.
You can also retouch the image to make the edges of the item refined and the shadows more pronounced, if necessary.
Floating Products
Floating products add a playful touch to product photography. Since the product is not just standing on the table, you could also explore different angles of the product.
This may take extra work, but with the right techniques for shooting floating products, you can make products look like they’re mid-air with minimal editing.
Repetition
Another way to inject fun into product photography is through repetition. Line up the same product in a line to fill in the whole frame or a part of it. This technique can make product photos more compelling.
360-degree photography
To make product photos more informative, you can incorporate GIFs or videos to show all sides of the product. Instead of shooting from numerous angles, you can take one continuous shot of the product as it turns against a white background.
Upgrade Your White Background Product Photography with Paper Boat Creative
Product photos don’t have to be boring to be useful to customers. Try our tips for executing white background product photography to produce stunning yet informative photos for your brand.
Paper Boat Creative helps brands create product photos that are aligned with their products’ quality. See your unique ideas come to life with help from our photo editing company’s roster of highly skilled editors.
Send us a message to learn more about our photo editing services.
