Highlighting products is no joke

We’re in the weird, wonky, world-wide-web-wilderness of product promotion right now, and e-commerce is in an… interesting… spot. But we’re not here for negativity – because in every messy situation, there’s an opportunity. And while the world of online product sales is definitely a “situation” to say the least, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can make your products stand out to new customers, who will absolutely fall in love after they buy!

And as a photographer, I’m guessing you already have an idea what I’m going to suggest. Professional product photography, in a set of categories that’ll get you everything you need!

AI just doesn’t do the job… yet

Now, I would be skipping an important detail if I didn’t mention that one of the “weird” things we’re all contending with right now, is AI. Let me preface this by saying that I’m not anti-AI, I absolutely use it in my day to day. But there’s a big difference between using AI to generate something like a grocery list, and using it to generate product images for your website.

You might think I’m saying that because I’m biased, as someone who’s bread and butter is photography. But I’m also honest, to a fault, so I’m going to tell you how it is whether it benefits me or not. You deserve that, and your business does too!

The reason I suggest not using AI for your product images is straight up customer perception & experience. Here’s the thing – I get that using AI to generate product images might feel faster. Hell, I’ve tried it myself, and I’m literally a photographer. But generated images? They fall so, so short of what customers want and need. And a lot of people scrolling who are actually ready to buy, aren’t going to purchase something that uses AI promo images, because they’re not 100% certain they’re going to receive the thing they ordered. We’ve all seen the viral “amethyst crystal mug” situation, and how they’re showing up in thrift stores since people bought them based on AI generated images and… they arrived VERY lacklustre.

The point I’m making here, is AI isn’t there yet. AI images don’t grow the know, like, and trust factors with your audience. So while it might feel easy to create them, it’s going to feel a lot LESS easy when your profits drop. And that’s just me being real.

But now that we’ve talked about the elephant in the room… let’s talk about the photos you DEFINITELY need of your products, so you can get the most out of your product image shoot when you hire a branding photographer to get you where you want to be in your product promotion!

There are some standard images you definitely need for social

The categories of product images that you definitely need to be posting and sharing break down into three basic groups, and we’re going to talk through all of them. If you’re aiming to have a package of product images that’ll last you ages for social media and otherwise, you’re going to want to make sure that all of these types are included!

1 – Your products on their own

The first one is the category that people tend to find easiest to create with AI, because we think of images of products on their own as “the product against a white background”. And for some brands, that’s actually exactly what it needs to be! But not every brand can operate that way for the “products on their own” side of product photography, and AI images of this are STILL going to have that “uncanny valley” feeling.

So work with a photographer who will learn about your branding standards, and build a vision that matches your needs. Maybe you need to isolate your products on a simple background. Maybe you DO need white – maybe, the shadows need to have elegant texture happening because that’ll appeal to your ideal clients most effectively. But all of these things are questions you can talk through with your photographer, to arrive at a set that will work amazingly to highlight your products!

2 – Your products in use

“In use” photos are HUGE. They’re a great way to grab eyeballs and attention on social media, and they also help your clients and customers imagine your products in their life. Curl cream on a bathroom countertop? Might as well be in your clients’ home. Yoga mat rolled up and tucked under a young woman’s arm? Could be whoever just came across your content, on their way back from their weekly hot yoga.

“In use” imagery takes your clients halfway there – they can see the item in their life, and it also speaks to the “end result” of buying your cool shit! How is it going to improve their life? What’s it going to add to their experience as a human? How is it going to impact their space? “In use” photos answer these questions. So… you definitely need them.

3 – Create Consistency in your content

We talk all the time about how HUGE consistency is in your content for your business, whether you’re a product-based business owner, or a service-based business owner. And it might seem like having AI tools at your fingertips might help with that, at large. I mean, using it to generate post ideas frees up part of your brain, lets you lean on things that already work… so why wouldn’t it do the same for your images? Well… there’s actually a really specific reason why. AI doesn’t GET IT yet. It’s not great at consistently outputting imagery that lines up with specific brand standards, or recreating the brand tone it output that one time, the NEXT time you try to use it. And those inconsistencies in your content? They’re a problem.

Working with a real, human photographer completely solves this problem. Instead of spending ages and ages trying to get an AI model to output consistent images that line up with your brand, you leave a session with a branding photographer with enough images to keep your brand going for ages. Which means working with a photographer actually SAVES you time, at this point. I can’t speak to how that might change as the models learn and grow – but right now? Humanity is where it’s at, if you’re looking for truly consistent content without all the time spent at your end.

3 – The most unique features, up close and personal

After you’ve taken care of “isolated product” images, and “products in use” imagery, it’s time for a more focused set! Consider what makes your products unique. Is it the magic texture of your body scrub? The way your new line of cookware sears a steak? Feature THOSE aspects of your products through flat-lays you can use in a variety of placements, and “In use” images that focus on those specific use-cases.

These will help you create posts and content that appeal straight to the clients who need a solution to the problem your products solve. And don’t be afraid to get up close and personal! Show detail. Detail is where AI generated products that consumers are coming to low-key fear fall short. Zoom in… and it becomes clearer and clearer that the thing isn’t real. So zoom in. Get up close and personal! Prove to your audience that your cool things are REAL, without having to say things like “no really, this is a real thing, that already exists, I promise!”

Looking for a package of product images?

If it’s about time for you to update the product images your business is using, reach out. I’d love to talk to you about creating a package of images that will include everything you need for your next round of promotion! And depending on what you do… you might not even have to come into the studio yourself. For product photography, there’s a chance you don’t even have to be in Minneapolis or the greater Minneapolis area at all! Postage exists, and I am more than happy to receive a shipment of your new product line to photograph instead of you being personally in the studio.

Bonus: Take a look at just a few results that my AMAZING team of collaborators and me have gotten for our social media management clients!