A Decade of Product Photography Services: Reflecting on 10 Years
While uploading our latest videos to our YouTube channel, we stumbled upon one of our earliest uploads from nearly a decade ago. This blog post aims to provide a retrospective on the evolution of the product photography industry over the past ten years.
A decade ago, product photography primarily served catalogues and traditional printed materials. However, in the intervening years, there has been a remarkable shift. Today, product photography is predominantly geared towards ecommerce platforms and social media channels. The industry has experienced a surge in activity, with thousands of images being produced daily. Moreover, the landscape has become increasingly dynamic and fast-paced, thanks to advancements in technology that enable instant image uploads.
Let's delve into some of the key transformations within the product photography sector as observed through our video archive.
The video above was released just over 10 years ago.
360-degree videos
We conducted several successful experiments using our own 360-degree video studio. What sets our studio apart is the unique setup where the product remains stationary in the center while the camera moves around it. This is in contrast to the typical approach seen in commercial 360-degree studios, where the product is placed on a turntable and the camera captures it during rotation, as demonstrated in the referenced video.
Our custom studio was rather spacious, approximately 2x2 meters, which enabled us to capture larger objects effectively. Compare two videos below:
The product remains stationary in the center while the camera moves around it.
The product is placed on a turntable and the camera captures it during rotation.
Photography with props
Prop-enhanced photography emerged as a highly sought-after technique for styled photography, where products are surrounded by props that are either directly or indirectly related to them. In this instance, our objective is to highlight the ingredients comprising the candle fragrance. Fortunately, the client supplied all the requisite props for this shoot.
Subsequently, with the rise of Instagram as a pivotal marketing tool, prop-enhanced photography evolved into styled product photography, predominantly featuring flat lays. Three-dimensional compositions were supplanted by top-down flat shots. However, it appears that the trend is now reverting back to the original three-dimensional imagery.
Clothing Photography
The evolution of clothing photography on mannequins is particularly fascinating. Initially, there were two approaches: clothing on actual mannequins, contoured mannequins where only the front part of the garment was shot, and deep etched without adding any backing to create the desired ghost mannequin effect. Eventually, the ghost mannequin technique emerged, completely replacing the first two methods. Ghost mannequins now play a crucial role in today's ecommerce marketing, effectively capturing the garment's shape and color.
Baby and Kids product photography
That's where our journey began. Previously known as Nikita Design Studio, we primarily offered web and graphic design services to our clients. Interestingly, a significant portion of our major clients hailed from the Baby and Kids products industry. Recognizing their need for assistance with photography, we introduced product photography services. This new offering rapidly gained traction, prompting us to expand our services to cater to all businesses requiring product photography.
Health and Beauty Product Photography
From the outset, the Cosmetics and Skincare category has been a dominant force in the product photography market. With its array of shiny bottles and attractive gift packs, this sector essentially laid the foundation for the entire product photography industry. It serves as a prime arena for product photographers to truly hone and enhance their skills, as variations in lighting and product configuration can profoundly impact the final outcome.
Jewellery Photography
Similar to health and beauty product photography, jewellery photography has always been in high demand within the realm of product photography services. Today, this demand has surged even further with the majority of trading occurring online. Recognized as one of the most challenging products to photograph, jewellery necessitates the expertise of a professional photographer to capture its intricate details. Achieving exceptional results in jewellery photography demands the right blend of techniques, styling, and above all, patience. Given that jewellery pieces are both shiny and small, they require a specialized studio setup tailored specifically for this purpose. At our studio, jewellery photography stands as one of our most sought-after services, and we are dedicated to consistently delivering top-tier results for our clients.
Fashion Accessories Photography
Over the past decade, this specific service has experienced remarkable growth, mirroring the success of Ghost Mannequin Photography and Flat Lay Photography. Our expertise has expanded to cover a diverse range of products, from basic items like scarves and belts to more intricate ones such as leather bags and sunglasses.
Furniture photography
Furniture product photography represents a substantial category, typically conducted on-site at the client's location. The photographer must transport a significant amount of equipment and establish the entire setup on-site. We have extensive experience in this type of photography, particularly with major mattress manufacturers in Australia. For instance, shooting a king-size mattress requires the use of at least four major lighting equipment setups. Additionally, having a couple of strong individuals to assist in moving the mattresses from one side of the room to another is essential.
Our Story
Our passion for product photography ignited in 2005, starting with MP3 players as our first subjects. It wasn't the simplest product to capture, I must admit. Nonetheless, we managed to achieve success, and our images were widely utilized in printed media such as catalogues and posters throughout Australia and Asia.
We trust you found this read enjoyable. For further exploration of product photography, please peruse our other blog posts and stay updated on the latest offers for Product Photography.