Why have your products shot on a white background?

Sometimes you just want a clean and crisp look for your product photography or your eCommerce online shop. But why when there is such a trend for beautifully styled product photography right now, might you want to invest in white background photography for your brand? Yes, styled product shots are undoubtedly more sexy and interesting, BUT there are a number of reasons why white background photography is a great option to help your elevate your brand.

And it all comes down to your ideal customer, and the role that white background images play in the sales process…

White Background Photos give a consistent look and feel to your Web Shop

If you have a clean and minimalist brand then having all your product listings feature images on a clean white background can really work well with your branding. Not only do white background images highlight the product you are selling, there is also a uniformity, consistency and professionalism with white background feature images of your products. They help give that wow factor!

When customers come to your site and check out your products, you want to make a great first impression so they stick around, have a look and hopefully buy! Poorly lit, fuzzy photos is the number 1 reason why customers don’t have confidence to buy. And gosh to beautifully sharp white background shots make a amazing first impression! According to Shopify, “50% of online shoppers think that product photos are more important than product information, reviews, and ratings.”

So if you are a real lover of consistency, then you will definitely want to put white background photography top of your list for your brand!

White Background Photos really highlight the product being sold

Showing your products on a clean white background lets the customer really see the product without any distractions so they know exactly what they are buying.

Having one or more images of your product on a white background helps keep the focus 100% on your products. There are no distractions from backgrounds or props, and customers will be able to see your product accurately so they know what they are buying.

Styled photos are so effective at capturing the hearts and minds of your ideal customers - they make your customers fall in love with your products, allow them to imagine them in their life and makes them bite your hand off to buy. But a clear product image so the customer knows what they are getting is crucial to selling that product online.

And the best part is that if you offer your products in different metals or colours, it is relatively easy to recolour photos to show this without having to make samples in every colour way that you offer.

White Background Photos boost sales!

White background images not only elevate the visual appearance of your product but they really do help boost your sales.

When buying online customers are not able to see the product in person, feel how heavy it is, see what the texture is, or even try it on… Your customers are completely dependent on the images they see! So being able to see your product up close and without distractions is a massive sales tool that gives customers the confidence to add your product to the cart and checkout.

And more than that - if you want to feature your products in the press it is often a requirement that those shots are on a clean white background. So it is always worth having a couple of high resolution shots of your best sellers on a clean white background in your back pocket as press and PR deadlines are often super tight.

Can you learn how to take DIY white background shots?!

Absolutely - 6 years ago I had never taken a photo without my camera being on auto, let alone a white background shot. So if I learned how to do it then so can you. I teach students how to take DIY white background shots of their jewellery in a comprehensive jewellery photography course I filmed for Jewellers Academy. It can be a lengthy learning process however that does require investment in equipment such as lights, reflections, editing software etc. But it is 100% possible!

What do I enjoy (as a photographer) about white background photography?!

Now don’t get me wrong - I LOVE shooting styled shoots - it is my absolute favourite thing. But I do rather enjoy the challenge of white background images including:

• Getting the lighting just right so the jewellery looks it’s best

• Making sure the gemstones are nice and vibrant and aren’t blown out by the bright lights

• Carefully focus stacking the images (compiling 10-15 images with the focus on different parts of the product and then compiling these images into a single image to make sure the whole piece is super sharp

• Carefully cutting out the item (chains take a LONG time to cutout!)

• Touching up the product, correcting any colour issues, and placing it on a white background

• Finally adding shadows or reflections for a truly professional look.

Creating white background images is a much more labour intensive process for me as a photographer than styled shooting. But gosh the results can be breathtaking!

It has been a joy to shoot so many beautiful products on a white background for some amazing handmade brands recently, some of these images I have shared on this blog.

If you would like some help capturing your products on a white background I offer white background photography based on the number of products being shot. To find out more about my white background services please click on the button below to find out more - I am now taking bookings from January 2021 onwards.