A Complete Guide To 360° Product Photography: All You Need To Know

By Author: Robert Charles
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As eCommerce continues to grow, businesses are finding innovative ways to showcase products online. 360° product photography has become one of the most popular and effective ways to offer customers a comprehensive view of products, enhancing the online shopping experience and potentially increasing sales. If you're considering adding 360° photography to your eCommerce strategy, here’s everything you need to know, from capturing images to refining them through eCommerce photo retouching services.

What is 360° Product Photography?

360° product photography involves taking multiple images of a product from different angles and combining them into a single interactive file. When displayed on a website, these images allow customers to rotate, zoom in, and view the product from every angle, providing a nearly hands-on experience. This technique gives customers a clearer view of the product's details, dimensions, and quality, which can be especially important for items like electronics, fashion, furniture, and accessories.

Benefits of 360° Product Photography for eCommerce

1.Enhanced Customer Experience: ...
... Offering a 360° view allows customers to feel more confident in their purchases, as they can thoroughly examine the product.
2.Increased Conversion Rates: Shoppers who have a better understanding of a product’s appearance are more likely to purchase it.
3.Reduced Return Rates: By providing accurate product visuals, customers are le
s likely to return items due to unmet expectations.
4.Competitive Advantage: Not all eCommerce stores offer 360° product views. Providing this can set your store apart and create a more
immersive experience.

Setting Up for 360° Product Photography

To get started with 360° product photography, you need the right setup and equipment. While the process can be handled with DIY methods, professional assistance or eCommerce photo retouching services can ensure a polished, consistent outcome.
Essential Equipment:

1.Turntable: A motorized turntable is essential for 360° photography. This device rotates the product at consistent intervals, allowing for evenly spaced images from every angle.
2.Camera: Use a high-quality DSLR or mirrorless camera with a high resolution to capture the fine details of your products.
3.Tripod: Stabilizing your camera on a tripod helps maintain consistency in every shot and prevents blurry images.
4.Lighting: Consistent lighting is key. Use softbox lights to eliminate harsh shadows and maintain even lighting across all angles.
5.Remote Shutter or Software: To capture images without touching the camera, use a remote shutter or compatible software, which can also help automate the image capture at each turntable interval.

Setting Up the Studio

1.Background: A plain white or light-colored background creates a clean, professional look and makes the product stand out. Many professionals also use eCommerce photo retouching services to remove any distractions in the background post-shoot.
2.Lighting Position: Ensure lighting is even, positioning lights on either side of the product or overhead to eliminate unwanted shadows and highlights.
3.Product Positioning: Place your product in the center of the turntable to ensure it stays within the frame as it rotates.

Capturing 360° Images

The process of capturing 360° images involves taking a series of photos while rotating the product in small increments. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1.Place the Product: Center the product on the turntable.
2.Adjust Camera Settings: Use manual settings on your camera to maintain consistent exposure, ISO, and focus throughout.
3.Capture Incremental Shots: Rotate the product at small intervals (usually 10-15°) and take a photo at each position. For a full 360° rotation, you’ll need about 24-36 photos to create a smooth and seamless interactive display.
4.Check Each Image: Inspect the images as you go to ensure each one is sharp and evenly lit.
5.Edit the Images: After capturing, transfer the images to editing software for basic adjustments. This can include color correction, brightness adjustments, and background cleanup through eCommerce photo retouching company.

Editing and Assembling the 360° Product View

After capturing the photos, editing is essential to create a cohesive, professional result. Consistent lighting, color correction, and background removal can be handled through various photo editing software or by working with eCommerce photo retouching agency.
Key Editing Steps:

1.Background Removal: Use tools to remove or clean up the background for a consistent, distraction-free appearance.
2.Color Correction: Adjust brightness, contrast, and colors to match the actual product appearance as closely as possible.
3.Shadow and Reflection Addition: Adding subtle shadows or reflections can create a more realistic feel for the product, especially for transparent or glossy items.
4.Batch Editing for Consistency: For multiple products or angles, batch editing can ensure consistency across images.

Assembling the 360° Image

After editing, you’ll need software that can stitch the images together into an interactive 360° file. Many eCommerce platforms support these files, and some offer plugins that simplify the integration process.

1.Import the Images: Load the edited images into 360° image software.
2.Adjust Image Order and Speed: Ensure the images are in the correct order and adjust the rotation speed for smooth scrolling.
3.Export the 360° File: Export the final interactive image in a format compatible with your eCommerce platform.
Best Practices for 360° Product Photography
1.Use Consistent Angles and Lighting: Consistency ensures a professional look and prevents distraction.
2.Include a Zoom Option: Allowing users to zoom in on the 360° image offers a closer look at details, enhancing their shopping experience.
3.Optimize for Mobile Devices: Many customers shop via mobile, so ensure the interactive image functions well on both desktop and mobile versions of your site.

Leveraging eCommerce Photo Retouching Services

While some eCommerce businesses may choose to handle editing and assembly in-house, others find value in outsourcing to eCommerce photo retouching services. These services provide expertise in refining product images, adding effects, and maintaining brand consistency. With the right retouching, 360° images can look polished and professional, enhancing the overall impression of your online store.

Benefits of UsingeCommerce Photo Retouching Services

1.Saves Time: Professional editors can handle large volumes of images efficiently, freeing up your time.
2.Expert Adjustments: Specialized retouchers know how to optimize images for eCommerce, ensuring colors, backgrounds, and lighting are perfect.
3.Consistent Results: Retouching services maintain consistency across all product photos, creating a unified look on your website.

360° Product Photography Software Option
Numerous software options are available for assembling and displaying

360° images, including:

•Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom: Great for initial editing and batch processing.
•Sirv: Offers interactive image display specifically designed for eCommerce.
•WebRotate 360: A powerful tool that integrates with many eCommerce platforms for creating 360° product views.
•Arqspin: A user-friendly tool ideal for smaller businesses and DIY setups.

Conclusion

360° product photography has become an essential tool for eCommerce businesses seeking to provide a comprehensive online shopping experience. By showcasing products from every angle, it allows customers to interact virtually with products, increasing their confidence and potentially leading to higher conversion rates. While the setup and capture process requires some investment in equipment and time, the payoff in customer engagement and satisfaction can be significant. Additionally, using eCommerce photo retouching services can further enhance these images, ensuring a professional and polished appearance that reflects your brand's quality.