3 Things to Have on Hand for Your Product Photos

by Crystal Hollman | Aug 13, 2020 | Content Creation

The Blog

3 Things to Have on Hand for Your Product Photos

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Doesn’t it make you feel better when you know you’re prepared for any possible outcome?

ot only does this make our lives easier in case unexpected problems come up but it saves us time trying to search for the things we need during the most precious moments in our business.

So, if you’re currently taking on the role of the photographer in your business, here are 3 things to have on hand for your product photos. These are the key things we find most important and likely always needed, even if you don’t know it.

Steamer

This is a must for all things fabric. You can use a steamer for several different things including a backdrop, clothing products, pillows, basically anything that can wrinkle. Steamers are an essential tool that I have on hand at the studio. It’s also great for any models bringing in clothing that may need to be quickly prepped. A steamer takes up little storage space and can get the job done quicker than ironing would. You can check out the one I use here.

Sticky Tack

My second go-to at the studio is sticky tack. This is magical and the best thing to have for those round shaped jars, products, and props that tend to run off while we are shooting. It’s a quick, easy, and cheap solution to styling angles, fun layouts, or anything that appears impossible to achieve.

If you’re not sure what sticky tack is, it’s a piece of removable, sticky substance that you can attach on your products or props to help keep them in unique poses or on uneven surfaces. The trick is to use just enough to hold your product in place, but not too much where you catch it on camera. Here’s my favorite sticky tack to use!

Acrylic Cubes

Last and most important for flat lays – Acrylic Cubes! These are magical little pieces that add some extra depth to your flat lay photos. You can use them individually to lift props when styling shots or stack them on top of each other to add some extra height. Acrylic cubes are great for getting creative and prove best for displaying and raising products to the right level. With various sizes, you can easily hide certain parts of your image or use it to outright style your photos. This is the set I use in my studio.

Conclusion

You never know when you’ll need to add something a little extra to your shot, so having these 3 things nearby can truly help. If you have any questions or simply need ongoing monthly support, I’d love to connect. We can schedule a consultation call to identify the best options for you. You can also find me on Instagram!

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About Crystal

Crystal is the Creative Director, Photo Stylist, and Commercial Photographer behind Crystal Clear Creative Studios. From increased sales, visibility, and trends to conversions and full production, Crystal and her team, experts on the subject matter, provide clients with confidence to take your photography and videography needs off your plate. We support you in your growth with the creation and implementation of transformative ideas.

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How To Get That High End Look To Your Photos – 5 Ways

by Crystal Hollman | Apr 1, 2019 | How-To

Blog

How To Get That High End Look To Your Photos – 5 Ways

The look and feel of your photos can help set up your brand for long term success. We all want that High End look to our photos and today I deep dive into how you can do that with a few simple touches.

Establishing your brand style, color scheme and matching that on social media platforms like Instagram is a great way to build brand awareness. You want people to look at a photo and immediately think and know its you just from the feel, the style, the look and the color palette that you use.

This week I wanted to pop in to discuss how you can add that high end look to your images. Certain brands, that might be yours, are targeting a particular type of audience with more of a high end look. So here are my top 5 ways you can add that appeal to your images!

Investing in your props – this is key. That $5 particle board from target might work for a little while or for a general image but it won’t have the same appeal as the $40 cutting board made of marble and real wood. Now, I don’t mean rush out shopping for all the beautiful things at once. Let’s face it, we all have a budget. So start small with investing in 1-2 better props each week or couple of weeks slowly turning over your prop stash to a more high end appeal.
One thing high end brands have in common is the clean, simple and minimalist look! That means in most cases less is more unless you’re a styling pro. That means you want to strive for a more simplistic look. Style your image and then step back to see if you might have a few things that are necessary. Clean up the extra props that might not be necessary to complete the look.
Another thing is lots of organization and order in your props! This is most commonly seen in products that tailor to those in a profession such as aestheticians. So that means you will want to have clean lines in your prop or product order. This requires thought and pre-planning on placement and prop coordination.
Another key component to a high end photo is consistency with your look. Bright pops of color, clean lines, minimalistic approach or having a more dramtic lighting choices for your photos. Keep them all consistent. Shooting in the same setup, same lighting and more will help you acheive this. No matter what though, a high end brand sticks to the same style every time!
Oh filters, the thing everyone is selling right now BUT high end brands use minimal to no use of filters! They invest in professional photographers to edit and prep their images to have a great combination of lighting and contrast. So be careful when it comes to filters, I am not saying they are all bad but know how to use them. Some times crazy amounts of contrasts, tones, warmth and so forth can make it hard to keep up with that consistency especially when, in the real world, our photos will vary in the way they are shot and the settings used.

BONUS TIP – if you use a filter, that’s totally okay. Be smart about using filters! You can do this by picking one filter you like and STICKING TO IT. That means every, single, time on every photo to keep the consistency you’re after!

Photography can be a tough cookie to crack! If you’re like me a step by step guide to shoot more confidently and get the look you’re going for with your product photos is exactly what you need. If that’s you, don’t miss out on the Flatlay Method Ecourse launch on April 10th, 2019.

Not sure if the course is the right thing for you? That’s okay, Let’s talk! I love helping a fellow boss babe get the info they need to be successful, whether or not that means working with me, you deserve the best resources. See you again soon!

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