Today we have a submission post! This is a very helpful and well-written article about Product Photography by Kathy Yoo. This could be helpful for someone working at a huge company as well as an entrepreneur just starting their own business. It could even be useful for selling things online on sites like eBay, or craigslist.
Product photography helps you to showcase and sell your best products, in the best light. Whether you see products displayed on billboards, digital signage, magazine ads, commercials, all the images look professionally done. But, what if you’re a small business and can’t afford a professional photographer for your products?
If you don’t have much experience with editing product photographs, it’s easy to be intimidated by photo editors. iPiccy is an innovative online photo editor that provides easy to use photo tools that you can use right in your browser without any installation. There is a wide variety of features from cropping, resizing, and rotating to applying professional touch-up tools. Plus, it’s free! Let your creativity loose and explore with iPiccy to get the most out of your photo. Instead of clicking around in confusion, follow this guide to effortlessly create high-quality product images.
Before you get started, make sure you create a separate copy of the original. Luckily, iPiccy allows the user to adjust everything from the most basic features to microscopic ones. You can play around with basic adjustments to see what produces the most attractive result. For the best outcome, try brightening the photo and increasing sharpness before saving your final image to see what works best with your product.
lavender field before and after the image editing process
When you’re editing product photographs, use photo effects with caution! While they can change the overall atmosphere of the photograph to your liking, the effects can often distract the viewer from the main product.
By clicking the button at the bottom of the Layers tab, you can create a new layer. By doing so, you can make adjustments on one layer and turn the viewing option on and off to see the transformation. Duplicating the layer is crucial during the retouching process because it accentuates all the tiny specs of dust that have been removed.
After making basic adjustments to the photo, you’re ready to do some major retouching. Microscopic details can seem trivial, but the small details make a tremendous difference at the end.
To hide small details like hair, you can use the Eyedropper Tool to detect and select the color you want to replace the part with. You can adjust the size and shape of the brush to better suit the part that you’re coloring over. During this process, make sure that you’re continuously using the Eyedropper Tool to select closer areas so that the replaced part is consistent and clean.
The Clone Stamp tool is great for correcting challenging areas. This tool is awesome because it continuously follows and copies an area of the photo so that the color is constantly changing for a clean and smooth result. iPiccy also gives the user various brush options regarding size, hardness, and strength. Unlike complex Photoshop software, iPiccy is easy to navigate and use without the hassle of installing a software.
iPiccy has other great tools like the Dodge and Burn Tools, which help even out the tones. If a specific area needs to be lightened, for instance, you would use the Dodge tool. On the other hand, the Burn tool comes in handy when you need to darken a particular spot. Don’t forget to see the before and after transformation of your product by turning the second layer on and off. This will show you what you should continue using and which features you should remove.
After you’re done fixing tiny details, you can go back to the first tab and select “Curves” under the Advanced section. This tool adjusts the contrast exactly to your liking. The top of the curve affects the whites, the middle affects the greys, and the bottom affects the blacks. You can pull around the curve and see what works for the product. If you want to brighten the overall picture, you can pull the curve upwards from the middle. For other specific adjustments, you can explore under the Colors section. Vibrance is a great effect that generally enhances the colors in the photo.
landscape with a broadwalk before and after the image editing process
One of the most effective tools for color correction is the Hue & Saturation section under the third tab. This feature is cool because it allows you to completely change the color of your product and still make it look realistic. It also allows you to alter the saturation level so that you can desaturate the color if needed. Another way to make your product stand out is by adjusting the contrast. iPiccy allows the user to balance the contrast under both the sections Local Contrast and Light & Contrast. By selecting and deselecting the top layer, you can see what works best for your image.
You’re almost done! This is the perfect time for you to zoom in on your image and look for any spots you may have missed. If your product has a transparent background, you can add a drop shadow to really make the item pop. Afterwards, you can sharpen your image slightly for additional definition. If you don’t like the result on a particular product, you can skip this step. When you’re satisfied with your results, you’re ready to resize the image and save!
Practice makes perfect! Take your time and follow these steps to consistently create high quality product photographs. To speed up the editing process, click on the Helpful tips button on the left bottom of the page to take advantage of iPiccy’s countless keyboard shortcuts.
About the author: Kathy Yoo is a creative writer and enjoys writing content on behalf of the digital picture frame experts at Nixplay. As an avid traveller and learner from Canada, she loves exploring different cultures and cheering for the Toronto Raptors. Catch up with her on Twitter @kathy__yoo