The background of your product photographs or videos is everything. It is the foundation of the stunning content that will capture the attention of your audience. Therefore, we think it is a super important brand decision.
Studio imagery is created from scratch, nothing exists aside from the idea. Imagery often begins in a darkened room with a simple trestle table. Planned elements are gathered to bring ideas to fruition and these ideas always begin with choosing the right background surface to build on (sometimes referred to as a ‘deck’). Products are placed on top of or in front of a background, and props are added to compliment the product. The scene is lit to illustrate an emotion or “vibe” that suits the product and voila - content is created!
The style of your background is an important choice and its’ colour/pattern/texture along with lighting choices, creates a feeling within the image. In addition, the colours and textures of props used in the scene can create a strong connection to your brand, be used for storytelling or as prompts to explain what is in the product or what it is used for . Planning for all of these elements to work together is worthwhile as it can allow you to successfully reach the target audience of your product.
When choosing backgrounds for your photoshoot, ask yourself the following questions.
Capturing your products on a colour, texture or graphic that connects to your brand can tell us something about the product you are selling. For example, a naturally toned ceramic bowl would resonate with its audience by capturing it on a light earthy texture as opposed to a vibrant, bright red. We suggest that you allways try to make colour choices that will not only compliment the product, but will also tie in with the overall style of your brand.
A big consideration when choosing colours, is being able to choose a colour that doesn’t impact or change the colour of the product itself via reflection.
When you aim a light at a product, the light reflects off every surface and bounces everywhere. This can create colour casts where they are not wanted. For example, if you were selling a beautiful white cup and you chose a blue background to shoot the white cup on, the cup may suddenly appear grey or a shade of blue due to the reflected light bouncing up from the background surface. This is something to consider when shooting images for your product listing as you will want to capture your product colours as close to reality as possible. Realistic colours of your products are essential to avoid returns and/or complaints about your online store. It is for this reason that brands choose to photograph their product listings on white (more on that in a later post). However, coloured backgrounds are a fantastic way to create impact for website banners, social media, EDMS and for marketing your products using your brands visual identity.
Styling images on an amazing background is a great way to attract attention, elevate your brand and speed up your workflow. Using simple props such as ingredients that are part of your product or a prop that helps explain the products use eg. matches placed alongside a candle, garnishes with a cocktail or a bowl alongside a cereal box is all you need to produce loads of great content. Less is more and if the background is unique, complimentary and eye catching, it will save you a lot of time when shooting.
We suggest using a collection of backgrounds in a similar colour palette to begin with which will unify your content and to create overall cohesiveness within your brands online presence.
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