Homestead Blog

Ron, from our Creative Services group, is back to give you some more insight into how to use imagery more effectively in your website design – Rochelle.

In part 1 of my discussion on using images when building your website, I talked about how to choose good existing images from free resources like the Homestead Image Library. Part 2 was about dealing with copyright issues when using image services.

Today, in part 3, I’d like to talk about using your own images in your website. Taking your own photographs is probably the best way to make sure you’re getting the exact image you need for your purpose, particularly if you have an online store.

Photos of your products are arguably the single most important part of your online store. A great image gets your customers excited about your products, and gives them the confidence to complete their purchase from your store.

The great news is that it isn’t hard to take impressive photos of your products if you keep a few simple tips in mind:

• Make your product stand out – Try using a white background to make your images jump off of the screen. Whatever background you choose, make sure that the object you’re photographing stands out against it. It’s often a good idea to use the same background consistently for all your products, so they’ll look great on the catalog page (where all the thumbnails are displayed side by side).

• Avoid camera shake – Use a tripod to avoid moving the camera and to get the sharpest possible picture. This is especially important when using natural light.

• Lighting is everything – Avoid using the built-in flash on your camera, especially in close-up situations; it can look harsh and flatten out the object. Turn the flash off and experiment with other methods of lighting, either using natural light or external lighting.

• Experiment with DIY lighting – There are inexpensive lighting boxes available at photography stores, but finding other ways to diffuse light can be fun, and they don’t have to cost a lot of money. Try using two sunlight-adjusted fluorescent bulbs in clamp lights with a reflector, and aim them at a wall near the object to bounce the light onto your product.

• Put your products on ice – My own favorite trick is to use a simple plastic ice chest or cooler as an impromptu product stage. The cooler provides a lovely even light that’s often perfect for illuminating what you put inside. Find yourself a white-lined plastic cooler large enough to fit your products, then bring it outside to a nice shady spot. Put your product inside and shoot away!

• Get closer – Most digital cameras have a macro focus setting; use it to bring your camera within inches of your product to make sure the details are in perfect focus. This key setting is often accessed by a button that has an image of a flower on it.

• Get creative – Finding creative ways to photograph your products can add excitement to your store. For example, instead of photographing your nature-themed jewelry on a table, imagine hanging it on branches. If you need inspiration, you can look on the Web; find ways to emulate the most inspiring product photos you can find.

• Let software polish your images – There are many free or inexpensive software solutions out there that can help you optimize your photos to look great on the web, and they don’t have to be difficult to use. Look for programs that have simple tools to adjust brightness, contrast and size, and those that can save images to your computer in .jpg format.

• Make your images the right size – When resizing your images for use in your online store, look at your product detail pages and choose a size that works well with the layout you have chosen. A good rule of thumb is to keep them around 300 pixels wide.

• Do it yourself – Consider making your own thumbnail images instead of allowing the Store software to create them for you. You’ll have more control and make the smaller versions of your product photos look more sharp and crisp.

I hope these tips encourage you to try your own photographs. With very little practice you’ll find yourself taking professional-quality photos in no time!