My Approach to Product Photography

Think about a product like Chanel perfume or Wonderbras – what image do you have in your mind? Is it of a white background and well lit perfume bottle or bra, OR is it a beautiful model in an amazing location (for those of a certain age amongst you the Eva Herzigova ‘Hello Boys’ Wonderbra billboards will instantly come to mind I’m sure!)

That’s why I’m always amazed when talking about product photography that the image that often gets conjured up in people’s minds is a studio/white background image.

To me it makes perfect sense that if you are looking to sell a product, you want to show it in use, or to give the viewer a feeling. A feeling of what they might experience if they use the product. So that they want to buy it. I call this lifestyle product photography (I’ve no idea if that’s an official term!), because it suggests that the purchaser will want to experience or inhabit the lifestyle they perceive from the images.

I’m sure you can imagine it for example with luxury home products (beautiful lamps/chairs/throws) where you feel that by purchasing the product your home will look as beautiful/calm/enticing as those in the photo. Or fashion/jewellery where the model in an interesting location with beautiful light will evoke the feeling that if you bought said item you would look like that too. Even items in quirky locations can appeal to a certain audience as it is different and eye catching.

That’s why my approach to product photography is to understand the target market of the product/ to establish the brand and brand message of the product. This gives me information that will enable me to work out (in the absence of a detailed brief) where photos could be taken (location), who should be in it (models) and what the feeling should be (message).

This shoot for Coco and Coir’s compost brick was very specific. They wanted a mix of photos of the product in use (to show how it worked by adding water to it) and in different settings to appeal to different audiences (small garden vs large garden/urban vs rural). This was at the height of Lockdown so I was sent the products and had to work wonders in my back garden!

What do you do when there is no brief? For the commission by Beechmore Books the brief was: ‘there is no brief – be creative’! The product was notebooks sold on line and they wanted to move from their historic customer base of middle aged corporate men to a younger more artistic creative community based audience. They were rebranding and relaunching with a website that was artistic and creative focused.

After the initial slight panic, I was actually totally inspired. I made up a concept, which revolved around art and flowers, and I created little sets for each book so each coloured notebook would effectively have it’s own identity. For more on this do visit my case study on it.

The Castle Hotel in Windsor had an afternoon tea cake stand specially designed for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and they needed photos to promote the teas. The brief was to take photos in the setting of the tea room without people, however, they were pleased with my suggestion that having people enjoying the tea would add something to the images that people could relate to.

The end use of the photos is important to understand. For the Leon Boot Company, they had a specific need for new photos of the new range of colours of their boots, to go on their Point of Sale banners in garden centres. These photos had to be close up and in use. They also wanted to have an image of the whole range together, and of some wider ‘lifestyle’ shots as they were updating and redesigning their website.? Once I understood the brand, I was able to visualise the types of shots I wanted to get and could therefore suggest locations and clothes. Like any product shoot with a large range of items, it required careful planning to ensure we got the right combination of shots, in different outfits and different locations. For more on this do visit my case study on it.

None of these shoots, or any product shoot, is quick and easy. There is always the development of a brief, the decisions on location/models/timing, a schedule of what needs to be photographed and where, all to fit in with the intended use, the target market and the brand messaging. But for me, once that is all established, I go about creating in the moment. Like I say to my clients: we need a plan, and then on the day the magic of photography can happen!

About the author

Jo Scott is a Professional Corporate Photographer with a background in Fine Art Photography. Based near Windsor in Berkshire, she works in London and the adjacent Home Counties including Surrey and Hampshire with businesses, creating photos for all their marketing needs

More information about Jo Scott can be found on her website Jo Scott Images

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