In this online era, compelling product photos attract even casual shoppers and encourage them to take a second look at it. High-quality product photos not only communicate with buyers but also fulfill their desires and give them a physical store shopping experience.
One study of bigcommerce highlights, 78% of online shoppers prefer quality product photos that bring products to life. Whereas, another study states that good product photographs can increase the 30% of conversion rate.
But the question is: how do you plan for the best product lighting? Don’t be panic! In this article, we’ll go through every important detail, like –
- Product photography lighting types,
- Essential equipment for product photography lighting,
- The best and most effective lighting setup ideas,
- The best Amazon-selling lighting boxes,
- Common mistakes in lighting setup, and more.
So, without more talk, let’s dive into it together!
Types of Lighting for Product Photography
The best product photography lighting depends on your product type, location, and the photography gadgets you have. Generally, there are two main lighting sources: natural and artificial. Other lighting sources help you to capture professional product photography.
Are you curious to explore more? Below we’ve mentioned some commonly used product photography lighting!
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Natural light
The sun is the only source of natural light. You can shoot near a window or use sheer curtains to soften harsh sunlight. The best natural light you get during the golden hours (sunrise and sunset). Also, you can choose a shade location to get the best lighting. However, you can shoot skincare items, food, clothing, or other products in natural beauty.
Lightboxes
A lightbox or light tent softens and evenly diffuses light. When you shoot product images using a lightbox, it gives you a clean and professional look. Also, it minimizes harsh shadows and reflections that are ideal for jewelry, cosmetics, electronics, or other small to medium products.
Continuous lighting
Do you want to see the effects of light in real time? Continuous light uses constant light sources, like fluorescent bulbs or LED to provide consistent illumination. From beginners to expert photographers use this lighting. Beginners get the advantage of white balance which is simple to use.
Studio lights
Studio lights and flashlights are used to capture products’ intricate details or freezing motion. For the best product photography, you’ll need other equipment like triggers, strobe lights, and light modifiers like umbrellas or softboxes. Professional product photographers use studio lights for versatile purposes.
Light painting
Do you want to “paint” light onto your products? Like other photographers, you can explore handheld light sources like LED wands or flashlights to create the effect. With this, you get precise control over light intensity placement that allows you to highlight specific areas of the product. Also, you can create amazing dramatic effects on reflective products.
Reflectors and diffusers
Reflectors and diffusers are effective in controlling the light’s quality. Reflectors bounce back light onto products, filling shadows, and highlights. On the other hand, diffusers soften harsh lights and help to create flattering and even illumination.
Thinking about what lights you need for your upcoming product photography? Go through the next section to get the perfect solution!
Product Photography Lighting Setup: The Essential Equipment
Proper lighting equipment for product photography gives photographers control over lighting direction, intensity, and quality to get the perfect shots. But without setup planning, you’ll suffer most and end up in bad-quality images.
Here we’ve highlighted core lighting equipment lists that help you to get impressive and e-commerce-worthy product photos.
Light sources
There are different light sources for capturing product features, such as –
- Strobe lights help to freeze motion and provide consistent illumination. Also, these lights are energy-efficient and compatible with different camera systems and accessories.
- Continuous lights provide steady illumination providing real-time previews and adjustments.
- LED lights are lightweight, portable, and generate minimal heat. And it offers versatile lighting for product photography.
- Speedlights or external flashes offer adjustable power levels and different modifiers that are ideal for on-location shoots.
- Ring lights are circular-shaped and useful for unique illumination features. Its soft and even light helps to minimize harsh shadows.
- Tungsten light bulbs provide a warm and natural glow and create an inviting atmosphere.
Light modifiers
Whether a scene has ambient or artificial light, you can use a light modifier to achieve a particular mood. With modifiers, you’re able to highlight something important in a scene, soften harshness, or flatter a subject.
Light modifiers help you to soften harsh lights, flatter a subject, or get a particular mood. Different types of light modifiers are –
- Softboxes offer controlled and diffused lighting to capture product details and depth. These are beneficial for capturing reflective surfaces products or intricate textures without harsh reflections.
- Umbrellas & diffusers are versatile and provide a soft and diffuse harsh light to create more flattering illumination. Mainly, umbrellas are made with reflective material that is useful for producing natural-looking light for products.
- Reflectors manipulate, control, and bounce light back onto the subject. They come in four different colors and different shapes and sizes that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor shots. Reflectors’ flexible surfaces are suitable for reflective products. On the contrary, bounce cards are smaller and bounce light onto specific areas of the product.
Basic Product Photography Lighting Setup Idea
The key to product photography is to ensure the products are bright enough and stand out from the background so that consumers can notice the product details. To ease the way, we’ve highlighted expert-suggested product photography lighting setups; it’ll be quicker for you to switch between arrangements.
Consider your product
The perfect product photos depend on the perfect lighting setup. So, it’s crucial to consider the product before making a plan. For example,
- Shiny or reflective products, like jewelry, watches, or others require to use of diffused lighting to minimize reflections.
- Textured products, like leather, wood, or apparel require to use of directional lighting to showcase every detail and texture.
- Small products, like accessories, cosmetics, or others need to keep the lighting setup simple and compact.
- Large products, like furniture, need to ensure the product is well-lit to demonstrate textures, styles, and more.
Setup the space
Now that you’ve your product, it’s time to decide whether you shoot it outdoors, in your space, or studio. If you plan to shoot outdoors to build a connection with Mother Nature, it’s ideal to avoid harsh sunlight and choose a shadow area.
But for indoors, a window is best for getting natural light. So, choose a larger one, setup a table, and use a white backdrop. However, for studio product photography, you get more flexibility and lighting sources that ease the process to get the desired result.
One-light setup for product photography
- Direct front light: Some product photographers opt for front lighting for its uncomplicated and professional-looking outcomes. Setup the light at the eye level with the subject. If the light is too bright and can’t dim it, adjust your shutter speed and exposure level. Also, pay attention that the background isn’t too close to the product.
- Ring light: Ring light for product photography is a great and popular choice worldwide. They create an inviting aura and help to minimize side effects. These lights also reduce glare and provide brightness without overexposing. Place your product very close to the product to get a soft with high luminosity.
Note: Shooting bright-colored products is quite challenging. But these lights work best for portrait photography and small-sized products.
- Overhead lights: Do you want to create some “David Fincher-esque” look to your amazing product photos? If so, overhead lights are the best option. Some come with adjustable heads. If you want you can pair it with a tripod to make some fun experiments with your lighting style. Remember to control ambient light levels when using overhead lights and don’t place products too close to overhead lights.
Two-light setup for product photography
- Rim lighting: Are you trying to shoot wine or other beverage bottles with reflective surfaces? Rim light helps you to capture some dazzling shots. Place two lights on either side of the product.
- Lighting from below: When you want to create a dramatic effect, this technique helps you to light up the product from below. Also, it helps to create shadows and highlights the surface of the object making the product more appealing. Use a diffuser or dimmer to get more brightness and softness look.
- Gradient lighting: It helps you to create a professional look. You can use two lights with different color temperatures, i.e., warm and cool light or colored gels to get the same effect. Place lights at 45-degree angles to cast a gradient on a product or place them at 90 degrees pointing up vertically at different heights.
Three-light setup for product photography
A triangle lighting or three-lighting setup is popular for still life and product photos. There is no rule for the distance or position of the lights. But don’t point your camera directly at the light. The three light setup arrangements are:
- A frontal light (key): The main light comes from the front and gives a flat and even illumination from both sides of the product.
- A side light (fill): The side light lit products one side and creates shadow to other parts.
- A backlight: It is a secondary light source that illuminates one side or edge of a product and creates a dramatic effect.
Even light setups
A product with reflective surfaces or materials is hard to shoot. But using the diffusers you can eliminate the reflections. Also, point the lights at a 45-degree angle from the camera. The best hack is to keep the diffuser separate from the light and bring it close to the product to get a luminous image with minimal reflections. However, if you want you can use dark background to reduce reflections.
Full coverage to capture details
Some products look stunning when you setup lighting all around them. For this, you can use at least one key light, fill light, back light, and background one for full coverage. Or, you can use two of each and place them in different angles. Try to use white styrofoam boards to bounce the light.
Test and adjust
Remember to take some test shots and review them to create a properly evaluated product photography lighting setup. Also, pay close attention to unwanted shadows and highlights. All these help you to shoot amazing and compelling product photos.
Bonus tips:
- Keep the ISO level as low as possible to get the better images. If you shoot in a low-light areas, you can increase the level to brighten the image.
- Keep the aperture level high for product photography to get more focus. But you can try different aperture levels to select the best one.
- Keep the shutter speed slow because a fast one freeze your image. But pay attention to motion blur.
How to Choose the Right Lighting for Product Photography
Choosing the best lighting for product photography depends on several factors, like product category, desired look, the feel of the product image, and experience in using the perfect gear. For more in-depth details, let’s check out below:
- Product type: Without proper lighting setup you end up in boring and unprofessional product photos. So, before choosing one, ensure it adds a creative touch to your products. For example, matte products like clothing require different lighting than glossy fashion products.
- Product’s desired look and feel: Imagine a floral perfume where you need warmer light to create a warm and natural beauty. On the other hand, shiny or reflective products like jewelry need to minimize reflections to showcase design details.
- Intensity & direction of light: The light intensity affects on image’s overall brightness (high-intensity light creates a bright image and low-intensity creates a darker image. Afterward, the light direction affects the shadows and highlights of an image. For example, a front light helps you to create a flat image with minimal shadows.
- Selecting the right background: Product background is vital in giving it a professional and compelling look. Imagine an amazing perfume set is placed in a busy background. How does it look? If you want to create a clean and simple look, a white background is best.
- Equipment availability: Different products require different lighting setups, so explore different equipment to find the best one for your product. For example, if you have only one light source, using a reflector to fill the shadows is wise.
Along with those factors, you must ensure the lighting setup doesn’t alter the product color. Also, don’t forget to experiment with different angles to reveal your product’s best features. For example, side lighting emphasizes shape and texture, while the lighting above works best for flat objects.
Light Box Recommendations for Various Product Types
Like high-resolution cameras, lighting setup for product photography is vital to give a more appealing and professional outlook. Using the best light box, you can easily eliminate unwanted shadows, get a controlled and uniformly-lit environment, and illuminate your product in the best limelight.
Let’s look at some awesome light boxes that help you create consistent and eye-catching product visuals.
1. Fositan photo box (Tabletop photography box with bright LEDs):
One of the best premium light boxes for product photography. Its great ergonomics, built-in LED beads, and design guarantee long service and optimal level of brightness. With high-quality SMD LED brads with amazing CRI (index up to 95+) and opaque walls, you easily capture the essence of your product.
Specifications:
- Dimensions (D X W X H): 20 x 20 x 20 inches
- Light type: 140 LED
- Material: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Some Amazon-verified users mentioned light turns off and on after long usage. |
2. LimoStudio (Affordable price & good quality):
This popular kit comes with a tabletop photography studio LED light box, photo shooting tent kit, backdrops, a removable front panel, and a tripod. It’s a beginner-friendly and feature-rich lightbox for product photography. Non-reflective fabric and 4 different colors of background make it more useful.
Specifications:
- Dimensions (D X W X H): 17.5 x 3.7 x 17.75 inches
- Light type: Light-emitting diode
- Material: Polyester
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Some buyers suggest adding more lights. |
3. Neewer (Best portable & Professional photo light box kit):
Are you searching for a professional photography equipment brand with a wide range of light boxes and accessories? Neewer is the best lightweight and portable option for you. As a waterproof kit, it offers different sizes and designs (a pop-up lightbox, a collapsible lightbox, etc.) and allows you to choose one from the four colors of backdrops.
Specifications:
- Dimensions (D X W X H): 23.62 x 23.62 x 23.62 inches
- Light type: LED
- Material: Nylon
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Some buyers are dissatisfied with the wrinkle in this setup. |
4. Glendan (professional & portable photo studio lightbox):
The Glendan is a mini portable lightbox that ensures long-lasting service. It comes with 112 high-quality LED light beads, six color backdrops, a non-woven tote bag, an inner reflection board, and many more. You don’t require brackets, screws, or complicated lighting layouts.
Specifications:
- Dimensions (D X W X H): 12 x 12 x 12 inches
- Light type: LED
- Material: PVC
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One Amazon buyer mentioned the LED light isn’t powerful enough. |
5. Travor (Professional dimmable photo shooting tent kit):
The last; yet powerful and on-the-go studio you need for product photography is Travor Photo box. Its reflective fabric and diffuser illuminates distractions and let your product shine. You get four (black, white, blue, and red) multi-color backdrops and build up different shootinng effects. It is suitable for highly reflective products, like cosmetics, ceramics, glasses, etc., and suitable for fashion themes.
Specifications:
- Dimensions (D X W X H): 31.5 x 31.5 x 31.5 inches
- Light type: LED
- Material: Metal
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No way to secure backdrops. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Product Photography Lighting
Photography lighting setup plays a vital role in making e-commerce-worthy and jaw-dropping product visuals. If you’re not careful enough, you’ll easily make mistakes that affect the final results. We’ve mentioned some common product photography lighting mistakes to smoothen your photography journey.
- Unaware of using enough light: When you don’t use enough light, it makes an underexposed image; dull and unappealing. So, ensure you use enough light to showcase the product’s best features and create a well-exposed image.
- Using harsh light: Harsh light creates deep shadows and hard highlights that give an unprofessional appearance to product images. So, use soft or diffused light to create a natural and realistic look.
- Not focusing on reflection: Glossy or reflective products like diamond jewelry or others create unwanted reflections or glare in light. It’s wise to use a softbox or place product of the light that minimizes reflections or glare.
- Color temperature: As you know color temperature affects overall images appeal. So, plan perfectly when using color temperature.
- Photography background: A white or simple background gives product spaces to shine and a busy one creates an illusion in shoppers mind.
- Lack of proper testing: Always test the lighting setup before taking the final shot so that you can make adjustments to achieve the desired look and feel.
- Lack of using modifiers: Light modifiers, like reflectors, soft boxes, and umbrellas help to control harsh light and shape light in a way that gives an awesome look.
- Not paying attention to the light direction: If you don’t pay attention to the light direction, your images end up with unwanted shadows and highlights. So, ensure you focus on the light direction to avoid those issues.
Frequently asked questions about product photography Lighting Setup
What lighting should I use for product photography?
You can use continuous light, fluorescent, incandescent tungsten, LED bulbs, and many others for product photography.
What is the best setup for product photography?
In this article, we’ve mentioned creative lighting setup for product photography so that you can capture the best. Some basic hacks are –
- Use a small aperture like f8 or f11 to keep product focus.
- Use a tripod to avoid camera shaking.
- To ensure the highest quality and more flexibility in post-production shoot in a RAW format.
- Use a simple, white background for a professional outlook.
- Take images from multiple angles to give consumers a detailed product view.
What shutter speed is best for product photography?
The best shutter speed for product photography should be at 1/125th in a well-lit room.
Conclusion
There we have it all about the product photography lighting setup. Now, it’s time to utilize those creative ideas and create amazing e-commerce-friendly product images that grab the audience’s attention at first glance. Don’t forget to share your unique ideas with us.
Happy clicking!
