Get to know about the best product photography ideas and inspiration that are trending in 2021 here and ace that photography session by making the product stand out at its best.

Although most photographers are aware of basic photography and how to take good product photos, such as using a tripod, setting up the camera, using a solid background preferably white, however, to take a good picture you need a good setting and an innovative idea to make these tools come into use.

Have you ever noticed how top brands get featured in catalogs and magazines with their out of the box product photography ideas. Their ideas definitely make their products stand out from other products. Photography is all about playing along with the rule as well as breaking the rule to get a better outcome. Learn about some of the best product photography ideas in 2021 to get a truly unique product photography.

1. Go back to the 60’s neon night vibes

Yes! That is absolutely correct. The more aesthetic vibe your product will give out the more attention it will grab from your customers. In 2021, this will make a statement to your product. Can you imagine the hype already?

This type of night photography will need a strong and reflective light source to like the neon light, for this product with reflective surface and textures works best. This type of photography does not need any extraordinary equipment but the basics would do a good job.

2. Having a geometrical background

Geometrical shapes add perspective to your images product photography by creating a depthness and character to the photo. This type of background works best with home decor products, also products like mugs, accessories, phone cases etc.

3. Creative hanging of products

Whilst taking photos of products suspended from air is not something that is brand new, but this technique does the job perfectly. It is one of the oldest tricks in the book and very effective in letting the viewers see the product better. However, hanging the items in a creative and artistic manner is absolutely something you should try out. You can stick to a theme with contextual background and props to make the image come off as funny, elegant or even morbid, whatever vibe you’re going with, though be sure to have plenty of lighting.

4. Casting the right model

Model casting for showcasing your product is probably one of the most important and difficult parts of product photography. It is vital to remember that not only the model has to be good at what they do but the way of taking the pictures has to be immaculate as well.

Clothing items and accessories are the best choice of products to put on a model and have a photoshoot. Make sure to make it look as natural as possible because that kind of genuinity makes the customers relate to the image and makes them want to buy the product. To do so, you can get the models custom made outfits and apparels to make it form fitting and so that the viewers get a good understanding of what the clothes may look like in real life on them.

If the models you hire are professional and know what they’re doing, chances are they will have already gotten a good idea of how they will work the product. Don’t hesitate to instruct their poses as the ones you want but also make sure to adjust your photography style to their angles and personality. And it goes without saying how significant the background is to the image and the product itself, hence, keep in mind to choose the appropriate setting for the shoot.

5. Try Out Different Angles

In most product advertisements, you will notice that the object is directly at the viewer’s eye level. This is likely done to bring the main focus of the viewer to the object which is more than understandable, however, nowadays people are more and more leaning towards alternative style in product photos. Take your pictures with odd angles, keeping the product as the subject but making the overall image standout at the same time.

6. Work With Macro Shots

Macro Shots are an amazing choice for magazine shots, editorials or an attention-grabbing poster used for promoting the picture. It’s great to show the smallest details and nuances of your image subject which make it all the more attractive. Again, the lighting’s importance for macro shots cannot be said enough times, make sure that you get the tiniest corners with your light setting.

7. Consistency With Monochromacy

We’ve come a long way from the era when adverts and photos were best received when it had splashes of every single colour one could think. Nowadays, a picture like that, while nostalgic, would be considered as gaudy or even tacky to some. Going back to the first point about aesthetics, people love simplistic and monochromatic tones and themes in pictures. Use bold colours that are seemingly contrasting but go well with each other and choose the combinations depending on the target audience of the product.

8. Weird Is Good

It may seem unlikely but unusual photos are actually really on trend with people, especially the youth nowadays. Make it seem unexpected, spontaneous and random to appeal to the viewers. Like, if you’re selling a mug, post an advert with the mug on a water body surrounded by water. Why is a mug in the middle of the ocean? What is the context? Does it have a deeper meaning? So many questions, will it get answers? Probably not but that is exactly the power of guessing and it will benefit your reach greatly. This particular tric, however, would require quite some work- like editors, special set and costumes, but the overall result does seem worth it.

9. Lighting- Get It Right

Reiterating what is mentioned numerous times in the previous points, lighting is everything. Try to use natural light as much as possible, take pictures out in an open space or beside a window or a door. Make sure that your lighting equipment and settings are of high quality and are compatible with your photography style. Keep in mind to avoid shakiness, blurriness, light flares and shadows when taking the shots unless they are on purpose for artistic reasons.

10. Mysticality is the new way to go

Not quite the same as the hanging one, but it does fall in the same category. This is entirely up to the magic of photo editing which will make your product look like it’s levitating. Levitating imagery usually works best with jewellery, accessories, beauty and art items, and gadgets because they are compact looking and small on the screen. This is an important point to remember because oftentimes, you will find that large products like clothes and dresses just look awkward or even downright creepy when you see it in a levitating form with no one holding it or wearing it.

11. Photo Editing and Manipulation

As mentioned before, editing is extremely crucial to the post production process of photography. If you aren’t well versed in it, you will probably need to hire a professional designer or editor to do the work for you. However, learning Photoshop and Illustrators yourself is the best way to approach this aspect as it is not only cost effective but you are also able to edit the image the way you want, not to mention, the new skills that you will be learning as well.

12. Pay attention to your background

While, yes, you are required to make the product itself the subject of the video, sometimes a contextual background can be as equally as important. A product in a setting that has no relevance to it and is not specifically shot in the artistic direction will look out of place and could be off-putting to viewers. Spend some time in your background shots and set them up in a way where' they are in focus as much as the product is.

13. Use a unique Background

Corroborating with the previous tip and the 8th point, a unique and interesting background stands out more than the rest. Instead of the usual solid coloured backdrop, use props and other extra accessories to elevate the quality and desirability of the product.

14. Change up the product stands

This might seem trivial but this is one of the many details that makes a picture, and hence the product reinforces positive opinions from viewers and customers. Instead of opting for the fance stands and long tools, go with unexpected objects to use as a stand, like a weirdly angled wooden crate or a stack of broken porcelain dolls. Make it as different as you can because, as it has been said before, different is good.

15. Use Reflections to your advantage

Apparently, shiny never went out of trend. If you’re unable to manage a special prop or background, you can always opt to use reflective surfaces to keep your products on to add depth and feel to your otherwise boring product image. Place the object on a shiny marble table or even on a shallow depth of water.

Try your best to make your pictures look as natural as possible and avoid superficiality at all costs. Go wild and all out with your creativity- portray a story or character with your images. Don;t ho;d back with your ideas thinking it’s too outlandish, if you have an idea, go ahead try it, in this case the world truly is your oyster.

Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get it right the first time. Photography takes practice and patience to perfect the techniques and tricks that are used. Hopefully the tips above have helped you in knowing and understanding the new trends in photography and how one would go about approaching this hobby or profession, especially someone new to this world of photography.

It is always recommended to use a photo editing company for the image editing post photography which is extremely essential to get good product images.