Better Product Photography with Just Your iPhone

Click.

Post.

Like.

It’s the new snap, crackle, and pop for our digital world.

That *click* of course being the starting point.

Good product photography isn’t just expected from the big brands anymore.

As more and more buyers turn to online shops, a good photo speaks volumes of your brand.

It helps your potential customer decide:

• whether they can trust you
• if they’ll share you with a friend
• if they’ll click your pin on Pinterest
• if they’ll stop their scroll to like your post on Instagram
• …if they’ll be happy once the item is in their hands and matches their expectations!

And I could go on.

Photography is more than a “nice to have”.

And it isn’t just for those shops who already have a lot of traffic + sales.

Because better product photography will help you get BOTH.

You’ll see an increase in traffic from:

• More re-pins on Pinterest
• More organic sharing on Facebook
• More views and tagging on Instagram
• More interest from bloggers or publications
• More pageviews on your blog

And, you’ll see an increase in sales as:

• Your photography tells a story, and isn’t just a product showcase
• Your website instills trust (sealing the know, like, and trust you’ve been building with them)
• Your photo styling creates an emotional connection with your audience + they’re screaming “I gotta have itttt!”

The good news is – you don’t need a fancy (and hella expensive) camera or product photographer to pull this off.

Before I started this site, I was really interested in learning more about photography and thought about pursuing that for a business. So I bought the nice DSLR camera, a couple lens options, this super cute camera bag (actually a birthday gift from my husband!)… and a thousand dollars later, I was ready to go. (WHY Kate, whyyy?)

I jumped like 5 feet all in before realizing while I loved playing around with it and taking (hundreds of) photos on vacation, I didn’t really have a passion beyond that and all the equipment was crazy expensive (I still have my eye on a third lens, but I think I’ll be waiting on that).

Plus, I often found myself annoyed at carrying it around OR not having it when I came across a good photo opportunity.

I knew I needed to find a better way – and it wasn’t just about finding the right camera. In order to be successful online, I knew I needed to learn:

• how to take bright, clear photos
• how to style those photos to tell a story
• how to keep my photos consistent for my brand
• how to edit without pulling my hair out
• how to get that pretty background blur
• and so much more!!

Plus, I KNOW good product photos make a big difference in online sales, so I wanted to be able to share all my tips with you guys too.

9 Photography Tips to Get You Started

1 | How to create a good backdrop for less than $25

2 | How to get a white background in photos

3 | Why you need a white background in at least some photos (fairly strong opinion on this)

4 | The importance of creating a feeling for you products 

5 | How to re-purpose your product photography

6 | Never use the flash, it casts sharp contrasting shadows

If you need extra light, try ‘bouncing’ the light back onto your product using a reflector or even foam core boards like I did here.

7 | Use a steady hand to keep your shot in focus or use an inexpensive phone holder (Here’s what I got, but I like the portability of this too)

8 | If using a stand, use the headphone ‘volume’ button as the shutter button to snap your pic

9 | Natural light will always and forever be your best friend

And I want you to be able to take gorgeous images like these with just your iPhone. I mean… who wouldn’t!

Luckily, I found how to do all that and more with my iPhone. HALLLLELUJAH.

Which is awesome because that thing is literally always on hand/my pocket/my purse. It’s the neediest thing next to my dog and while not as cute as him, we’re only separate for like ten minutes a day (which is a whole other issue).

I know for many of you learning photography is a bit overwhelming (it was for me too). There’s a lot to balance and figure out – never mind this whole daylight savings nonsense and now your perfect time of day to squeeze in 15 minutes of photos in good light is gone.

Which is why I was so excited when I found Chaitra at PinkPot Studio. She’s an absolute pro at photography, sells gorgeous stock photos, and uses just her iPhone a huge majority of the time!

I took her course last year and found it so incredibly helpful to have a step by step path to walk through. Before I was just fumbling my way through YouTube videos and tutorials I found on Pinterest.

Don’t get me wrong – you can learn a lot for free. But with photography I just found there were too many options and opinions and ‘oh try this’ for my liking.

I wanted something clear + easy.

And this investment pays off.

On average, Ebay found sales increased by 5% when sellers tested new higher quality images. (And I think that would be conservative for creatives since Ebay isn’t exactly a pretty “branded” site and attracts a totally different customer than Etsy or your own creative shop.)

Images that tell a story and are clear + descriptive all on their own SELL. When someone has reached your product page (after winding themselves through Facebook groups, and Instagram images, and email links) they are 50% of the way there to purchasing your product.

So let’s make sure that product image closes the deal.

Because you guys are my favorite, I share only the best with you.

I loved her course and am an affiliate for it (which I only am when I trust + respect their work), so wanted to make sure you knew of this opportunity if you were interested. Better product photos with just your iPhone is not only possible, but could also make an impact on your bottom line. (chaaa-ching)

If you’re interested, check out her full sales page here and below is a quick glance at her offer:

iPhone-o-graphy Masterclass

Here’s what one of her students, a wedding stationery designer Katha, had to say:

I was in the middle of thinking about my Instagram strategy when I first heard about the course. While I knew what kind of pictures I wanted to take, I felt that I needed some help with the how. This course is structured very well and the information is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

I loved the many demo videos that are part of the course. They are incredibly helpful. Now, I’m much more confident at taking and editing pictures. And more willing to show them off on my Instagram account 🙂 It’s one of the best online courses I’ve taken over the years. What would I say to someone who’s on the fence? Do it now. You won’t regret it. Chaitra is a wonderful teacher.

Her course is loaded up with videos since photography is such a visual process and she walks you through each lesson step-by-step; so you can come away confident in your new skills.

I can’t wait to see what photo magic you create!