7 Trends Shaping the Product Photography Industry in 2023

According to a December 2021 report by 1WorldSync, 87 percent of consumers bought products online that they had previously purchased in-store. For many consumers, the shift to online shopping is permanent. 

E-commerce businesses must know how to market and sell through this rapidly expanding channel. And the importance of quality product photography cannot be ignored. 

Read on to explore product photography trends and how they’ll shape marketing and e-commerce in 2023. 

What is Product Photography? 

Product photography is a type of photography that showcases products sold for commercial use. These items range from small to large, including jewelry to furniture. 

Quality product photography captures your goods in an attractive, authentic manner. Many businesses opt for a styled product shoot, carrying their brand voice into their product photography. In other cases, companies want their goods captured alone on a clean white background without styling. 

Regardless of the type of product photography you’re seeking, it’s important you choose a photography company that specializes in product photography and stays abreast of current industry trends. 

Product photography is essential to your branding strategy. Seven out of ten shoppers agree that a brand’s online presence compels them to seek out their products in-store. In the same survey, 81 percent of consumers said quality product content carried more weight than brand recognition in their purchase decision making. 

On the other hand, poor product photography can end the consumer’s decision-making process before it gets off the ground. 7 in 10 online shoppers say poor product photography or too few images is a reason they leave e-commerce product detail pages—the No. 1 content-related factor for e-commerce page bounces.

Hiring professional and proven product photography services drives your success. 1WorldSync delivers exceptional content that draws shoppers in, showcases your goods, and increases your revenue. 

Below we share seven trends shaping the product photography industry in 2023 and how you can utilize these trends to create exceptional and attractive photographs. 

7 Trends Shaping Product Photography

1. 360-Degree Spin Imagery 

Spin photography, also known as 360-degree photography, provides the most efficient, elegant, and effective way to showcase your products. Spin imagery allows your customer to evaluate the product from all angles as if they were holding it in their hands. In fact, 360-degree photography was ranked as the “most helpful” form of product photography by online shoppers, according to the 1WorldSync survey.  

Viewing a product shot in 360 offers multiple benefits for your e-commerce efforts: 

• Increased Engagement: 360-degree photographs keep a customer on your product page longer. Shoppers can focus on all aspects of your product from all angles, giving them a better understanding of the item.
• More Confidence in the Product: 360-degree shots give shoppers confidence in the product they’re buying. There are no hidden sides, and a customer can have a better understanding of the product when they have a 360-degree perspective. This can have a significant impact on product returns.
• Increased Sales: For the reasons mentioned above, 360-degree product photography boosts your ecommerce sales. This high-level product photography not only gives customers a truer sense of the product they’re shopping for, but it increases the authority of your brand, which encourages purchases. 

Spin imagery boosts your branding and provides a more informed shopping experience for your customers. Choosing the right image capture services ensures you’re showcasing your products in the best light. 

2. Natural Lighting 

Natural lighting has always provided exceptional results regardless of the subject or purpose of the shoot. But 2023 is seeing an upward trend in natural lighting in product photography. 

Utilizing soft light and shadow in your product photography conveys an authentic, intimate feeling. Natural light adds warmth to your shoots. It creates a set that feels like it could be in a shopper’s home. And when a consumer identifies with a product, they’re more inclined to make a purchase. Customers buy more than products; they’re shopping for a lifestyle. 

The light and shadow of the sun frame your products in a unique way that feels effortless. Many product photographers capture this sense even without the natural light of the sun. 

Natural light styling doesn’t require perfect weather. Photographers can replicate this style in- studio with soft, strategic lights and white reflective material to soften harsh shadows. Whether you choose to shoot by the light of the morning sun or at night in your studio, styling product photography with natural light creates intimacy between your customers and your brand.

3. Avoid Overediting 

Shoppers rely on distributors to give them the information they need to make an informed purchase decision. That includes publishing accurate product photos on product pages. 

Some editing is necessary as you’re taking photos of your products. But when editing distracts the shopper and takes focus away from the product, you’ve done too much. Consumers want to see goods as they are. Clean, minimal editing reflects sincerity and transparency: crucial branding elements if you want shoppers to trust your company. 

Your customers can see through overedited photographs. Consumers want authenticity from the brands they engage with. Avoid publishing highly edited images of your products to give shoppers the real version of what they’re buying. 

4. Augmented Reality Image Capture 

AR enables customers to view products in 3D in a real-life and real-time environment via smartphones or tablets. 

An in-store experience doesn’t help customers visualize how products will fit and look in their homes. One of the biggest ways AR will transform retail is by offering customers the opportunity to see products in home before purchase.

 Allowing a customer to try on an item or place it in their home virtually lowers the barrier to purchase and creates a strong connection with the product. AR is especially helpful with large objects such as furniture that are difficult to return or have long lead times. 360-degree spin imagery can be leveraged to create high quality 3D models for use in AR environments. 

5. Monochromatic Color Schemes 

A rising trend in product photography showcases items within monochromatic color schemes. Monochromatic templates originate from a single hue and incorporate varying shades, tones, and tints of the original color. This variation creates depth and differentiation without distracting from the product. 

If styled correctly, a monochromatic product picture makes a big statement. Consumers gravitate toward monochromatic images. They’re on trend and evoke feelings of luxury and style. 

Determine which emotions you want to inspire in your shoppers. By strategically choosing colors in your product photography, you can influence a shopper’s feelings and disposition toward your product and your brand.  Color psychology informs the direction of your hue choices and drives the styling of your product photography. 

Yellows bring a sense of joy, cheer, and openness to your product page. Reds convey passion and boldness. Blacks, plums, and other dark colors give your products a moody vibe, another popular product photography trend this year. 

6. Include Video in Product Listings 

Product photography doesn’t stop at still images. Because consumers are doing much of their shopping online without physically touching or seeing a product, they want to see goods in use and in motion. While 360-degree spin imagery is great at giving the customer a great amount of product detail, video lends itself to the “how to” or general experience of using a product.

Video on product pages proves overwhelmingly effective. The vast majority of surveyed business owners and ecommerce managers report product page video increases conversions. Those same sites saw an AOV increase of about 69 percent. 

Product page video helps shoppers visualize themselves using your product. According to Forbes, 90 percent of surveyed customers say product videos help them make their purchase decisions. Including video as part of your product marketing strategy boosts sales, reduces returns, and increases customer understanding of and satisfaction with your products. 

Brands can easily incorporate branded videos on e-commerce pages viarich content syndication, which is available on thousands of e-commerce sites worldwide.  

7. Geometric Shapes 

Incorporating geometric shapes into your product photography marries practicality with artistry. Styling your shoot using geometric shapes allows you to create a unique perspective within the frame. 

Geometric styling tells a story with a few simple lines. Consider how certain shapes evoke specific emotions and communicate parts of your brand identity: 

• Squares and Rectangles: Strong lines and right angles imply uniformity and create a pathway for viewers’ eyes to follow. 
• Triangles: Triangles draw the eye to a focal point. Use triangles to emphasize products and bring them to the forefront of a shot. 
• Circles: Circles contribute soft edges to your product photography. They communicate completion. And when layered, round shapes bring whimsy to a styled shoot. 

Arrange geometric shapes in a variety of ways as you style your product photography. Each shape can be used to showcase your products and make them the central point of your photograph. And while you can layer multiples of each shape in a shot, you can also use all three working together to build a frame. The multifunctionality of geometric props make this product photography trend fun and versatile. 

Conclusion 

Product photography drives engagement. By investing in on-trend, quality product photography, you take advantage of the rapidly-growing online shopping industry. 

1WorldSync is your end-to-end product content solution partner. We provide cutting edge product photography services that showcase your products and unlock commerce success. Contact us today to learn how our unique image capture services can help your business grow.  

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