Do you want your customers to have a positive shopping experience? If you do, then one of the best things you can do is get some quality product pictures. As a footwear seller, you must understand the various dos and don’ts of product photography for your campaign.
Some of the top shoes photography tips you can implement include getting the right camera and lenses, working with various angles, including movement, avoiding busy backgrounds, and much more. All of these tips will help you get some of the best pictures for your footwear.
So, if you are starting a new footwear campaign and don’t know where to begin, you have come to the right place. Here are all the tips that will help you get some of the best footwear shots in no time.
1. Get The Right Camera And Lenses
The right camera and lens can make or break your footwear shoot. That is why it is crucial to take your time and select the right one for your campaign. For example, the lens you select should not distort your product in any way, or your customers will think you are scamming them once they receive the product.
To avoid this problem, we recommend that you have a decent f stop to guarantee everything is in focus. Doing this will also affect the depth of field of the shoot you are doing. We recommend that you select a lens of at least 15mm or above to ensure the real look of the shoe.
Besides that, it is also good to avoid a wide-angle lens while doing footwear product shoots, as they can also distort the look of the product. Of course, the camera settings you select will also make a major difference to your shoot. Here are some of the camera settings we recommend for the best results:
- Aperture: A lower aperture means blurry backgrounds, which is why you must set your aperture high while shooting shoes
- Mode: Manual mode is the best way to get incredible focus
- Shutter Speed: If you are shooting with your hands, increase the speed. But, if you are shooting using a tripod, then you can reduce the shutter speed
These are some of the top tips to implement when you select your lens and camera settings. It will give you some high-quality results that will make your product photos look stunning.
2. Work With Various Angles
The biggest mistake you can make while doing footwear photography is laying the product straight and then taking a picture. Instead, we recommend that you work with various angles to get the most out of your footwear shoot. For example, you can keep the shoes at a forty-five-degree angle to make the details and designs more visible to your audience.
However, if you plan on selling your footwear on an e-commerce platform, such as Alibaba, Amazon, or others, you must check their specific image requirements. These platforms have different requirements that you must follow to list your products.
Once you meet these requirements, here are some angles you can experiment with:
3/4th Angle
The 3/4th angle, as the name suggests, will offer a view from the side. You can add both the shoes to the picture and turn the pair slightly toward the side. The key is to focus on the first shoe that you have kept and then take the picture.
Such an angle will give your audience an idea of what the shoes look like together, and they can zoom in on the details. If you are selling boots or unique shoes, you can try this angle first.
3/4th Angle From The Back
Once you take a shot from this angle from the front, you can also take a shot from the back. When you do this, your audience will have a full view of the shoes. Again, you must focus on the front shoe to incorporate the best details.
Besides that, all the shoe elements must look nice and neat. That is why we recommend that you clean the shoes before you take any shots. The aim must be to create polished and neat pictures.
Side Angle Shot
One of the most simple yet effective shots you can take is from the side. Just keep the shoe and take the picture from one of the sides. Think of this shot as a profile shot for your footwear items.
It is a simple shot, yet it will give the customer all the details they need about the product. They can easily zoom in and understand what the show will look like. You can add both sides of this profile shot if that is what you want.
Get Creative
While there are some basic and simple footwear shots you can take, you must also get creative. For example, you can use acrylic stands and other props to enhance the pictures and experiment with different angles. It is a process of trial and error, which is why you will have to see what works best for you.
As you begin taking footwear product shots, you will get used to it, and taking pictures will become second nature. So, be sure to experiment and get your creative juices flowing when experimenting with different shooting angles.
3. Include Movement
Customers like seeing the products in action, as it gives them an idea of what they will look like when they are using the product. That is why it is vital that you include movement in your footwear photography. You must not limit yourself to taking still photographs as you can do a lot with footwear shots.
For example, you can take shots of someone running, walking, standing, or exercising in the shoes. It is important to convey the function of the shoe in the best way possible through movement. Remember that the more lively your images will be, the more emotions they will entice in your audience to purchase the footwear.
Of course, you will need models for this, and not everyone has the budget to hire models. That is especially true if you are a relatively new e-commerce store. If you don’t have the budget for models, you can always ask someone to volunteer and get real people for the pictures.
Doing this will also help the audience to connect with the people you have chosen for the shoot. So, think of the different movements you want to include with your footwear and then create a shoot accordingly. It will make your images look livelier and brighter.
4. Avoid Busy Backgrounds
One of the top mistakes many people make is adding too much clutter in their product photography. Remember that the more clutter you add to the pictures, the more likely it is that the attention of your audience will shift away from the product. That is because they will be looking at other things in the shot apart from your product.
The first thing you need to do is select a background that matches with the footwear you are shooting. Many e-commerce stores use a white background to keep everything neat and clean. If you don’t want to use a white background, you can always select a neutral color that will help your footwear pop.
We recommend that you don’t choose any bright or vivid colors as that will steal focus away from your footwear. Another thing to remember is not to use too many props and objects in the background. Simplicity is key when you select the background, so don’t forget to follow this golden rule when shooting.
5. Tell A Story
Yes, it might be difficult to believe, but you can tell a story using shoes too. That is because it is always important to offer context when doing footwear photography. For example, you can use different elements such as lighting, background, props, and other things to tell a story.
This is especially useful if you are trying to take lifestyle images for your footwear. If you are selling baby footwear, you can use other toddler objects and props to tell a story that these shoes are meant for babies. In the same way, you can sell any lifestyle you want with the shoes.
For example, if you are selling luxurious footwear for women, you can use other props such as purses and lipsticks to sell a luxurious lifestyle. So, think about what message you want to convey to your audience and then revolve your product photography around it.
6. Showcase Your Unique Selling Point (USP)
USP means what makes your footwear different from other similar footwear? After all, there must be something unique that you are offering for people to invest in your footwear. This is where you must think about what you want your brand and products to represent.
One of the best things you can do is go bold when showcasing your USP. For example, if you are selling waterproof outdoor footwear, then you can use a water body to showcase the strength of the shoes. In the same way, you can think about what makes your footwear unique and design a shoot accordingly.
In the end, there is no right or wrong answer to this. It all depends on the tone you are going for and the message you want to convey to your audience. If you want to keep it simple, you can do that too, but you must not be too subtle when conveying your USP to the audience.
7. Show Some Behind The Scenes
If you want to get creative, then you can always show what happens behind the scenes of creating the shoes. For example, how was the footwear made, and what did it take to make the shoes a reality? You can capture the production process and showcase the craftsmanship that goes into creating your brand’s footwear.
It is one of the best things you can do if you want to be transparent with your customers and help them connect with your brand. Such photography is raw, and it gives a point of connection to the audience. In the long run, such transparency will entice positive images in your audience, which will make them buy your shoes in no time.
8. Retouch Images
Photography is not just about taking the right shots; you also have to retouch images later on to get the best shots. That is why you must have the right tools to help you edit images once you are done. For example, you can use background removal tools, color tools, and much more to offer a realistic image to your customers.
If you don’t know where to begin with retouching images, we recommend that you hire a professional for this job. They will save you time and effort as they understand how to retouch footwear product photos in no time. Of course, you can communicate what you want your images to look like and the vision you have.
Once you do, the professional will help you bring your vision to life by retouching photographs in the right way. If you don’t have a budget for a professional, you can use tools such as Adobe Photoshop to edit your pictures. Remember that such tools come with a learning curve.
You must not expect to get it all right on the first try. It is a process of trial and error, and you will learn as you go along and keep editing pictures.
Final Thoughts
That was your complete guide to some of the best footwear photography tips you can implement. Remember that it will take time to get some of the perfect shots, but you will get there. If you don’t have the time to learn, you can always hire a professional.
There are many professionals that will help you achieve what you want from your product photos in no time. They will also suggest you the best route you can take for your campaign. Once you have everything sorted, you will get the most out of your footwear photography campaign for a long time.
