Product Photography Project
Most Product Photographers swear by soft light, embracing that dreamy, diffused look with feathered shadows.
But what if I told you they might be missing out on a game-changing secret?
For this gorgeous, luxurious jewelry, I wanted to create equally stunning, unique, and radiant images. So I tried a different approach.
Direct sunlight.
Also known as the Nr.1 secret fear of photographers.
But I'm utterly convinced it's a missed opportunity for immense success, and I'm thrilled to show you why right here.
Direct sunlight + Professional Camera = GORGEOUS!
Gorgeous, right?
I LOVE how direct sunlight accentuates the rich shadows, creating elegant contrasts in these images.
At the same time, the sunlight truly gives the jewelry that extra, radiant, and luxurious shine. You can almost feel how the luxurious warmth from the jewelry kisses your skin.
You can almost feel how the luxurious warmth from the jewelry kisses your skin.
On another note, do you see the wishy-washy, mobile phone image below?
Mobile Phone picture... Oh, what a frightful spectacle!
It's almost hard to look at it...
an ordinary right-of-the-bat mobile phone shot of the jewelry, with no consideration for light, contrast, set-up, or shadows.
It's awful, isn't it?
Should be illegal, if you ask me.
Compare that to the images before, taken with my camera and with context carefully in mind. Quite the difference, darling...
Compare that to the images before, taken with my camera and with context carefully in mind. Quite the difference, darling...
Now, do not let me misguide you into thinking that soft light is bad.
That would be a horrible mistake - Soft Light is not to be blamed.
If you take a close look at the three images below, you might spot the soft light at play. Not too bad, don't you think? What's more - the last two images don't really have a fancy setup. And yet, they strut their stuff, making the mobile image look like a befuddled amateur!
Soft light, No shadows
Soft light + Soft shadows
* As a matter of fact, if you are one of the observant ones, you might notice that the first image with a white background completely misses shadows, making it perfect for that "clean" modern product image. But in the second image, I decided to keep the soft shadows, giving it a more sophisticated and elegant look. You see, soft shadows are like a whisper of grace, caressing the jewelry with an air of allure.
However, the truth is this:
Whether you should have a special setup with props, soft light, or hard light, depends on what you are selling and to whom.
How your photos turn out, well, that (mostly) depends on your photographer.
Hey! I'm Carin Fredén and I am a professional photographer and photo editor.
If you need photos, here is how you get in touch:
If you need photos, here is how you get in touch:
Email: Hello@carinfreden.com