How to take and edit your own product photos (using a smartphone) – with Jade Tinkler

Vicki Weinberg: 00:00:08

Welcome to the Bring Your Product Ideas To Life podcast. Practical advice and inspiration to help you create and sell your own physical products. Here's your host Vicki Weinberg. Hi, today on the podcast I'm talking to Jade Tinkler. Jade is an award-winning portrait photographer who specializes in helping women be seen, celebrated, empowered, particularly those over the age of 40. She helps women to realize they are photogenic through creating beautiful portraits that they love and a proud of. Um, I know Jade as she actually took my new branding photographs that you have probably seen all over my website and Instagram at the end of last year so it's end of 2021 if you're not listening in real time, I invited Jade onto the podcast to talk about product photography. Um, so specifically product shots and flat lays and how to take these, how to edit them. And she had some really great advice and made it sound so simple to take really good photos yourself with your phone or camera if you have one. Using hardly any props, just a bit of natural light and maybe some white cardboard Jade will explain why. And yeah, she's made it seem really, really doable. And so I hope that after listening to this episode, you are inspired to go away and take your own product photos yourself. So without any further ado, I'm going to introduce you to Jade. So hi Jade. Thank you for being here

Jade Tinkler: 00:01:29

Thanks for having me.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:01:31

Oh, you're welcome. Thank, will say, thank, thank you, as you are here to talk to us today about product photography, which I'm really excited about. But can we start first of all, by giving an introduction to yourself, your business and what is it that you do.

Jade Tinkler: 00:01:44

Yeah, absolutely so hi Vicky, yeah, thank you again for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Um, so I'm Jade from Jade Tinkler photography. I, I love helping women to realize how beautiful they actually are. Um, I love helping them to feel empowered, confident and to basically just feel good about themselves. And to realize that it's okay to spend some time on themselves, rather than always having to put everyone else first, which as women we tend to do. So, and I do this through studio portrait experiences, as well as brand photo shoots in which I help women in business to be seen as the experts they are within their industry. And as part of my brand shoots, I create images that tell the story of their brand and business. I photograph people, products, tools of the trade, flat lays, personalized stock shots, basically whatever that business needs to market itself to its target audience.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:02:42

Oh, thank you so much for that overview. So today we're going to talk just about product photos, which I know, is just one tiny aspect of what you do. Um, but I'd love to jump in with what's probably a really basic question, which is why is having good products, if you're, good photos of your products important?

Jade Tinkler: 00:02:58

So as, as we all know, first impressions count. It's only takes one 10th of a second to form an opinion about a website or a product or a person. So often you might be selling your products initially through a second party selling platforms, such as Etsy or Amazon. So you want your products to look good and look like they belong there. So professional looking images make the product look like it comes from a reputable seller and, and that, that product is a good standard and quality. Once you are selling from your own website., again, you want to be seen as a professional and reputable seller ,selling products that are actually worth buying and worth investing in. So, you know, I'm sure we've all had the experience, at least once of shopping online and seeing a pro poor quality image of something that we're looking for and just skipping straight past it, because you see that bad photograph of the product and you don't, you don't give it the time of day because it doesn't look professional.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:04:03

Absolutely, and that's something, yeah, I definitely have seen this and I think it's even more obvious when you're shopping somewhere like Amazon or Etsy, because it's a, it's a direct comparison to all of those other products. So, I mean, I guess your own website is one thing, but I think it's, I don't want to say more important, but I would say probably more obvious if your photos aren't up to scratch when you put it side by side with another comparable product and then it is, you know, it's, it's gonna be obvious isn't it if the photograph isn't good quality or the resolution is really low or wherever it is.

Jade Tinkler: 00:04:35

Exactly. Exactly. And, you know, you want to be standing out for the, for the good reasons and not for the bad reasons. So.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:04:43

So let's talk a bit if it's okay about the kinds of images you might need. So let's say someone's listening and they're thinking, oh, I should probably get some product photos. Um, I'm pretty sure what you're going to say, Jade, you don't just want those standard, you know, nice shots on a plain background for your website or for your Amazon listings or wherever it is. And there are other things you might need products for. What are some of the types of products we might, type of product images we might want to think about? Sorry, I'm stumbling all over my words this afternoon.

Jade Tinkler: 00:05:11

That's right, so you'll need your basic product images for starters. So obviously this depends on the product that you're selling, but these could look like, simple images of each product on its own on a white background. Then you might like to share the product in a lifestyle shot. So being used as it would be used in, in the world. For example, if you're selling a cushion, you could photograph that on a sofa or on a bed. Uh, if, uh, you know, shampoo bottle, it could be photographed in a bathroom or in someone's hand. So, and that just kind of, it makes the um, it makes the product look more lifelike in, in everyday use. So then you'll need a decent headshot for your about page on your website or social media profiles, and then flat lays or personalized stock imagery, are great for website banners and other filler places on your website, including block headers as well as use throughout your social media platforms. Now flat lays, if you don't know what a flat lay is, uh, it's, it's a widely, um, talked about type of photography at the moment, but not everyone knows what it means and that's absolutely fine. So a flat lay is a simply, it's an image shot from above of a selection of carefully chosen and arranged objects. So these can be tools of the trade products or anything else that links to the person's brand. For example, something that's in the brand colors and flat layers have never been more popular on social media than right now. So the, you know, they're really popular at the moment in product sales because they're eye catching creative, a great way of showcasing your products in a different way.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:07:05

Yes, thank you Jade. I know personally, I find them really useful because when we did my brand shoot, I had some taken as you know of notepads in brands colours and I think one showing my phone and my laptop. And they're great to just put a bit of text over or use as a standalone image. You know, they're great for websites, if you haven't got, you know, you're not quite sure what photo to go on that page. I found personally that they work really well for lots of different uses. So they're definitely something worth considering.

Jade Tinkler: 00:07:33

Absolutely. They're so versatile and you can use them again and again, and again, different parts of them. You can put them into Canva or other editing software and it just makes them serve whatever purpose you need from them.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:07:51

Yeah, thank you. So let's talk a little bit more about the, about the actually taking the photos, because I think we've established there is quite a few different shot. it's ideal for you to have. So, you know, it's good to have your, your headshots and product photos. I would actually add that having the on a white background, even if you think, oh, I'm never going to use them. I would recommend to people, please do get those because some market places, Amazon is one, actually stipulate you need your products on a white background. And it can be really hard to sort of edit that in afterwards, so if you can get it on the white background do go ahead and do that. So, but there are quite a lot of photos that people need. Um, and I know that for some of us who maybe don't have a budget for a photographer right now and think, okay, can we take these ourselves? That'd be my first question today. Can we take these photos ourselves?

Jade Tinkler: 00:08:40

Absolutely. Absolutely. So despite popular, popular belief, you don't need to go out and spend a whole lot of money on top of the range equipment. So phones are great, at taking decent photos. And, um, now that you can, that you can absolutely use those for your business. I must add, there are still limitations to phone photography. They'll never match the use of professional photographic equipment, but depending on what you need, your images for, phones can be a great starting point. You may simply find when using them as large, very large images on your website, they might become a little bit more pixelated, but it's just something to consider where you, what you want your images for, but certainly for um, for product, uh, selling websites they'll be fine.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:09:30

That's really good to know. I think you're right. Nowadays, a lot of us are using our pictures online and find pictures I think are good enough. Most phones, I guess camera's are good enough quality for that aren't they? I'm not sure always about printing because I found even sometimes printing personal photos off you print a certain size and they don't look quite as sharp, but I guess if we're looking at using them on our websites or marketplaces that'll be great, so that's good. So we don't need a certain type of phone, I guess we just need one with a half decent camera. Um, what about things like backgrounds? Do we need to be buying backgrounds? Do we need special lights or anything? Um, what would you advise?

Jade Tinkler: 00:10:08

So when thinking about backgrounds for flat lays and general product images, these can be a symbol, as simple as your tiled kitchen floor, a kitchen worktop or dining table or your patio. Um, it really depends on what you're photographing and who your target audience is. So think about what you're photographing, how you want it to appear. Do you think it would look better on a dark or a light background, on something rustic or more urban, zoomed in, um, in a cropped close, cropped up close or taken from further away, uh, photographed as a lifestyle shot or as a product listing, this would all affect what background you choose. And obviously what you have available to hand, but you've got to consider all the different factors before choosing a background, because it will affect how your product is seen and, and how it is viewed by your audience.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:11:09

That makes sense. And if we arel wanting this sort of shot of our products on a white background, let's say, so do we need to actually buy something or can we use like a white bedsheets or big piece of paper. Uh, do we need any fancy photography props, I guess is what I'm trying to ask

Jade Tinkler: 00:11:28

so for, for general kind of products, images on a white background, you can absolutely do it on white piece of paper. Uh, just make sure it's big enough. Um, depending on the size of your product, light cubes can be a great bit of equipment to invest in. They're relatively inexpensive on Amazon, depending on size, but around maybe 20 or 30 pounds, some come with their own lighting, which means you don't even have to depend on daylight.and they're just a really useful bit of equipment to soften the lights and shadows and just kind of control your imagery a little bit more. But when we're talking about lighting it's worth. taking a little extra time to make sure your lighting is the best you can get it before taking the shot. So trying to get it right afterwards, just adds to the time, adds to the time you're spending on the images, um, and makes it more tricky to achieve, so natural daylight, but not for some is great. So next to a window is perfect. And then another tip as it were, is to be, if your photograph is next to a window, you'll obviously have some shadows on some side. And if you want to soften those shadows, you can use a piece of white card to reflect the light back into your image. And it's really useful just to kind of bounce that light back in and help achieve a softer more even lighting.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:12:57

Oh, that's a great, yeah, I'm thinking now I've seen in photography studios, where they have the white role, the like big roles, um, and position them and the big, um, I want to say umbrella, they are probably not called umbrella are they? But you know what I mean, Jade, is that what that's for? To directing the light around?

Jade Tinkler: 00:13:12

Yes, and reflectors can be, as, as I say, as simple as a piece of white card. It doesn't have to be a big flashy equipments or specific photographic equipment. So just something that's white, whether it's a white wall, white piece of card, white sheet of paper, something just to bounce that light back.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:13:33

So this is reassuring, that we can get by with white card and, uh, a big window or reasonable size window. That's, that's really good to know, and it totally makes sense. not to be in full sunlight. And I guess also not when it's too gloomy. It's all going to affect how it looks. And I have got some questions about editing as well, but before we move on to that, um, what other tips do you have for taking really good photographs yourself?

Jade Tinkler: 00:14:01

So as I say the white card for reflector, that's, that's a really useful one. I'd avoid using room lights. The overhead lights in any room tends to give a kind of yellow glow to them. And you can't control which angle they're coming at. So I would, I normally, if I'm ever photographing in natural light, I would turn those lights off and just use the natural light coming from a window and work with that. And then as I say that the light cubes are a great piece of equipment if you can find one for your product, it just kind of cuts out a lot of backgrounds, um, obstacles that you might have, and also helps with the lighting as well.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:14:46

So what is a light cube Jade?

Jade Tinkler: 00:14:50

A light cube is a hollow, um, hollow cube that is made up of kind of fabric sides. And there's normally a velcro, um, velcro fabric to attach to the front. And it basically, the light comes in from all angles. You can use, you can shoot extra lights in, or some of them, I've seen some recently that have got artificial lights that have hooks where you can hook where you want them direct them. and it just bounces all the light into the, into the middle, into the product., into sections and softens the light.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:15:28

Ah, so you put your product in the middle?

Jade Tinkler: 00:15:30

Yes that's right. Sorry. Yes. And you shoot through a little hole in the front.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:15:34

Oh,I see, in my mind I was thinking it went on top, you know, like a light box. I don't know whether you've ever had one or that your kids have one. That, that was what I was thinking light box lit from beneath it. This makes much more sense. And what's about, um, when we're thinking about light, what about taking photos outside? Can that be an option? Because I think. for some of us, depending on the spaces that we have, uh, maybe there's only good light at certain time of the day, or you know how it is like light moves around, but what about going outside and doing it?

Jade Tinkler: 00:16:04

So again, outside is absolutely fine. Overcast days are pretty good for that because it means the light is softer and more, um, even, it's like spread out nicely. Again, avoid full sun light, because that just causes harsh shadows and it's not very, it's not very complimentary to whatever you're photographing. So, so yeah, just avoiding full sunlight. If it is, if it is full sunshine outside, just finding, um, photographing just inside the door or finding a bit of shadow or a bit of shade somewhere in the garden under a tree, perhaps would just give you that softer light.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:16:47

That's really useful. Thank you. Now let's talk a little bit about editing. I guess my first question is, do we need to edit our photos? Um, I know there might not be a straight answer for that. Um, what do you think?

Jade Tinkler: 00:17:02

On the whole I'd say yes, just to, as we take images, they don't always. record on weather, on our cameras, the way that we see them in the way that is seen by the, by the naked eye. So, so editing would just give, give the colors a little bit of a boost, and it means that you can have a bit of control over whites. For example, sometimes when you're photographing in the, in the camera, it will, the whites will kind of show up grey, and sometimes it just needs a little bit of tweaking. Now, not a lot I would avoid um, I would avoid filters, but just a few little tweaks just to kind of get it, just to get it to, um, ping, to pop from the page.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:17:53

Yeah, that makes sense. And I guess also to make sure, as you say, that the product pictures reflect the actual product, cause I've had some experiences recently and it's clearly different, but I'll share. anyway. I've been, I'm taking photos for my website where I've been trying to resell clothes and I took some photos of a dress that's like, um, I'd say quicker, quite dark navy. But for whatever reason when I uploaded the photos, it almost looks purple and that's just not the color. So I had to take it down and then re-do it in a different light. Cause I, I don't know if it was too gloomy or whatever it was. Um, but I felt well if somebody buys it thinking it's this color. I'd feel awful because actually it wasn't a true reflection and I was actually really shocked at how different the photo was, what I was seeing right in front of me. Um, so I guess that is probably quite a good check for people actually, that does the image accurately reflect the product?

Jade Tinkler: 00:18:49

Absolutely. And it's worth bearing in mind as well that our screens tend to be uncalibrated. So, so your phone, your laptop as, as a rule or not as a rule, but, um, as a, as a general kind of assumption, most people tend not to calibrate. So that's just like for people that are photographers that are using, um, you know, are using photo editing software for that purpose. So. So, yeah, images can look different. They can give different colors or different tones, but, but yeah, as an absolute basic, make sure what you photographed is showing a true reflection on your phone of the item. And then, yeah, that's as much as you can do on that front kind of controlling what other people see aswell. Thank you.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:19:47

And is there any photo editing software you'd recommend, I guess, particularly for beginners or those who don't necessarily want to spend loads of money on? Cause I know there were really fancy packages that cost a lot of money and possibly take quite a while to get your head around. Um, what would you recommend that's not super expensive and also fairly simple as well.

Jade Tinkler: 00:20:07

So there's a great app called Snapseed, which is free and. And I've got it in my phone. It gives you a great control over your images. And it's really easy to use. It's got a lot of functionality, but you don't need to use half of it. Its there are some really, um, really basic elements that you can use to help control the whites, to just give the, the brightness, a little bit of a boost just to give the colors a little bit of a boost. But as I said, it's definitely sticky, like clear of using any filters because they can make your images look dated and they often autumn colors as well. Um, and when you're editing think less is more. So make sure your final photos are well-lit bright and vibrant, but not vibrant to an unrealistic level. Don't get sucked into using saturation to make it so bright that it is not real. It doesn't look like what the product looks like. Um, so then as I say, make sure your whites looked white, look white, and all of these can be tweaked in snaps Snapseed, and keep the editing style the same across all of your images to show consistency in your brand aswell.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:21:27

Oh, that's such a really great point because one of the things I loved, um, when you did my brand shoot, is that you can tell all the images work together because the colors are kind of the same in the, I don't know how to say it. Like the softness, if that's the right way of saying it, they kind of fit. Um, I guess, yeah, I guess it can be really tricky, especially with taking pictures of products, to ensure that they all look cohesive and they're part of the same set.

Jade Tinkler: 00:21:55

Yes. Yeah, definitely. And as that, it's just something to bear in mind when you're considering the photography of your products is to, if you're doing it across different time spans, to make a note of where you're photographing, what settings you're using, how you're tweaking them, because then you can use those again in the future.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:22:17

That's a really, that's a really great tip Jade. So I guess you could say, okay, I took them in this room and it was this time of, you know, roughly this time of day. And I use this backdrop or this light key. That's really good advice because you're right. That by the time made you come round to needing to take more photos, if it's a couple of months, but for me, even if it was a couple of weeks down the line, chances are, I'm not going to remember what I did. And that can be really frustrating, especially if the first time, you know, you did really well. And then the second set, you're like this isn't quite the same or, yeah, that's really good advice. So yes, everyone makes sure you write down what you're doing. Okay, so I'm trying to look, what else we need to ask you, Jade, this, this, well, I say there is quite, I say there is quite a lot but actually you've made it seem really, really simple. Um, and I guess it's probably a case, like with most things of going out and giving it a go.

Jade Tinkler: 00:23:09

Exactly. Yeah, definitely. It's having, giving yourself time to play around, I think is the key here. And, you know, to have a try. So you've got the initial setting up time of working out your angles, your compositions, your lighting, your backgrounds, you've got that time to play. So then moving forwards, as you say, make a note of it. So then you've got, you've kind of problem solved all the different question areas, and then you've got those mapped out for the future.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:23:42

That's such good advice. And I guess like most things, yes, it might take a little bit more work upfront to figure all of this out, but going forward, if you know, you've got this written down every subsequent time to just get easier and easier because you just know exactly what it is you're doing.

Jade Tinkler: 00:23:57

Absolutely. Yeah.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:23:59

So you've already given us lots and lots of advice, but do you have like one number, one piece of advice or one top tip that you want to sort of take away.

Jade Tinkler: 00:24:09

So I would say success is in the planning. So think about your target audience, what style would appeal to them? And this might not necessarily be what you like best, it's about them and not you. So choose what will suit your products and your, you're target audience. Plan your lighting. So what time of day would give you the most light, get everything you need ready beforehand, and then schedule a shoot time and get all your photography done in one go. It will save you time in the long run and, and it means that you've got a whole bank of images of your products or as many products as you can do in that one session that will all absolutely have the same lighting styling. And then as we've already said, allow times allow time to play around with the different setups angles and compositions and get it all written down so that it just makes things a bit more seamless and quick as you move forward.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:25:17

That's brilliant advice. Thank you. And I guess as part of that as well, I think it'd be really helpful to actually, before you do all of this, to write a list of the photos that you want. Um, because I guess there's nothing worse than, you know, taking all this time, set up, get everything done that, you know, take all the shots pack away and then think, oh, I forgot whatever image it is. So, um, my advice would also be to take some time to think about what it is that you want as well, and literally just tick them off as you go, because that would be so frustrating if you suddenly realize, oh, I forgot this one really important photo that I needed. Um, so yeah, I think planning is definitely the key here.

Jade Tinkler: 00:25:56

Definitely.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:25:58

So Jade, I know you've got lots of exciting things coming up. If anyone who's listening to this episode in real time. Anyway. So do you want to let us know some of what's going.

Jade Tinkler: 00:26:09

Yeah. Great. So I've actually got a few educational elements coming up and from the educational side of my business. So I've got a hands-on workshop, teaching people how to take their own flat lays and stock photos for their business. This is going to be in Tunbridge Wells on the 24th of June, and it will be great for taking product shops for Etsy and, and finding those images that will really make your business stand out. So the.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:26:39

And is that a practical workshop? Jade. So will people be able to actually get the photos they want on the, on the day if they bring their products along?

Jade Tinkler: 00:26:46

Yes. Wow. In-person hands-on so, so anyone coming, will need to bring their phone, they'll need to get the editing app downloaded to that beforehand and will need to bring a selection of products. There'll be backgrounds available and, and I'll kind of, I'll be teaching how to do it. And then it will be, hands-on, so they'll get to take their own images while I'm there to help direct them, guide them, problem-solve and they'll then get to then edit some of those during the workshop. And obviously take, take them home, take that knowledge home to be able to continue as well.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:27:22

That is amazing. So they're actually going to leave with, with their products. That is really good.

Jade Tinkler: 00:27:27

Um, so then in addition to that, I also have a free online webinar coming up on the 27th of June, which is talking about the five top secrets to phone photography for your. So just helping people to really kind of master using their phones for their business photography and as well, I've got an online course coming out soon, teaching people how to take scroll stopping photos for their business and how to build their brand on Instagram. And that covers photographing people, products, kind of everything you need for your business, and using those within your brand and your business to build your, build your audience and build your brand.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:28:14

Oh, wow. That is a lot. What I'm going to do Jade is I'm going to link to all of these events within the show notes for this episode. So if you're listening in real time and one of these interests, you, you can go and take a look, but don't worry if you're listening to this in a month's time or it's 20, 23 or something. Um, I'm sure if you go to Jade's website, there will be something going on that will be of interest. So I'll make sure everything's linked up in the show notes so it's super easy to find.

Jade Tinkler: 00:28:40

Thank you very much.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:28:42

Oh, thank you. Thank you for everything that you shared. Um, I definitely think you've made sort of taking your own product photos being a lot more manageable. And I guess if anyone still isn't a hundred percent confident, then hopefully they can navigate to your free webinar or maybe even come along to the Tunbridge Wells session and sort of get your, you know, get your guidance in person when they're doing this.

Jade Tinkler: 00:29:04

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I'm here to help. I really am keen to help people in business, women and business that people in business to, to be more confident at taking their own photography and, and kind of happy, empowered to keep their businesses building and moving forward.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:29:27

Well, that's brilliant. Thank you so much Jade.

Jade Tinkler: 00:29:29

No problem. Thank you very much. Thanks for listening and thank you for inviting me to do this podcast.

Vicki Weinberg: 00:29:34

Oh anytime. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening right to the end of this episode. Do remember that you can get the full back catalog and lots of free resources on my website, Vicki Weinberg.com. Please do remember to rate and review this episode if you've enjoyed it and also share it with a friends who you think might find it useful. Thank you again and see you next week.