6 Product Photography Tips For Candle Makers
Product photography is the most ignored aspect of candle making, probably.
It seems difficult, out of reach, and for “other people”, but the truth is that incorporating good product photography isn’t really that hard to do once you know the basics. And surprisingly, the basics place your work a lot farther ahead than a lot of other candle shops.
Photography is a deep and expensive subject to master, but being good doesn’t take much more than a little studying and some trial and error.
Good pictures help set you apart in a saturated market.
This guide is organized to teach you a few things about taking pictures of your candles (or handmade items) to take the edge off a seemingly steep mountain.
You don’t need a fancy DSLR camera if you have a modern smartphone!
Building a storefront and listing worthy of the art you’re creating doesn’t need anything more than a modern smartphone, really.
After all, having a nice camera won’t help if you don’t know what to do with it!
This guide won’t make you an expert, but if you’re unsure of how to navigate your first few listings or want new insights for your listings, stick around.
Tip #1 - Prioritize Listing Photos
Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Although Etsy does host some phenomenal candle makers, many photos look a little… bland.
Product photography is often a second thought for a large percentage of candle stores, which makes creating exceptional storefront pictures an opportunity to stick out in an otherwise extremely saturated niche.
Remember, potential buyers aren’t doing much more than skimming your listing.
Pictures serve a great purpose and tell your story, so take and prepare them with the end goal in mind – attraction.
Read through this article.
Watch a few YouTube videos.
Don’t leave photography as second-rate in your work because displaying your candles fairly can only help.
Poor photography lowers trust and raises eyebrows.
Consider that most customers shop online anyways – they can’t smell your creation.
Why spend so much time creating a beautiful candle without taking special care and attention to how you show it to the world?
Tip #2 - Use At Least 3 Photo Styles
A lot of people know they need to take pictures, but they have no clue what to take pictures of (besides the candle, of course).
You can split product photography into many different styles, but every list should include at least these three:
Product Photography Style #1 – Studio Shot
Ah, the studio shot!
Classic up-close, front facing image of the candle with a white background.
Solid colored backgrounds are trending this year.
No matter what your listing is, include a max of one studio shot. They serve as your de facto picture for showing off the candle in a somewhat neutral setting.
A bit cold.
Maybe slightly unrealistic.
But important.
Perhaps required, if you’re listing somewhere like Amazon which requires white backgrounds.
Achieving this shot isn’t too hard…
- Setup white poster board and curve it upwards to achieve the infinity look in the background.
- Use indirect lighting, and reflect it with another white surface (see image below). This technique removes harsh shadows and enhances lighting on the candle.
- Aim your camera (or smartphone) directly at the candle head-on at the face. No weird angles or artistic styling.
Product Photography Style #2 – Detail Shot
The Detail Shot brings a little more character to your candle.
Details shot’s demonstrate your product up close, but using interesting angles and alluring backgrounds.
These pictures often incorporate artistic blur and use of props, but your style may vary depending on the story you want to tell.
You can also setup a flat lay (where the candle lays flat on the ground) shot.
Showing a product on its side when it’s normally (always) used upright is debatable, but you may find it valuable to include anyways.
Product Style #3 – Lifestyle or Scale Shot
Lifestyle and scale photos show the candle or product in a usable setting.
If you can incorporate a human element you should! Showing someone smelling or lighting the candle adds a realistic touch that connects with people looking at your product.
There’s a reason so many companies advertise with people suggesting how awesome their products are – the psychology of sales is well understood by successful businesses.
Lifestyle and scale shots serve to show your candle in the real world. Don’t be afraid to light it and place it in realistic settings – it helps customers understand how it fits into their home setting (if that’s your market).
Tip #3 - Max Out The Pics
One of the easiest wins in listing your product is maximizing the allowed photos.
Etsy allows up to 10 photos. Amazon allows at least 9.
Smart money says make sure to provide as many pictures as you can. The caveat, of course, is they look pretty with great variety. If you peruse the Etsy listing manager, it suggests a few different ideas, but if you’re looking for inspiration consider listing:
- Studio shot (described above)
- Detail shot (described above)
- Lifestyle/scale shot (described above)
- Packaging shot – show the candle sitting in its box or shipping setting
- Process shot – show the candles being made
- Group shot – with other candles if selling in a bundle
- Movement shot – capture settings that suggest movement to bring extra life to your pictures
If the platform you’re selling on allows videos, take advantage of that feature too!
Tip #4 - Control and Manage Light
Similar to controlling heat in candle making, controlling light in photography is crucial to success.
Some principles of light management:
- Use indirect, natural light, as described by Digital Photography School
- Avoid lighting your work with indoor, yellowish lights
- Use patterns of light on your products, like window designs. This adds depth, character, dimension, and artistic shadowing
- Remove harsh shadows with a light box or a reflective surface (shot out of frame, of course)
- Use bright, white artificial light if you aren’t using indirect natural light
Poor lighting will kill an otherwise decent picture. Even with a great camera, taking photos in horrible light won’t do your listing any favors.
Arranging an area by a window or in a shadowy area outside takes patience, but it’s not really that difficult. Once you think you “have it”, take a lot of pictures from a variety of angles – product photography is a bit of trial and error. Options are welcome!
Many over-edited photos or ugly mugs come from a lack of light. More is usually better, but don’t wash out your candles with direct sunlight or over-bearing light sources.
Tip #5 - Edit Your Photos
Don’t forget your camera, whether it’s a DSLR or a smartphone, is just a tool. When it captures a scene, technology translates information into a set of pixels that we call a picture.
Editing a photo isn’t a sin! In fact, not editing is likely a product photography sin, if that’s even a thing. Consider the following comparison:
It doesn’t take much. Consider using basic editors online like Canva if you don’t have Photoshop or a friend that knows editing.
In general when starting out…
- Keep a copy of your original image no matter what
- Crop the image to the appropriate size for your listing – check with the platform you’re using for their recommendations
- Make small changes to the primary elements of your photo:
- Saturation
- Brightness
- Sharpness
The goal isn’t to produce a Hollywood-level edit of your picture, but to compliment the features you’re showing off. Too much editing is obvious and ugly. No editing is a lost opportunity to bring out more character in your work.
Tip #6 - Use Good Prop Design
Props are the most misunderstood component of beginner’s photography.
Props are there to make the scene interesting and alluring, but distracting the product happens easily by accident. Avoid having too many props or items that have too much “going on”. You want to compliment not compete with the candle.
For many, picking out props and staging their photos is fun and interesting. This extra mile you put in to build scenes that draw the customer in is obvious and apparent, and will increase the likelihood of someone purchasing from you.
Principles of prop design to consider:
- Define the theme and artistic direction for your product
- Place your candle or wax melt in the center of the photo, or at least make sure it’s in focus and obvious
- Stay away from anything with branding or text, unless you’re very good at obfuscating it (drawing attention away from it)
- Use plants and/or fruit. Double bonus if your scent is related.
- Incorporate textures and colors that match the story you’re telling with your candle. If you’re selling a candle scented like rustic farmhouse wood, surrounding the candle with fruits might not be super appropriate.
Conclusion
Don’t fret over photography. If you’re going to succeed in selling candles, learn photography and understand that the price of your camera isn’t nearly as important as staging a scene with angles, light, and props that work together with unity.
If you want to learn photography, the internet has endless tutorials and explanations. The art of taking pictures is beloved and studied by many, and may even become another niche for you to pursue in your work.
If you hate photography but understand its importance, find a friend that loves it and have them help. If you have no friends, or no friends you trust, hiring someone to take product photography isn’t all that expensive either.
You put love and incredible work into these candles. Don’t let some poorly taken kitchen snap disrupt the potential of your creation in the marketplace. Follow these tips and more to level up your candle making business!
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