5 Tips for Successful Product Photography
I receive many questions about how to capture and make flawless, clean images. Below are some guidelines on how a photographer can achieve excellent product photography results.
1. Plan your shoot. Have a strategy on how and where you’ll set up your lights, background and props. Think about any additional supplies you may need, such as clips/glue to secure objects and reflectors, etc. Planning ahead will help you avoid unpleasant break-downs or even rescheduling a photo session due to lack of small, but necessary items(s).
2. Remember to clean your product and background with cleaners and/or special brushes. I use the same type of cleaner as for sensor cleaning, electrostatically charged for removing dust. Having dust on close-ups is unacceptable, and will cause you big trouble when doing post-production.
3. If your shoot involves moving objects, like liquid, do a lighting setup for the rest of the scene first, making sure you have picture perfect permanent objects. Only afterward you can start pouring your liquid, adding/adjusting lights/reflectors to make it work for the whole scene.
4. Having a computer with a big screen connected to a camera while shooting helps greatly. You’ll be able to see your images full-size after each shoot, noticing important details and glitches which must be fixed. Never rely on the camera’s small screen while shooting in a studio, as it tends to show images nicer than they are.
5. Post-production. Remember: 50% of the success of your image is your equipment, knowledge, and experience as a photographer. The other 50% is post-production. So it is necessary to know how to use Photoshop (I do not know any other photo-editing software which can be qualified) and RAW processor. I prefer to do white balance/brightness and contrast adjustments in a RAW converter, before I open it in the editor. The results are usually significantly better.
AKELstudio, Inc. (http://www.koloskov.com)
Alex Koloskov is a product photographer in Atlanta, GA.
About the Author
Alex Koloskov- photographer – is originally from Kiev (Ukraine, Eastern Europe). Alex moved to Atlanta in 2001 and opened AKELstudio in 2006. Alex discovered his passion for photography some 20 years ago, when he purchased his first film camera as a child and started developing his own pictures in a bathroom-based darkroom 
Working as a professional photographer, Alex concentrates his attention on photographic lighting which makes his images perfectly clear and sharp. His creative mind and strong work ethic help him meet his clients’ demands and produce top-quality photographs every time. However, what truly drives Alex is the fact that photography is his passion.