360 Photography
Things to consider before using 360 product photography in your eCommerce store
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Below is an example of an interactive 360 product display. You may have noticed that some products on Amazon look like this - and different than others when viewed through the site’s 360 product photography feature. In this article, we’ll explain what 360 product photography is and how it can be used to generate more sales and fewer returns when selling online.
What is 360 Product Photography?
360 product photography uses a camera mounted on a tripod or other support to capture an object from multiple angles, creating a 360 degree view of an object. It’s not new technology, but it’s become more popular as consumer demand for online shopping has increased.
These images can then be used to create 3D effects and interactive imagery that brings products into consumers’ homes — even if they don’t buy that specific item — and may help to reduce returns and increase sales. Consumers may feel like they have better information about products when they can see them from multiple sides and experience their features without making a purchase.
Why is 360 Product Photography better than regular images?
There are five important reasons why 360 product photography is better than regular images.
- Customers can virtually "walk" around the product, viewing it from every angle.
- Customers can view what's on both sides of a product at once
- 360 Product Photography allows customers to see exactly how the product fits in their space
- Enables customers to experience the product in more detail
- Provides flexibility for presenting variations or options that would not be possible with regular photos
Benefits of 360 Product Photography
360 product photography offers many benefits over traditional eCommerce product listings. Unlike a flat image of a single product, 360 product photographs offer viewers a new and exciting way to view products and brands by taking them through an immersive and interactive tour of each item. By displaying more of each product than flat images do, these 360 products can help customers get a better feel for what they’re buying.
This increase in trust can translate into more sales and fewer returns for companies that use 360 products on their websites or online stores such as Amazon and eBay. When used effectively, 360 photos also allow shoppers to get creative with their viewing experience by allowing them to zoom in on different areas or swivel around completely while shopping on any platform.
How much does 360 Product Photography cost?
There are a few different types of 360 product photographers. You can either hire a freelance photographer, work with a company that specializes in 360 product photography, or hire a professional photographer who may have some experience with 360 product photography.
Freelance rates vary from $100-$250 per photo depending on if you want one image or multiple angles of an object. Companies that specialize in 360 product photography have all kinds of packages for you to choose from ranging from single images starting around $300-$500 up to a packages of $10,000+ depending on how many products and options you have.
If you’re going through a professional photographer they can usually also help teach your team how to use and optimize 360 product images for better conversions.
What do you need to create 360 images?
While you can always have a 360 photographer come to your office and shoot product images, that's not always possible or affordable. ProductFX uses high-end product photography turntable equipment that synchronizes with the camera systems we shoot. This synchronization gives us perfectly sequenced 360 shots. When stitched together, this is how we generate the 360 spin embedded interactive product viewers.
If you're interested in saving on expenses there are several elements needed to create 360 product images on your own. I personally recommend starting with a single camera body (the Canon 5D Mark IV is one of my favorites) with an attached macro lens. Macro lenses are capable of focusing very close to the subject, allowing for more detail within smaller areas of a photo. This makes them perfect for creating 360-degree product shots.
It is possible to equally space out the rotation of your product by building a manual turntable using a flat circular surface and a Lazy-Susan or similar spinning mechanism underneath. This DIY approach does make 360 photography possible without having to purchase specialized equipment, but is much more difficult, time consuming and prone to errors.
The final step would be planning out what you want each image to capture, as well as picking which software you'd like to use. The stitching software is the critical piece for brining all of these images together and generating the interactivity for users to be able to click to drag and spin product views.
If all of this sounds like too much of a task or an investment, ProductFX can handle the heavy lifting for you. Just send us your items and we'll get the finished 360 spins back to you quickly and flawlessly.