Table of Contents
- Roxana Molnar — Preparation Skills Were Lacking
- Joe Johnson — The Scope of Work Involved
- Tao Heslenfeld — Knowing Your Way Around a Studio
- Brandon Castillo — Investing in the Right Gear
- Anna Leonenko — The Technical Brief is Everything
- FAQ
Professional Product Photographers Reveal: What's the One Thing You Wish You Knew Before You Started?
Ever pondered what secrets the world's top product photographers wish they'd known before they kicked off their careers?
We were quite surprised at some of the answers we got. We're sure that these insights will offer fellow photographers, business owners and web designers valuable lessons from the world of product photography.
Here's a quick summary of what they told us:
- Roxana Molnar (Roxport Media) — Preparation skills were lacking
- Joe Johnson (Freelance Photographer) — I wish I knew the scope of the work that would be involved
- Tao Heslenfeld (Tao & Co.) — Knowing your way around a studio is vital
- Brandon Castillo (Brandon Castillo Photography) — Investing in the right gear would make my work so much easier
Let's delve deeper into each of these product photography experts' responses.
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Roxana Molnar — Roxport Media (Toronto, Canada)
"Coming from an author's background, I was used to thinking I need to tell a story through words on a page. Choosing to turn my photography hobby into a full-time career taught me there's more to a story than a well-written blurb of text.
What I didn't realise at the time was that my preparation skills were lacking. I relied on post-production to fix any details I had missed in camera, and was inadvertently adding hours of extra work unnecessarily to each project. I created subpar work and didn't even realise it.
Prep work is key, and if I could help my novice self back then, I'd have shared these golden nuggets early to make the biggest impact on my photography journey.
Planning your set, researching your product in all its glory, and having your vision ready before the product touches the table is the best tip for an efficient workflow. Really getting to know how to highlight a product's best features, and the brand's ultimate vision, not only serves as a solid base, but provides the best framework for consistency and quality photos.
Just dropping a product on set and winging it doesn't work, and more often than not after a shoot, although happy with the outcome, you find yourself saying 'oh this would have been a great shot.' And those missed creative moments can make or break any project.
Without doing any of the early work, you miss out on catching key details, discovering potential mistakes (in lighting and positioning) and ultimately you give yourself hours of post-production editing work that could have been avoided if covered before shooting begins.
Six years in, I look back and wonder how I managed to break through the industry without adequate preparation, but it's a learning experience and every day there is a new creative challenge to accomplish. To anyone seeking this challenge with product photography, grab your pen, paper, and research hat, and get all the nitty gritty work done ahead of each shoot. You'll thank yourself for the extra hours saved, and you'll catch that wow factor in every future project."
Take a closer look at Roxana's work on her website — Roxport.org
Joe Johnson — Freelance Photographer (London, United Kingdom)
"Before becoming a product photographer I wish I knew about the scope of work that would be involved. As a young photographer I thought it would all be about doing what I was used to (taking attractive images of products). Since then I have been asked to do everything from composite photography to graphic design.
To stand out as a Product Photographer is a difficult thing to achieve because of the saturation of the industry. There are so many people out there producing great images that you need to learn new skills to be noticed."
Take a closer look at Joe's work on his website — joejohnsonphotography.co.uk
Tao Heslenfeld — CEO Tao.Co & Flat Houses (Arnhem-Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
"Next to being a photographer, I am also a designer. Soon it became clear to me that I needed great photos when showcasing my creations. The photos should support your product's story — they almost must tell a story on their own.
I used a private photo studio for my product photos in the past. All the different light spots were new to me; it was a bit overwhelming. Through trial and error, I was able to find my way through the photo studio. I wish I had a tour through the photo studio which would provide me with all the know-how for using photo studio attributes.
Another great insight came from a blog, where they advised to shoot in RAW instead of just JPG. This simple, however strong, setting adjustment added great value to my photos and especially the post-processing quality. Now, I always shoot in RAW.
The last thing I would like to add — knowing and understanding your photography style is an important aspect in creating and giving your photos an identity. As a photographer you will find your style through experience and it can become one of your selling points, which can be useful to know when selling yourself to a client."
Take a closer look at Tao's work on her website — taoheslenfeld.nl
Brandon Castillo — Brandon Castillo Photography (New York City, USA)
"I love product photography, and I don't regret working on it. However, if I only knew that investing in the right gear would make my work so much easier, I could have saved a lot of money.
Reflective surfaces are tricky to work with and require knowledge about lighting. Most of the time it requires you to surround your subject with diffusion paper or polarisers."
Take a closer look at Brandon's work on his website — brandoncastphoto.com
Anna Leonenko — Freelance Photographer (Ukraine)
"Product photography is a very interesting genre, but extremely specific. What do I find important to know about it from the very beginning?
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The technical task for shooting is the most important part. As soon as you decide that some moment is not important for the customer, be sure that this is what they will demand later, 100%! The number of angles, references, background colour, aspect ratio and much more — absolutely everything is worth discussing before shooting.
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You should devote as much time as possible to all the details during photographing to facilitate post-production.
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Edits are absolutely normal. It happens that the client is dissatisfied with something and wants to bring the work to the ideal (of course, this does not include edits like 'make the water dry or a square round')."
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FAQ
What is the most common mistake new product photographers make? Based on insights from the professionals in this article, insufficient preparation is the most common mistake. Planning your set, understanding the brief, and having your vision ready before the shoot saves hours of post-production work and produces better results.
Should I shoot product photos in RAW or JPG? RAW is strongly recommended for product photography. RAW files retain far more data than JPGs, giving you significantly more flexibility during post-processing — particularly for colour correction, exposure adjustment, and white balance.
Do I need expensive gear for product photography? Not necessarily to start, but investing in the right equipment — particularly good lighting and diffusion tools — will make your work significantly easier and produce better results. As Brandon Castillo notes, understanding how to handle reflective surfaces with the right gear is crucial.
How important is the client brief in product photography? Extremely important. As Anna Leonenko points out, every detail — number of angles, background colour, aspect ratio — should be agreed before shooting. Assumptions about what the client wants almost always lead to costly revisions.
Can post-production fix issues from a poorly planned shoot? To some extent, but it adds significant time and cost. Professional editing services like Pixel by Hand can improve lighting, remove backgrounds, and correct colours, but getting the fundamentals right during the shoot always produces the best outcome.