ARTICLES

By Robert Kyllo

Copyright © 2006 Research & Design, Inc.

The AIDA paradigm

   Professional looking photographs are what accomplish the first two actions in the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) paradigm of sales. You must have attractive interesting photographs to draw the eye to the product. Attractive by good use of color and layout. Interesting by giving the eye a simple recognizable shape, yet detail to dwell on.

Photos that sell

Characteristics of selling photographs

• Grabber in appearance, especially in thumbnail size.
• Interesting to look at and invokes desire to see more
• Upbeat, bright, and positive in appearance. No dingy grim lighting, or drab sickly colors
• Allows buyer to envision owning the item
• Accurately depicts product, reducing returns

Product photography is unique

   These requirements are fulfilled by a unique style of photography. It is much different than journalistic style which tends to place emphasis on fact and fault. It is also different than the fine art style which tends to produce icons, and de-emphasize details in favor of symbolism. At the same time it has elements of both. The product photo must be absolutely factual, yet the imagination must be free to romanticize about owning it for themselves.

The basic photo

   Depending on the item this can be accomplished to one degree or another. Generally you want pictures with a simple background. White or blue is best with small items. Keep a unified style for photos displayed in the same sections. It is important that the photos be sharp. Here is what web useability guru Jakob Nielsen says in an interview quoted on Jupiterimages.com: "Image quality is also a factor in drawing attention. When people do look at graphics, crisp images fare better than small, fuzzy stuff." From a marketing perspective "The all-important website had better be oozing user-friendliness. Crisp, accurate photography must be the modus operandi."⁵

Models and style

   Sometimes it helps to have good looking professional models showing the use of your product. There is a certain "look" they can bring, but make sure it is consistent. If you use clip art or stock photography on the pages you must also make sure it is compatible with the product photos. Sometimes it may be good to provide the photographer with examples of the layout and clip art you intend to use. This gives the photographer information that can help the photos be compatible in style. Usually you don't want to mix chic trendy cool modern with earthy down home warm and natural. KNOW YOUR PEOPLE and create your sales material for them, even if it means multiple sites.

The last word, or 1,000 words

   A picture is worth 1,000 words make sure those words sell for you! Remember, people can't touch or feel what you are offering. ALL they have are the photographs. "The first impression is crucial - we never get a second chance to make a first impression. The initial view of your product display should be seen as your first impression.²" People need to see the product clearly, with reasonably accurate color, and detail. Several views can be helpful too. The executive creative director of a major web retailer advises: “If I had a set amount of money to put in my site before the holidays, I’d put it into product descriptions and product photography." "...I think that is where you are really going to get more bang for your buck.⁴” Good advice at any time of year. Give people what they want, and they will give you what you want! -RK

¹Cottingham John, DISPLAY MARKETING, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Number 47, July l995.

² ibid.

³ INTERNET RETAILER CONFERENCE, Chicago, IL. (June 8, 2005), Press release. (www.internetretailer.com Lots of good stuff here!)

⁴INTERNET RETAILER, Daily News for Tuesday, September 6, 2005

⁵Ovationblog.com, Sept. 22, 2005, Dave Larson, Director of Account Planning

By Robert Kyllo

Copyright © 2006 Research & Design, Inc.

Odd colors and dark backgrounds

   Without doubt this is the worst sin of web retailers. If you walked into a store and it was dim and dingy with dirty floors and sickly yellowish light from dirty fixtures overhead would you be inclined to buy there? Especially if they sold personal items? Yet, take a look. How many web pages are there with photos that look like they have been taken in one of these dingy stores? Is that the impression you want to make? One look and your would-have-been customer is GONE!

   Properly lit, bright colorful photographs from a supplier set up to do the job right are essential. It's not a job for an beginner. You may have read all the "You-can-photo-graph-it-yerself" articles, and they make it sound easy. As the saying goes, "if it was that easy everyone would do it." You may get something suitable for e-bay, but is that the standard you are aiming for? Save the money you would spend on camera, lights, studio fixtures and classes. Have someone experienced and already set up do it. You get a fixed price and a guarantee.

Overly compressed/pixelated images

   Don't over compress. Put the correctly sized photo on the page and match the IMG tag if used. The browser will not manhandle the image trying to resize it on page load.

   Don't resize using with height and width specification. Correctly compress your JPG's by increasing compression to the point of barely detectable distortion, then back off a notch. Do this at the lowest monitor resolution (usually 800x600) and actual pixels in size.

   Don't use photos made with cheap point and shoot cameras. Don't scan prints from a film camera. Have crisp sharp professional photos taken with quality gear. Cheap cameras - even with a macro setting for close-up will not do your product justice and will send a subtle message to your customers. The evidence? Soft fuzzy looking pictures, smeared color streaks, bright spots, "mosquito clouds" around edges, and strange color casts.

Cut lines

   Does the picture look like it was cut out of a magazine for a scrapbook? If you are selling scrapbooks this might be the look you want. If not you need to find someone who can use image processing software with great skill. A good product photographer will not only take photos which need little such work, but will have these skills when needed. A close kin to this is sharp flash shadows from on-camera flash which produces sharp hard shadows on one side.

No "Class"

   There are times when you need a little more to your photograph. Most photos should be on a plain background, but you should have a real stunner on your home page. A number of intangible elements added together produce a "classy" photograph. Sometimes it's the background, chosen specifically to enhance a products features or color. Sometimes it is the way light strikes the objects, revealing details in a just right way. These elements are usually absent among the point and shoot crowd. A real product photographer will know how to arrange, light, and add supporting elements to your photo. Look at the websites of major "high end" retailers and see what you are missing! In general the higher the price you are trying to get the better the photographs have to be.

Distractions in the background

   This is another area where unprofessional product photos fall down. Not only are they dingy and dim, but have "things" in the background that should not be there. Do YOU want to purchase something that, while you can't be sure, seems to have pictures taken in someone's bathroom or grimy garage? I have seen such pictures. Another common problem is an overly "busy" background. The eye is drawn to look at the visual interest of the background instead of your product! Proper photography controls all the elements that go into a photograph, including the background.

One shot wonder

   If you went into a store and it was roped off so you could not get close to an item, or see it from any other point of view would you buy? Would it seem suspiciously like the seller had something to hide? Isn't that what a single picture on a web catalog is? If you buy clothing and try it on in a store how many mirrors do you get? One? NO! You step up and are surrounded by views of your potential purchase! Retailers know it PAYS to have all those views.

   On the web all the buyer has is what you show them! Be sure to show enough. Remember, they cannot touch, feel, weigh, or smell what you are selling. All that needs to be conveyed by the photograph and copy. You don't need to show everything, but you should show anything a buyer would want to see. Often this can be accomplished with a couple of views. It is amazing how much a second view adds. We have two eyes for a reason! What do the big kids do? "Amazon photographs toys from all angles, so buyers can often see more of a product than they can a packaged toy in a store.¹" They don't do this because it doesn't pay.

   Depending on the item these views can be: front/back, left/right side, top/bottom, etc. Usually a left 3/4 and right 3/4 view is best. (The "three quarter" view is the 10 and 2 o'clock position with the object in the middle facing 12.) On the web you can add that second view for very little cost. Generally the higher the item price the more views you want to provide.

Bells and whistles forever, and ever, and ever...

   You probably want to avoid the additional expense of fancy "Flash" or QuickTime .MOV widgets that twirl and spin the views. The web is all about speed. People won't wait for long downloads (the infamous "Please Wait..." or "loading..." notice) just to see what one or two additional still photos would show anyway. If you do use animations, put them on a separate page, where people can go expecting to wait while your epic downloads. Research & Design can produce short efficient slide shows of your product. -RK

¹InternetRetailer.com - March of the Virtual Soldiers

By Robert Kyllo

Copyright © 2006 Research & Design, Inc.

Scale Can you tell how big this toy truck is? Click the image and see why you need to show scale!

   Go Geometric. If you have similar items in different sizes show a progression. If you have a number of options arrange them in a progression from simple to more complex. Use several similar items in different colors to make an interesting collage.

   Explode your product. Often there are several components to an item. Show them all and how they fit together.

   When less is best. For a grabber use a highly colored or otherwise outstanding portion of a product in a thumbnail. Once you have attracted attention, and they click on it, bring them to the full product photo. Research & Design can provide thumbnail, web, and zoom sized photos.

   Become a Groupie. Show items that are used together ...together! Group them in attractive ways that will reinforce selling of accessories at the top of a page, near the items. If someone is buying paint, they may also need brushes, drop cloths, rollers, sponges, etc. Show it to them! Then use the individual photos to detail each product.

   Pose your product. Not all items look the best from straight on. Think 3D. There are many products that people rarely see straight on. Example: Shoes! They are always viewed from the top down and should look their best that way. Put one in profile and one propped up for best effect.

   Get a dummy. When using real people you should ONLY use professional looking models who can act natural on camera. A lower cost alternative is to show only "body parts." Apparel with the head and extremities "cut off" show well even if it sounds awful. (Hey, it's business!) A better, even lower cost alternative, is a mannequin (dummy).

   Steal. Need ideas? "Borrow" from other catalogs to get ideas how to present products best. Do not "copy" as this is illegal and unethical, and don't ask a photographer to do it. But, getting ideas for you to build on is not. Visit competing web sites, look at their catalogs, see what works and what to avoid doing. Go to the "high end" on-line stores and see how they make their displays. They spend a LOT of money on getting it right, learn from them.

   Small product = Big Picture. Bigger than life is an excellent way to sell. Be sure to have some other common object for scale or state the actual size.

   Use it or lose it. Showing a product in actual use can save a sale. People want to envision themselves using the item. Don't get it wrong though, or you will come off looking foolish and lose credibility. If possible show the product being used in a new way. Give people ideas. Showing unusual usage gives people permission to experiment, and BUY! -RK

By Robert Kyllo

Copyright © 2006 Research & Design, Inc.

"I Specialize in..." And goes on to list

1. Headshots
2. Executive Portraits
3. Commercial Photography
4. Catalog
5. Product
6. Fashion Photography
7. Digital Photography For The Internet
8. Boudoir
9. Casual Portraits
10. Event Photography
11. Weddings

   The only thing not "specialized in" appears to be leftist student riots! (Whoops! That would be an "event" wouldn't it!) Not that this photographer may not be an excellent product photographer but... Oh, and later mentions "specializing" in aerial photography too! From a column in a prestigious professional photography site: "Professionals" who do "all sorts of things" are usually bottom-feeders — they'll take any job that comes along, try their best to do it, succeed part of the time, fail part of the time¹" Which part of the time will they be doing your product photos?

Looking elsewhere

Another touts the huge files provided, taking several minutes, on wideband, just to download and look at (for web sales??) Several of the issues below were seen on his/her pictures. Others boast at length of their "fine art" training, proudly displaying their passè black and white street grunge photos. Yet another boasts "The cheapest..." Yes, and one look confirms it! Many appear to be frustrated movie producers, forcing you to sit through their movie (and often loud music or weird sounds) before you can find out anything you want to know!

So, what should you do?

    When deciding on a photographer check out the photos put up for examples. Many have "showcase" images on their web site. Watch out for these problems you might find when examining them closely (1:1):

1. Hot pels and dust blobs on sensor, seen in background (not cleaning equipment prior to shooting, not checking the picture, incorrect camera settings)

2. Jagged and haloed edges on product (lacks Photoshop skills, incorrect camera settings/process/saving)

3. "Burned out" harsh reflections, muddy background, and hard "flash" shadows (improper lighting setup, wrong exposure)

4. Dust specks on reflective surface, dirt on backdrop (not cleaning props prior to shoot, not inspecting or correcting the picture)

5. Distortion of product lines, containers look "over-inflated" and ready to burst. (incorrect lens, incorrect camera placement)

6. Flat, dull, off colors, sports drink looks like swamp water. (incorrect lighting, incorrect exposure)

7. Crooked frame (...? YES, in the showcase image!)

   And these are presumably the BEST pictures! Imagine what you will get. (And, these are big name operations in big cities.)

   A photographer should show you:

• Sharp crisp colorful photos
• Examples of exactly what you will get in size and quality, and it should meet your expectations
• A reasonable price structure and good value for the money
• Different styles to choose from
• A professional business attitude, easy to work with. Not nose aloft "Artists..." ("Artist" is pronounced "Are-TEE-st")
• An understanding of the business
• A guarantee
• A track record of successfully selling product type photography

   What if there are no examples to look at? Ask yourself why? ...it is telling you something isn't it!

How to procede

   A good idea is to send a test batch to see how things go. A quantity large enough to get a good rate, but small enough to minimize risk. If you work well together, then enter a more substantial agreement. It's your business to place, put it in the right place. -RK

¹ A Weekly Column By  Mike Johnston, March 23, 2003, www.luminous-landscape.com/columns

      Do a test. Upgrade your photos in an area where you have a measurable volume of sales and see if they don't improve!

      No matter if you are just starting out or want to move to the next level, let me be your partner. I'll work hard to give you the best service and photos for the money. My aim is to help the small to medium business with their product and catalog photography needs. If you like what you see I can do it for you! Get started NOW!

-RK