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Rose Nene

Are you looking for a beginner friendly course about Product Photography? You found it.

This is a newly revised course that focuses on the fundamentals of product photography starting with digital camera settings, lighting techniques, composition guides, storytelling, props, styling and even basic editing.

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Are you looking for a beginner friendly course about Product Photography? You found it.

This is a newly revised course that focuses on the fundamentals of product photography starting with digital camera settings, lighting techniques, composition guides, storytelling, props, styling and even basic editing.

Over the years we collected the feedback from the first version of this course and used that to create brand new lessons that answers to student’s needs and pain points like not having access to a professional camera and lighting equipments, being overwhelmed with props and styling and needing to see more examples to really get a good grasp of the topics.

Each section has a demo lesson where I will show you real life examples, troubleshooting and actual product photography photoshoot. Each section also has an assignment to give you time to practice and get your hands dirty :)

Here are some of the things that you can learn from this course:

  1. How to take control of your most powerful weapon in creating scroll stopping product photos - Your camera.

  2. How to achieve a balanced exposure for professional looking product photos.

  3. How to switch from shooting all “AUTO” to manual and how to ease into it by mastering the exposure triangle.

  4. How to choose lenses and accessories for your home studio.

  5. How to use different light sources to create different moods and vibes in your photos.

  6. How to use household items as light modifiers to create irresistible product photos.

  7. How to photograph different products such as jewelries, perfumes, beauty products, clothes, bags, shoes, etc.

  8. How to use Long standing but easy composition rules and guides to create product photos with impact

  9. Visual perception and how to create photos that can connect to your audience.

  10. How to use lines, shapes and patterns in product photography.

  11. How to properly crop and frame your product photos.

  12. How to choose the best orientation and angle to showcase the product.

  13. What is product styling and why it's important in product photography.

  14. Why storytelling is the key ingredient in effective product styling.

  15. Best practices in planning for a product photoshoot.

  16. How to use brand adjectives to choose a theme.

  17. Tips and best practices when sourcing product photography props.

  18. More styling tips and techniques from actual product styling demo for different themes and vibe.

  19. My basic photo editing workflow for that final fabulous final look.

  20. Exporting best practices for different social media platforms.

You can use the skills that you will learn from this course to photograph your very own products or your clients’ products. May it be small, delicate or big products, even fashion photography. There are tips from this course to help you in your photography journey.

What camera should you use?

It does not matter what digital camera you are using, may it be a DSLR, mirrorless or an iPhone you can definitely enroll in this course. :)

Who is your instructor?

Hi there. My name is Rose. I am a Photographer, Videographer and Online Course Creator from the Philippines. My work is focused on events, food and product photography and creating courses to share practical tips from my experiences. I made so many mistakes and bought gear and props I haven't used up to this day. In my courses I share everything. From mistakes to avoid and techniques to help cultivate your photography and videography skills. :) I have taught over 50,000 people locally and globally on how to create scroll stopping food and product photos and here are a few words from some of them:

“If you are thinking of buying the course, do it. You will learn something helpful. Rose is a good instructor and she maintains a good pace. I am not a beginner and have been taking and editing my own product photos for a couple of years. But they looked kind of ...meh... The sections on Color, Composition, Branding, and Planning were real eye-openers for me - I am going to go back and redo all my photo sets (about 30) using the concepts taught by Rose. The material is presented clearly and the target audience is complete beginner - someone who may not have a camera other than the one on their phone. It is a quick flyover of the basics of product photography aimed at someone is a first-timer and wondering how to improve their images. Completely un-intimidating and very down-to-earth and helpful. UPDATE: I am now in the section on Composition and Color. This is game-changing for me. I will be revising all of my product photos based on this information. BRAVO. ” - Mark C.

“Perfect for a beginners' course. Short, to the point, and easy to do in one sitting. I'll be diving deeper into the videos when I put these tips in action. I liked how Rose expressed the importance of using what you currently have before splurging for fancy equipment” - Nika T.

“Best photography course I ever took. Very practical, easy to understand and Rose is wonderful. I learned so much. ” - Shiran A.

"This course is simply amazing. It's very detailed and easy to follow. I didn't know much about shooting my own products, but she did a great job of simplifying the process and now I have the confidence and knowledge to shoot my own products." -Valerie

“I just love the course . It exceeded my expectations. It is just so practical and so genuine and professional.” - Bassem M.

“I have been watching different videos to improve myself, this one is definitely one of them that is practical and helpful. Thank you again. ” -Ming Yin H.

“This course is perfect for a beginner. It taught me so many great techniques about composition, photo editing, lighting, etc etc.” - Tanya N.

By the end of this course you will be more confident in using your most powerful tool which is your camera, you will be more familiar with lighting and different ways you can set up for different effects, you will no longer be intimidated with composition and you will be more confident in styling your scene. I really hope you’ll join me. See you inside the course :)

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to photograph different products such as jewelries, perfumes, beauty products, clothes, bags, shoes, etc.
  • How to take control of your most powerful weapon in creating scroll stopping product photos - your camera.
  • How to achieve a balanced exposure for professional looking product photos.
  • How to choose lenses and accessories for your home studio.
  • How to use different light sources to create different moods and vibes in your photos.
  • How to capture great product photos anywhere
  • Taking photos with whatever camera including mobile phones
  • Lighting mistakes you should avoid to save you reshoots
  • How to use long standing but easy composition rules and guides to create product photos with impact
  • Visual perception and how to create photos that can connect to your audience.
  • How to use lines, shapes and patterns in product photography.
  • How to properly crop and frame your product photos.
  • How to choose the best orientation and angle to showcase the product.
  • What is product styling and why it's important in product photography.
  • Why storytelling is the key ingredient in effective product styling.
  • Best practices in planning for a product photoshoot.
  • How to use brand adjectives to choose a theme.
  • Tips and best practices when sourcing product photography props.
  • More styling tips and techniques from actual product styling demo for different themes and vibe.
  • My basic photo editing workflow for that final fabulous final look.
  • Exporting best practices for different social media platforms.
  • How to make flat lays for clothes.
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Introduction
Course Introduction
Course Overview
How to gain control of our most powerful tool as photographers - The camera.
Read more
Exposure
Camera Parts Overview
Aperture and Aperture Priority
Shutter Speed and Shutter Priority
Make Your Images Brighter With ISO
Get the Best Exposure With the Help of Histogram
Exploring Focal Lengths
Exploring Lenses
My “Go To” Gear and Accessories
My "Go To" Setup
13. Demo: Choosing the Right Depth of Field
Demo: Capturing Motion
Wrap Up and Final Tips
Bonus Lecture: iPhone Camera Lenses
Bonus Lecture: iPhone Camera Settings
YOUR TURN!
Techniques on how to create different moods and vibe using natural and artificial lighting.
Why Lighting Is Important
Quality of Lighting
Light Directions
Color of Light
Light Modifiers
Natural Lighting
Artificial Lighting
Demo: Light and Airy Using Natural Light
Demo: Dark and Dramatic
Demo: Bright and Warm Using Artificial Light
Demo: Soft and Cool
Final Tips
SECTION ACTIVITY
Composition tips and techniques to help in arranging product and props.
Why Is Composition Important
Visual Perception
Rules and Guides
Lines, Shapes and Patterns
Color Theory
Crop and Framing
Orientation and Angles
Demo: Perfume
Demo: Curtain Holders
Fun Assignment
How to use props and storytelling for intentional product styling.
Why Styling Is Important
Storytelling
Planning and Gathering Inspiration
Choosing a Theme
Selecting and Sourcing Props
Set Up and Style
Demo: Light and Comfy
Demo: Bold and Colorful
Demo: Fun and Adventurous
Section Activity
Simple techniques to photograph clothes.
Why Flat lays?
Planning and Prepping
Setting Up
Choosing Props
Styling and Shooting
Quick Editing
Photo Editing
Demo: White and Snowy Christmas
File Formats
Photo Management
Exporting for Different Purposes
Course Conclusion
Final Tip
Bonus Lecture: FAQ - What Is the Best Camera for Product Photography
By the end of this section, you’ll have the skills and a stunning Christmas-themed photo ready to use for your business or social media.
Festive Product Photography: Boost Holiday Sales with Stunning Christmas Shots
Why Is Festive Photography So Important?
Essential Gear & Setup for DIY Festive Shoots
Lighting Techniques for Festive Warmth & Vibrancy
Prop Styling for Christmas: Festive Backgrounds & Themes
Composition & Angles: Make Your Photos Stand Out
Demo: An Elegant Golden Christmas
The Classic Festive Red and Green
Editing for Festive Flair: Easy Holiday Touch-Ups
Final Thoughts & Tips for Promoting Your Festive Photos

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Teaches how to use readily available household items as light modifiers, making professional-looking product photography accessible on a budget
Explores the exposure triangle and manual camera settings, which are essential for developing a strong foundation in photography
Covers exporting best practices for different social media platforms, which is useful for online marketing and e-commerce
Includes demos for photographing various products like jewelry, perfumes, and clothing, providing practical examples for diverse applications
Emphasizes storytelling and brand adjectives in product styling, which helps create visually appealing and engaging product photos
Focuses on using any digital camera, including smartphones, which broadens accessibility for beginners without professional equipment

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Product Photography: Beginner's Guide to Captivating Visuals with these activities:
Review Basic Photography Principles
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental photography concepts like the exposure triangle, aperture, and ISO to better grasp the course's camera settings section.
Show steps
  • Read articles or watch videos explaining the exposure triangle.
  • Practice adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO on your camera.
  • Take test shots in different lighting conditions and analyze the results.
Read 'Light: Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting'
Deepen your understanding of lighting techniques by studying a comprehensive guide on photographic lighting principles.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on light direction, quality, and color.
  • Experiment with different lighting setups based on the book's recommendations.
  • Analyze the lighting in your favorite product photos and try to replicate it.
Practice Composition Techniques
Improve your composition skills through repetitive exercises, focusing on applying the rules and guides discussed in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a product and experiment with different composition techniques like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and symmetry.
  • Take multiple photos of the same product with different compositions.
  • Analyze your photos and identify what works and what doesn't.
  • Repeat this exercise with different products and techniques.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Explore 'The Photographer's Eye' by Michael Freeman
Enhance your understanding of visual composition by studying a book dedicated to the art of photographic design.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on composition, design elements, and visual language.
  • Analyze the composition of your favorite product photos and identify the techniques used.
  • Experiment with different compositional approaches in your own product photography.
Write a Blog Post on Product Styling
Reinforce your knowledge of product styling by creating a blog post that shares your insights and tips with others.
Show steps
  • Research different product styling techniques and trends.
  • Choose a specific niche or theme for your blog post.
  • Write a clear and engaging blog post with helpful tips and examples.
  • Include high-quality product photos to illustrate your points.
  • Promote your blog post on social media.
Create a Product Photography Portfolio
Solidify your skills by building a portfolio showcasing your product photography work, demonstrating your mastery of the course's techniques.
Show steps
  • Select 5-10 different products to photograph.
  • Plan and execute photoshoots for each product, experimenting with different lighting, composition, and styling techniques.
  • Edit your photos and create a visually appealing portfolio.
  • Share your portfolio online or with potential clients.
Create a Lighting Setup Guide
Demonstrate your understanding of lighting by creating a guide that explains different lighting setups for product photography.
Show steps
  • Research different lighting setups for various product types and styles.
  • Document the equipment and settings used in each setup.
  • Include sample photos demonstrating the results of each setup.
  • Organize your findings into a clear and concise guide.
  • Share your guide with other photographers.

Career center

Learners who complete Product Photography: Beginner's Guide to Captivating Visuals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Product Photographer
A product photographer creates images that showcase items for sale, and this course provides a strong foundation for this career. The course covers essential topics like camera settings, lighting, composition, and styling, all crucial for producing high-quality product photos. It details how to use diverse light sources, and how to style and arrange products with props. This course also delves into the technical aspects of digital photography, which helps a product photographer choose the correct settings for each shot. Additionally, the course covers the process of editing and exporting for various platforms, skills utilized by every product photographer.
Freelance Photographer
A freelance photographer works on various projects for different clients, and this course helps build a foundation in the important area of product photography. This course gives a freelance photographer the ability to expand their portfolio by offering product photography services. It covers important photography skills from camera settings to lighting, styling and editing. It also teaches important skills for working with clients, including planning, choosing a theme, and sourcing props. The course provides the practical knowledge that a freelance photographer needs.
Small Business Owner
A small business owner can take this course to learn product photography skills to promote their products. This course covers the fundamentals of product photography, from camera settings to styling and editing. It also can give the small business owner the skills to create high quality product photos, which will draw in customers. The course also focuses on the practical aspects of photography and has sections that help with planning a photoshoot and choosing props. The small business owner will be able to better control their image and brand through their photography.
E-commerce Photographer
An e-commerce photographer specializes in capturing images of products for online retail, with the goal of maximizing sales. This course provides a good foundation for this role, as it emphasizes the fundamental photography skills needed. From mastering camera settings to understanding lighting techniques, this course is designed to make a person comfortable with all types of product photography, even for small, delicate, or large products. The lessons on styling, props, and composition further help an e-commerce photographer make each product as appealing as possible. The course also covers editing and exporting images, essential skills for this role.
Commercial Photographer
A commercial photographer creates images for various marketing and advertising purposes, and this course is helpful for learning about product presentation in this capacity. The course covers key elements of photography, including lighting, composition, and styling. Each lesson will be directly applicable to a commercial photographer, whether they are shooting jewelry, clothing, or other products. This course can give a commercial photographer the skills they need for impactful photos that connect with an audience. The lessons in this course cover crucial aspects of the photographer's work, such as exporting best practices for social media platforms.
Still Life Photographer
A still life photographer creates artistic images of inanimate objects, and this course helps develop the skills for this kind of photography by emphasizing the importance of product presentation. The course covers vital technical and artistic elements, from camera settings, to the use of lighting, composition, styling, and storytelling, which are the tools of the still life photographer. By demonstrating how to create different moods and vibes with lighting, this course helps a still life photographer achieve their desired aesthetic. The course also provides valuable lessons on how to use props and edit to produce a refined final image.
Social Media Content Creator
A social media content creator produces engaging content for social media platforms, and this course helps develop visual skills that are critical to success in this field. The course's focus on product photography enables someone in this role to create compelling images that capture audience attention. It teaches practical photography elements and techniques like composition, lighting, styling, and how to connect with an audience through visual perception. A social media content creator may use the course to elevate their content through high quality product photos. The lessons on editing and exporting also help refine images for different platforms.
Content Creator
A content creator develops content for various platforms, and this course may be useful for creating visual content. While a content creator may be working in a variety of mediums, this course provides fundamental photography skills. The course covers how to use a camera, and how to style and light product photos. It also covers techniques for storytelling and connecting with the audience. These elements are all important for a content creator, regardless of their medium. The course also helps with editing and exporting for different platforms.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist uses online channels to promote products and services, and this course may help them understand the visual components of their work. While they may not take photos themselves, understanding how product photos are created can be valuable. The course can help a digital marketing specialist choose high-quality images for campaigns. By understanding composition, styling, and lighting, they can better collaborate with product photographers. The course even helps teach how to export images for use across platforms, relevant to digital marketing campaigns and strategy.
Visual Merchandiser
A visual merchandiser designs displays and arrangements that attract customers, and this course may be helpful as they work with product presentation. Although a visual merchandiser will not directly use cameras, understanding the process for high quality product photography can be valuable for their work. This course introduces important concepts of composition and styling, which can inform how they design displays. They will also be able to better communicate with product photographers. The course’s teaching on using storytelling in photography and how the visual can connect with an audience can also provide a visual merchandiser with important insight.
Marketing Coordinator
A marketing coordinator supports marketing efforts, and this course may be useful for understanding the importance of product photography. While the marketing coordinator may not be directly involved in shooting, understanding the fundamental elements of product photography can be beneficial. The course introduces key aspects of composition, lighting, and styling, which can provide important context to marketing campaigns. The teaching on visual perception and how to connect to an audience can guide marketing decisions. A marketing coordinator would be better prepared to collaborate with photographers and visual content creators.
Brand Manager
A brand manager oversees a brand's image, and this course may be useful for understanding product visualization. While they do not typically take photos themselves, understanding the technical and artistic aspects of product photography can inform their decisions. Through this course, a brand manager can learn how to best communicate what their brand represents through photography by learning the principles of lighting, styling, and composition. The lessons on storytelling and how to choose a theme can guide a brand manager in curating an engaging visual identity. They can also better collaborate with photographers.
Art Director
An art director is responsible for the visual style and images in various projects. This course may help an art director understand the elements of product photography. While not directly taking photos, an art director can better guide photographers by understanding the importance of lighting, composition, and styling. The course’s focus on storytelling through imagery and choosing a theme can provide an art director with important insight for concept development. An art director can use this knowledge to create more cohesive and impactful visual content. This role often requires an advanced degree.
Visual Designer
A visual designer creates graphics for various media. This course may help them understand the value of product photography. While a visual designer might not be directly taking photos, the course can inform their practice by introducing concepts around composition, styling, and the use of color. This course teaches elements from the perspective of photography, which can influence design work. The visual designer will learn how to better choose photos that are appropriate for design work. This course may improve their visual eye.
Fashion Photographer
A fashion photographer captures images of clothing and accessories for editorial and commercial purposes; this course may be useful in understanding product photography for this role. While a fashion photographer may be focused on people and not products, many of the skills taught in this course, such as lighting and styling, can translate to fashion photography. The course has specific lessons on how to photograph clothes and flat lays, which could be valuable to a fashion photographer. The lessons on composition, angles, and editing can be useful.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Product Photography: Beginner's Guide to Captivating Visuals.
Provides a comprehensive understanding of lighting principles, essential for product photography. It delves into the science behind light and how it interacts with different surfaces. The book is commonly used by photography students and professionals alike. It offers practical techniques for controlling and manipulating light to achieve desired effects, adding depth to the course material.
Focuses on composition and design principles in photography, offering valuable insights for improving visual storytelling in product photography. It explores various compositional elements and how they can be used to create compelling images. While not specifically about product photography, the principles are universally applicable. It serves as a great resource for understanding how to arrange elements within a frame to capture the viewer's attention.

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