In the modern age of consumerism, it is easy for potential customers to get lost in the sea of available products and merchandise. For in-store purchases, packaging and marketing go a long way in ensuring that people see your product. The first characteristic of the product that customers see amidst the other competition is its packaging. You want your package to stand out and provide enough information so that they choose your product.
With online purchasing, the rules are similar but not quite the same. More options become available, and product thumbnails can easily entice or repel customers. Once the person clicks on your product, you have to keep them intrigued enough to stay and purchase it without leaving to choose another.
As a company or product photographer, you want to take photos that bring the merchandise to life and highlight the important features that a consumer would need to know. Your photos should entice and captivate the viewer to keep them looking at your product until they put it into their shopping cart. The best method of getting people to look at and buy your product online is through photos and videos.
From your product thumbnails to the pictures and videos on the product description, every consumer loves to see what they are buying before they purchase, much like at a store. Although the customer can’t hold and touch the product, they can feel confident they’re purchasing what they need.
Even so, pictures can still be misleading, cause unintentional doubt or fail to reveal the desired information that the customer is looking for. This issue and other reasons are why using 360-degree product photos can help to increase product sales and give your buyers a more engaging and interactive experience with your product.
What Is a 360 Degree Product Photo?
A 360-degree product photo is precisely what it sounds like. It is an interactive photo that shows your product from all angles on a flat surface. It’s a rotation of your product, so consumers can view all sides and get better quality details. When compared to traditional photography, 360-degree photos provide the consumer with the most information about the product without having to click through multiple photos.
Why Use a 360 Degree Product Photo?
Using a 360-degree product photo allows the customer to create a deeper bond with the product they are buying. Online, users don’t have the experience of holding and examining the product. With a 360-degree product photo, users can experience a similar interaction as they do in a store. Without physically touching the product, they can still attain the same view of it. They build a similar connection to that of holding the product in their hand.
Studies have shown that a 360-degree product photo may increase sales as opposed to traditional stock photos. Customers feel more confident about their purchase since they can see more of what they are buying beforehand. You may notice fewer returns and better sales as a result. Even business-to-business companies will find that their sales can increase as buyers are better able to determine exactly what types of ports, cables and other necessary information they need to know beforehand.
How to Create a 360 Degree Product Photo
Essentially, 360-degree product photos take multiple photos of the product from various angles. The photos that you need must be very specific and require the perfect lighting, background and patience. You place the object on a turntable and set up your camera at the position you want. From there, you take a photo. Then, without moving your camera, you turn the turntable slightly and take another photo. You repeat this process until the product has returned to its original position.
These photos will be the hardest part of the entire process. You have to be sure that you do not move the camera, do not change the lighting or alter the background. All of these aspects must be the same to create a smooth and cohesive 360-degree photo. Once you have the necessary photos, the process of creating the actual image is much easier. As long as you have a program that can create the desired photo, the next step is to upload the photos you’ve taken to the program and have it do the rest. Finally, upload the file to your product page.
Pick a Reliable 360 Photography Turntable
As you can probably guess, creating a 360-degree product photo is a complicated and delicate process. With so many elements to balance and keep track of, you can easily make an error that results in a complete restart of the project. One of the most effective ways to ensure that you get the photo quality you want without the fear of forming an inaccurate image is to use a prebuilt turntable that automatically rotates. Then, you don’t have to worry about moving the turntable too much or too little.
One such turntable is the ORANGEMONKIE Foldio360 Smart Turntable. This 360 rotating turntable is user-friendly and first-time photographers, professionals or business owners can easily use it. The Foldio360 helps you to create stunning and professional-grade photos that are sure to leave a positive impression on your customers.
The Foldio360 Smart Turntable is an automatic revolving platform that syncs with your camera to take the necessary photos and rotate the turntable at the same intervals every time. You do all of this through the recommended Foldio360 app. After all the photos have been taken, the app creates the 360-degree product photo automatically. Finally, you upload the photo to the necessary product page.
How to Use the Foldio360 Smart Turntable
Using the Foldio360 Smart Turntable is as easy as taking it out of the boxing and placing the turntable inside the ORANGEMONKIE lightbox (sold separately or as a bundle). From there, the app does the rest.
Setup and usage are simple and easy with the Foldio360, and you can achieve professional photo quality in four steps:
1. Set Up the Studio Background
First, create the studio background you’ll be using. The best color for any 360-degree photo is white. It does not distract the viewer from the product, and it helps accentuate your product and its features. You will want a background that covers at least three-fourths of the product, leaving only enough space for a camera and lighting to see inside.
When it comes to lighting, the Foldio360 comes with the Halo Light that illuminates the back of the product. You will want a light that’s similar in brightness to shine on the front and sides of the product. You want to remove as much shadow and darkness as possible. A lot of the shading and exposure can be adjusted inside the application. Shadows and dark spots can make your image flow improperly and appear disjointed.
You can also opt to use the Foldio3, which gives you a portable white studio with a built-in light. It provides you with everything you need to create the perfect studio to go.
2. Set Up the Foldio360
Once you have your preferred studio, place the Foldio360 in the desired spot, turn it on and place the product on the turntable. Turn the Halo Light on and illuminate the back of the product. Be sure to adjust the other lighting as necessary.
From here, place your camera or phone at the desired angle and distance. It may be beneficial to use the zoom function to get as close to the product as possible. You want to capture as much detail as you can. You will want to be able to take photos remotely, without having to touch the camera. Any movement can distort the photos.
3. Use the Foldio360 App
To prevent unintentional movements, you have two options to take the images required:
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Phone: You can choose to use your phone to connect via Bluetooth to the Foldio360. Open the app and adjust the settings until you get the desired first image. Then, let the application do the rest. Through the Bluetooth connection, the app and Foldio360 will work in harmony to take photos without the need for human intervention.
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DLSR Camera: Alternatively, you can connect your DSLR camera using an IR connection. However, you will want to be sure that you have an external device to take photos from. Again, you will want to limit the amount of human interaction with the cameras.
Once you have achieved the desired effect, you can begin the capture process with either method above. Afterward, the app compiles the photos into interactive photos. From there, you can further customize until you are completely satisfied with the results.
4. 360 Turntable Software: SPINZAM
SPINZAM is a platform that takes the photos taken using the Foldio360 app and turns them into interactive photos. From here, you can upload the images to your blog, website or other online platforms.
Foldio360 Smart Dome
ORANGEMONKIE’s Foldio360 Smart Dome offers a new way to create those stunning 360-degree photos with less hassle and more control. The new dome shape removes the need for the traditional Foldio2 and Foldio3 square studios and offers a more controlled lighting environment with its dual shell and dome-shaped structure.
The Smart Dome has a more controllable lighting environment. It better eliminates shadows and lessens the need for more photoshopped images. Additionally, it diffuses the light inside and creates more unified and precise lighting, removing any light reflection that may occur in your photos. You can adjust the lights inside to achieve whatever effect or image you wish. You can change the color temperature from 2300K to 5600K.
If you have multiple products to take photos of, the Smart Dome ensures that you never have to alter your equipment to get the desired results. With the uniform and enclosed lighting system, your products will always have the lighting they need without having to move or adjust.
The new Smart Dome also comes with better adaptability and functionality. You can easily take photos from various angles along the top and side of the Dome. You can also use the included sliding door to preserve any light that may escape. You can place your phone or camera directly over the smaller opening to prevent any light from leaving the dome.
The portability, extra functionalities and better lighting control make the Foldio360 Smart Dome the ideal addition for anyone wanting to take the perfect 360-degree photo or even just better photos. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to use the Smart Dome to create the perfect image.
Take Your Photos to the Next Level
Whether you’re a blogger or a business owner who wants to increase sales, 360-degree photos are the perfect way to enhance your webpage. From amateur photographers to professionals, 360-degree photos are a fun and helpful way to draw revenue and views.
Take your photos beyond what they already are and give your viewers the interactive experience they want with your products. With how simple and easy ORANGEMONKIE makes using their Foldio360 Smart Turntable, you never have to worry about the complicated mechanics of creating an interactive photo that viewers will be sure to remember.
