MY ACCOUNT
Taking a Shave of the Day Photo is easier now than ever before because of smartphones. Shave of the Days can be as simple as gathering up your favorite shaving products on your way out the door and snapping a quick photo. With that being said, here at WSP, we take a LOT of shave of the day photos. Here are a few tips that I have found really make your photos pop and grab people’s attention. Usually I use my DSLR camera and lights, but these tips are specifically for if you are using a smartphone!
Choose your products: Even though we all have our favorite Shave of the Day products, choosing the ones that are most visually appealing is best. Tins with bright colors, unique features, and rare products always photograph best. Also, choose products with a variety of shapes and sizes. It is easier to arrange your products if some of them are tall, some are short, some are round, etc.
Choose your background: Think about what you want your photo to show off. For me, I like to emphasize the product, so it is best when I choose simple backgrounds so that the product stands out. I also like to choose backgrounds that somewhat correlate with the product. For example, I took a picture of our brand-new Christmas spice shave soap and I used a Christmas tree as the background. If you choose a background with colors that are going to clash with the product, it isn’t going to look great. Remember, VISUAL APPEAL IS EVERYTHING. Bright colors also look really good on camera. If you have to choose between a pastel pink and a deep red, choose the deep red! Go bold if you are going to commit to a color.
Arrange your products: For this tip, I like to use the grid feature on your phone. The grid will give you a tic-tac-toe board on your phone screen. Arrange your products to hit the points where the lines intersect. By doing this, you will have balance in your photos. I also like to put tall products in the back of the photo, and shorter ones in the front. (Think of family photos when you were a kid and how the tall people stood in the back.) Also, remember what you want the focal point of the picture is. Put the focal point in the center of the photo because that is where your audience’s eyes go first.
Lighting is everything: When I use my camera, I have a whole set of flashes that make sure my lighting is always on point. When you use your phone, you count a lot on natural lighting. If you have a lamp, you might want to use that to get your photo properly lit. You might also want to use the flash on your phone but be careful because sometimes that can cause a glare. You can also go outside if you are taking your photo in the morning. This will give you clear and direct light. All in all, whatever lighting you use, make sure it is evenly lighting the ENTIRE picture.
Angles: There aren’t many angles you can do when you are shooting a shave of the day photo. I recommend getting on the level of the product. This allows the clearest picture and lets the audience clearly see any labels that are on the product. Flat-lay pictures are also a great way to mix things up while still delivering a clear photo.
Editing: There are tons of free photo editing apps that you can use to put little effects on your photos in order to enhance them a lot. I use Adobe Photoshop, which is a little expensive, but I use it all the time and I love it. Instagram has built-in photo editing software that you can use. The lighter your photo editing, the better your picture is. Don’t lose sight of the product because you are so caught up in different filters and effects!
Get the money shot: Lather shots always are incredible. If you get that perfect lather, people want to see it! People love to see your product in action. It’s one thing to say how much you love a product, it’s another thing to show how much you love a product. If you are really committed to shave of the day photos, take the extra time and get a really good picture. You won’t regret it.
I hope you found these tips useful when shooting shave of the day photos on your phone. I will have a video coming out soon explaining these concepts more and showing you how I implement them, so make sure you check out our YouTube channel. If you like any of these tips and plan on using them, comment below and let me know! Good luck and happy shaving!
-Mel