360-Degree Product Photography: Benefits and How-to.

Looking at a product from all angles is a major advantage of a physical store, because it's the best way to evaluate a potential purchase. So why not apply this powerful advantage to e-commerce? Give the customer a sense of the product's presence? Special 360-degree photography technology will give your potential customer the illusion of tangibility, the opportunity to "spin" the product in their hands, motivating them to buy.

A little about 360-degree photography

In general, photo 3600 technology is a type of subject photography done in a circular perimeter. During a photo shoot, there are 16 to 72 shots per subject, which are then combined into a single clip. This way, visitors to your site can view the object from all sides simply by moving the mouse cursor over it or moving the image with their fingers on the touch screen. A large number of shots allows you to create the smoothest and most realistic animation.

Benefits of 360-degree product photography

When comparing the cost of a regular studio product photo on a white background and 360-degree product photography, you may notice a difference in price and time to complete the project. And then you wonder: is it worth it? Let's look at the main benefits of using technology:

The ability to touch the product

This is the effect of 360-degree photography in a studio for rent. You can see the product in detail from all sides without spending time shopping. When a buyer sees ordinary photos, even if they are made in different projections, he has to "guess" how everything else looks, which introduces an element of indecision in the choice. So a 360-degree photo that provides full visualization is a first-class demonstration of your products!

Minimize returns

What leads to returns is the fact that the online shopper has to imagine what the product will look like in person. Often their own perceptions mislead the buyer and expectations exceed reality. By using an interactive image, a person can fully imagine how what they ordered looks like and the number of returns is significantly reduced, which saves the budget and improves the reputation of the online store.

360-degree photography increases credibility

Did you know that only 2% of all online visitors make a purchase? Do you want to increase this figure? A real, high-quality photo taken in a rental photo studio that reveals the product from all angles inspires trust and confidence. According to recently published surveys of online shoppers, the likelihood of a purchase from a product review can increase by up to 40%.

Photo 360 is the key to promoting an online store

Anyone with an e-commerce business knows that increasing conversions is the priority of all marketing and SEO strategies. Panoramic presentation of the product from the first seconds arouses the interest of the online store visitor, attracts attention, motivates for further actions, increases the time spent on the site and views.

360-degree product photography keeps you ahead of your competitors

The best way to get ahead of the competition and make your merchandise stand out is to make your store better, more attractive, more convenient and more reliable. Panoramic circular subject photos done in a photo studio for rent give you all of this. We can say that this is a new, modern format necessary for successful commerce.

Improving consumer sentiment

Do you want the customer to not only buy your product and not only not ask for a refund, but also come back again? A 360-degree photo shoot done in a professional photo studio for rent is the best way to show your customers your top-notch service. This is how you show that you've made every effort to provide the information they need.

Increased revenue

This is the obvious benefit of this type of photography. Consumer confidence, fewer returns and increased sales will definitely lead to a profitable ecommerce business.

How many ways can you accomplish 360-degree product photography

To perform panoramic product photography, you can use several methods:

• Combination of mobile devices with special applications - in some models of smartphones are equipped with certain functionality and make it possible to shoot the item from all sides and integrate images into one object. Basically such features are designed for amateur shooting and may not always be suitable for a catalog, but beginners often take the first steps in this direction.
• Manual shooting with a rotating platform is a classic option for creating a 360-degree photo of any object. The essence of the method is that the product is placed on a special stand, and the photographer takes step-by-step shots gradually rotating it. After that, the images are combined into a video with the help of a special program.
• The use of a shooting rig - simplifies the work of the photographer and makes the final product of higher quality. You can customize the number of "stops" of the platform, for example, if there should be 24 frames in the clip, it will pause every 150, taking pictures with cameras.
• Using a special photo box - in general, the method is similar to the previous one. The product is placed in a box with a customized atmosphere, and the cameras take pictures from different angles.
• Shooting with panoramic cameras - they have several lenses and are able to take pictures in different projections, from different sides.
• In a modern robotic automated studio you can even do without the participation of a photographer, the equipment will produce the type of shooting you need. Renting an automated studio you can count on software-controlled systems. They consist of cameras, lighting, rigs, rotating mechanism, tripod, capture and post-processing functions.

No matter which method was chosen to create a 360-degree product photo, it is worth noting that it is a technically complex process that may not be possible without specialized equipment, software, and knowledge. That's why companies prefer to use the rental of a professional studio.

Types of animation for 360-degree product photography

Since the advent of the possibility of demonstrating the product on 3600, there are different types of formats for its realization. Thus everyone can allocate the type that will best represent their product.

Classic non-interactive animation

Traditional type of animation, most suitable for mailing lists, social networks, small marketing campaigns. In general, it is a GIF file that is used on a small scale, compatible with most browsers. The image sent to the product page rotates continuously, revealing the item from all sides. It's also worth noting that such files are difficult to compress, and the color representation will be quite low-quality.

Improved non-interactive animation

It is presented in short "videos", more convenient for loading file formats and optimizing the page. Here the potential buyer already has influence over the product demonstration - by moving the timeline you can choose which part of the image to view.

360-degree spin - interactive photo of your product

It is considered to be the most popular format for maximum attractive product demonstration - an ideal solution for professional e-commerce. Going to the product page, the buyer will be able to fully control the image, examining it in detail. Such images have a scaling effect, they can be dragged in different directions and angles, give a suitable speed for viewing. Such format for product images is better to create within a specialized photo studio, using professional tools and equipment.

Three-dimensional animation

This is rather not 3600, but 3D, but because of the technical similarity of both formats, many people consider the processes to be the same. Three-dimensional animation is to allow the visitor to the online store to examine the product not only from all sides, but also in different positions, for example, from the side and from above, from different angles. The complexity of this type of shooting is in the increased number of frames made at different levels, as well as forming them into one manageable object.

Two-axis animation of 360-degree product photo

To realize this type of animation combines together two filmed 360-degree photos - an excellent solution not only for online stores, but also manufacturers, large companies, presentations. Technically complex format can be recreated exclusively with the use of special equipment.

Frame-by-frame visualization

During 360-degree photography, you can not only demonstrate the appearance of the object, but also show its capabilities. By taking frame-by-frame photos you can, for example, open/close the product, add props to it, etc.

Conclusion

Just imagine how a visitor to your site like a child in a toy store looks at the goods, scrolls them and after looking at all the details clicks the coveted "buy" button. These are the desires caused by photos made by 360-degree photography compared to conventional according to recent studies. Of course, you need to initially invest in the right equipment, learn the techniques or turn to professionals, using a photo studio for rent, but is not the image of the company, customer confidence, sales growth and a minimum of returns worth it?

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍