Commercial photography has been a booming business for decades. In recent years with the global pandemic and the rise and fall of the economy, photography has suffered just as much. However, thanks to the internet, many businesses have moved towards a digital presence.

Trends in photography evolve every year and adjust to consumer expectations. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor and stay ahead of the game to better understand target audiences and create eye-catching, unique projects for clients.

Keep reading this article to explore the trends that are expected to transform product photogrpahy in 2023.

Moving Image is Taking Over

Still images have been at the forefront of product promotion for years. Various trends have changed the styling of these pictures and the growth in technology has influenced how these pictures are taken. But if a picture says a thousand words, imagine what videography can achieve.

With the rise of Reels and TikTok over recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the way consumers pay attention to video more than still images. Brands need to take advantage of this increased exposure. As a product photographer, there are many ways this can be achieved.

360-Degree Photography

As with product videography, the rise of 360-degree photography has increased dramatically across social media platforms. What was largely assumed to be a brief success, the popularity of these types of photography has not diminished and is now being integrated into many large eCommerce websites such as Amazon and Nike.

Although it is still in the early stages, this trend looks likely to continue with more and more brands beginning to take advantage of technological change. While this shouldn’t have much impact on smaller products, furniture, fashion and food products could benefit from offering their consumers this immersive type of eCommerce photography.

It helps bridge the gap between photography and reality.

Product in Motion

Consumers are tired of seeing the same flat images, especially when trying to choose between the same product from different brands. Product photographers have had to find a way to overcome this obstacle. One way they have done this is by capturing products in motion. Now, this is not the same as using video, instead, it means creating the illusion of action and movement in a still image. Bringing the image to life so they say.

In one frame, a professional product photographer needs to portray not only the details of what is happening but also emotions, movement, energy, warmth or cold. All this should be present in one image.

Authentic Images

While drama dominated the 90s up to the last decade, 2023 will be dominated by true-to-life photography. Gone are the days of adding unnecessary edits and filtering. Skin-smoothing or resizing models are highly frowned upon nowadays because of their damaging effects on mental health. They offer an unrealistic idea of what products will look like to every man.

Consumers want to see products for what they are, and this means more effort and time needs to be taken during the photoshoot itself. However, minimal professional editing such as removing an inappropriate tattoo or adjusting the lighting to enhance the product may be forgiven.

Diverse Models

As mentioned above people want to see less skin texture smoothing, body resizing, face tuning and photoshop. That is why it is so important to use models that represent the client’s target audience – they want to see REAL diverse bodies and faces.

Take the brand Dove, for example, they have embraced natural beauty in all of their campaigns and other brands are following suit.

Consumers want to know what the product looks like for a curvy person, with a face with acne and how the makeup looks on different skin tones. Give the consumer what they want.

Minimalism

Exciting, loud and expressive backgrounds used to be a popular addition to all still photography, to create eye-catching images. This has changed. A noisy backdrop takes the attention away from the product you are trying to focus on.

Now the idea of minimalist product photography is all about creating a self-standing image that can get the message across to consumers without using text explanations or items in the photograph.

This doesn’t mean to say that all products now need to be set against a pristine white background with nothing else in the shot. Professional product photographers need to experiment with simple designs to make the product the focal point of the image.

Contemporary Still Life

Still-life photography is one of the longest-enduring genres in photography. it is the idea of presenting an inanimate object in a charming, imaginative and striving manner, allowing the consumer to appreciate the natural beauty of a product in focus.

Three main components characterise this trend: studio setting, the right lighting and the product.

Using precise composition and lighting that focuses on showing the surface of the product, and establishing the right mood can draw in the consumer’s attention. Different lighting techniques can create a cosy feel or produce elegant shadows and a mysterious vibe. Creative thinking is critical when it comes to contemporary product photography.

Levitating Products

This type of photography has become a trend in 2022 and it is set to elevate in 2023 with more brands using it. Adding a sense of surrealism, levitation and movement gives product photographs a playful and magical twist.

With the right props or professional editing, this levitating characteristic adds a different dimension to client images and gives a touch of oddness to the curious mind.

Mobile Optimisation

Nowadays, the majority of people now do most of their shopping on a mobile device. This has meant that photographers have had to adapt their shoots and be conscious of the way photographs are framed.

Experts are now being creative with different kinds of photography to ensure that commercial products can be seen properly in all formats. Much of this is driven by limited screen space and the need for more vertical shots as they appear better on a smartphone.

To achieve mobile-optimised product photographs every time means that photographers have to work twice as hard in the post-production process.

eCommerce Photogrpahy Stats and Growth Projections in 2023

As with anything in life, trends come and go in photography. However, there are trends that are becoming more prominent. Every commercial photographer and client should be aware of a few noteworthy facts.

        1. Almost two-thirds of people are visual learners who notice and interact with images more than text.
        2. Email marketing receives more attention from people if they contain more images and less text-heavy content.
        3. The most engaging posts across all social media channels include images.
        4. Visual content is much more likely to be shared on social media over a text-only post.
        5. Consumers are more likely to retain information when paired with an eye-catching image.

Staying up-to-date and well-informed with the latest trends in eCommerce photography is key to being successful. It is also important to relay this information to new and existing clients to keep them ahead of the competition.

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