We’ve had a lot of chatter lately in Saponification Nation (our Facebook Group) about how to take product photos of handcrafted soap. Excellent product photography is so important! It can really make or break a sale, whether on your website, Etsy or even in a wholesale catalog.

Taking good product photos can be a bit tricky! Here are some tips for white background images.

White background images are great for websites, Etsy, wholesale catalogs and marketing materials. Your branding will dictate your photographic style, but white background photos are clean and professional. You can add in props if you want and if your brand calls for it.

The White Background

Getting a white background is easy. You can use several different things. Here are some ideas:

• Poster board. (This is what I use!)
• White copy paper.
• DIY Light Box – Google and you will find a ton of tutorials like this one.
• Professional Light Box – Check Amazon for inexpensive tabletop light boxes.

The Light Source

Good photography is so much about having a good light source. Here are some ideas:

• Use natural light when it is available. Unfortunately, our apartment has horrible natural light so I had to purchase a light.
• You can purchase a photography light on Amazon or at your local camera store. I use a LimoStudio 18″ Ring Light.

The Camera

People think that they have to have a fancy camera to take good photos. Sure having an expensive DLSR helps, but it isn’t necessary, especially if you are just getting started. Cameras in phones these days take excellent photos. See below for my photo, shot using my iPhone.

So here is my photography setup.

You will need:

• A table to set your items on.
• A white poster board.
• A light source. I use a LimoStudio 18″ Ring Light.
  
• A camera. I used my iPhone for this photo.

I simply tape a piece of poster board to something to help it stand up. Today I used a metal file holder. Then I let the poster board gently curve onto the table.

Place your soap where the poster board starts to lay flat.

Put your light source (either electric or natural) in front of the soap – head on.

Take your photo at the soap’s level. I simply placed my iPhone on the poster board and took the shot head on.

Be sure to tap the soap on your camera screen so that your camera focuses! Don’t use flash. (Or better yet, take one with flash and one without so you can see the difference.)

Here is what my image looks like taken with an iPhone. Perfect? Nope. But that is what image editing software is for.

You can use image editing software such as Photoshop (paid) or Gimp (free) to edit your image. Here is a tutorial I did about editing using Gimp.

You can even use the website Clipping Magic to remove the background. There is a fee, but it works great!

Here is after and before using Clipping Magic.

My Favorite Background Eliminating App

You can purchase and download an App called Super PhotoCut. I downloaded it to my Mac but you can probably download it on a PC, iPad, etc. It is on sale right now for $14.99. It is so worth that price and more!

You simply upload the image and move the box around to what you want to cut.

Adjust your image as needed (I didn’t have to adjust anything) and BAM! Beautiful image!

Images like this are perfect for your wholesale catalog!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your photography! Google product photography tips and you will find all sorts of resources with tips and tutorials. As a maker, you simply can’t have crappy images on your Website/Etsy/Wholesale Catalog. People make purchasing decisions based on product images! Sure you make excellent product, but if your photography doesn’t reflect that, people aren’t going to purchase.

How to Create a Wholesale Line Sheet eCourse

Now that you’ve got your beautiful photographs, let’s create a Wholesale Line Sheet Using Canva!

This eCourse is for soap makers who want to start wholesaling their soap or who are already wholesaling their soap but need to create a wholesale linesheet.

This eCourse is taught in two online videos. Part 1 (35 minutes) is all about the components of a linesheet. Part 2 (1 hour & 13  minutes) is a screencast video showing you exactly how to use Canva to create a linesheet + order form.

A wholesale linesheet:

• Visually shows a retailer what your soap/packaging looks like.
• Explains to them the soap (or other products) that you wholesale.
• Gives a retailer your wholesale pricing and order minimums.
• Let’s a retailer know your terms and conditions.

Hiring a graphic designer can be expensive. Learning Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign can be expensive + complicated. Canva makes it easy!

Sign up!

Happy Soaping!

-Amanda Gail