Equipment I use
Something I get asked alot is what equipment I use. There is a HUGE amount of equipment available for photographers and knowing what you need, and which brand to buy can be overwhelming. In fact it can be so overwhelming that putting ‘photography equipment shopping’ into the too hard basket is a real temptation. But the longer you put it off, the longer it’s going to take to get your product photography sorted. So let’s tackle the beast!
Because many of my followers are either new to photography or are makers who are learning photography only to photograph their wares, I understand that price is a factor. It’s most likely that photography is not your main bread and butter, so you don’t want your equipment to cost you a small fortune.
So where possible I have tried to give multiple options which include beginners equipment which you can use to set yourself up on a budget, as well as more professional (expensive) gear for those of you who are keen to take the next step in your photography.
While I tend to stick to my professional gear these days, please know that when I first started out I used many of these cheaper tools to get by. You don’t need to outlay a fortune on expensive equipment right off the bat. Try learning with your phone and basic accessories and if you are enjoying yourself, perhaps you can upgrade.
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OK, here we go…
Cameras
My phone is an iphone 11 which has two inbuilt lenses: Wide and Ultra Wide. (If you have a newer iphone model than this chances are you’ll have a third lens - a Telephoto). Wide lenses mean that you can take a picture at the regular length from your iPhone and see a fairly large scene. If I want to shoot small or close up items I use an attachable APEXEL Professional Macro Photography Lens for Smartphone 100m I find this handing for shooting small products like jewellery as well as creating a nice bokeh effect (blurred out the background)
When I am shooting for clients I use my Nikon D780 which is a full frame camera. My favourite lens for product photography is my Nikon 50mm f1.4 lens as it gives a good perspective on products. I also sometimes use my Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens particularly if I am shooting in flat lay and need toreframe without changing my camera position.
Tip: If you are shooting with a DSLR and want to also capture footage on your phone (say to make reels for instagram) you can attach your phone to the hot shoe of your camera with this phone attachment.
Software
Most smartphones come with an inbuilt camera app, however it allows the user limited capability to control the settings. Instead I recommend downloading a third party camera app which will offer you many of the same manual controls as a DSLR camera.
My go-to app for shooting with my phone is lightroom. It’s made by Adobe which designs all the creative cloud software (photoshot, indesign, illustrator etc). So its pretty much the industry standard for photographers. Once you have finished shooting with Lightroom you can edit your images inside this app too. So its a great all rounder.
If you are just using the basic version of the app it is FREE for both iOS and Android. Advanced features require a membership for around $15 per month which comes with a subscription to photoshop which is also a fantastic (more advanced editing tool for images)
Standard tripods
Stabilizing your camera is an important step to ensure the images of your product come out sharp and consistent. If you shoot mostly small items, a table-top or mini tripod will do. I personally love this Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod for shooting on table top
If you shoot larger items (i.e. furniture, people etc) you’ll need a full-size tripod. I use the Manfrotto Travel Tripod Lever with Ball Head. It's great quality and the fluid ball head makes it easy to adjust your camera angle.
If you plan to use either of these tripods with your phone you’ll need to invest in a phone attachment. I personally use the Neewer Smartphone Holder.
Tripods for flat lays
I've tried several tripods for flat lay photography and in my experience the best quality budget option is the HERCULES Smartphone Holder DG207B smart phone holder. You can attach it to any articulating arm tripod and there are lot of options available on amazon.
If you are shooting a flat lay with a larger item you'll need a sturdy stand which can extend quite high (to give you some distance from your surface). For this I use a C stand. It's very sturdy, extends very tall and has movable legs. It's a good idea to also purchase a sand bag to secure your C-stand. In order to attach my camera to the C stand you'll also need this adapter.
Lights
Professional photography lights can be expensive, but luckily in this day and age there are many budget lighting kits aimed at amateur or hobbyist photographers that won’t break the bank. While these lighting kits aren’t super high quality they will definitely do the job for photographing your products at home. A good first kit is the VOLKWELL STUDIO LIGHTING KIT.
Once you are ready to invest in something more expensive the Godox SL-60W is a good choice. You can get these on their own or in a kit that comes with a Softbox and 2.8M Stainless Steel Light Stand. They are great for taking product photos but as they are a constant light you can also use them when creating video or stop motion animations.
Lighting accessories
Diffusers, reflectors and bounce cards are all essential pieces of equipment in my opinion. It is possible to DIY these things and I share tips on this in my blogs and online course. However if you’d rather purchase a pro set I recommend the Meking 3 in 1 Photography Reflector and the NEEWER STANDARD REFLECTOR.
If shooting reflective object this light cone will help to minimize troublesome reflections.
Backdrops
My colour boards are MDF wood sheets from Bunnings. I usually find that 600mm x 900mm are big enough to capture a scene of small products. If you want to colour match for your brand colours you can go to bunnings, look through their swatch board and pick out a colour that is a good match. Then ask for a sample pot of paint. It costs around $10 and this pot is usually enough to paint a couple of boards and props
Some surfaces such as concrete, marble can be expensive, heavy and difficult to store. To get around these issues it is possible to purchase vinyl backdrops. The advantage of a vinyl backdrop is that it's easy to clean (great if you are working with food or beauty products), can be rolled up and stored and comes in a huge variety of colours and textures. If you decide to purchase a vinyl backdrop I recommend Everyday Co. You can use my coupon code: RACHELKIMBERLEY for 20% off your purchase.
Most of my large block colour backdrops are seamless paper rolls. There are two leading backdrop brands SPECTRUM & SAVAGE they are both based overseas so you’ll need to purchase from an Australian distributor. Hypop sells both paper brands as well as lots of the other equipment listed in this guide.
If you want to achieve that reflective surface look which gives your product a reflection you’ll need to get yourself an Acrylic Reflective Display Board.
Display props
Many of the props I use are custom made for each photography project. I will often come up with a concept, draw a sketch then source materials from Bunnings, Spotlight or various home makers centres and landscape supply stores to custom make props. You can also find great homeware items at stores such as kmart, big W and Target and transform them into props with a bit of paint or texture. For example - spice racks when painted or covered can be excellent display props for small items. Use your creativity - the sky's the limit!
Wood or foam shapes which can create levels and interesting lines in your product images are super useful. You can purchase a cheap 14 piece set of hard foam geometric props on amazon. Clear polished acrylic shapes are also easy to source on amazon.
If you want to add levels into your scene but you want to keep your display props minimal and inconspicuous - try using acrylic blocks or glass. These create subtle transparent levels in your images for a minimalist look.
Incorporating mirrors into your product images can be a good way to provide some depth and interest. You can grab yourself a set of 6 acrylic mirrors in geometric shapes on amazon.
Consumable props are things like fresh fruit, flowers and foliage are always great to add into a product photo. This is because adding in a natural or organic object can really inject a bit of life and vitality into your image.
Consumable props do need to make sense to pair with your product. Often they can be ingredients which you would find in your product, or the scent of your product etc. Or they work to reinforce the colour palette of your product or image.
This is an ever growing, ever changing list. I’ll be sure to update this resource as I discover more great products. So you might want to bookmark this page so you can check back from time to time.