Online shopping is fully dependent on pictures, and 75% of customers rely on product images for this purpose. They become dissatisfied if they find a mismatch between image and product. Again, you might have a good collection, but because of incorrect photography and improper lighting and color, the customer didn’t find anything to add to the cart.
Whether you are a photographer or an online furniture business owner, you should master furniture photography and image editing techniques because these are essential to presenting furniture flawlessly and will attract potential customers. A study found that sales increased by 40% due to visually attractive images.
Today, we will share easy tips for taking and editing furniture images that you can utilize to stand out from the crowd in the online marketplace. So, let’s delve into the details.
Why High-Quality Furniture Images Matter
Image quality is crucial for an online furniture business, but it needs to be high quality for several reasons. Almost 67% of shoppers prioritize image quality. Before you learn tips for taking and editing furniture images, you should know the reasons.
Enhance Product Details:
The furniture image is the first point of contact between the brand and viewers in the online shop or website. A high-quality image enhances the furniture details to impress the viewers. On the contrary, a lower-grade image can break the engagement with a bad appearance.
Improves Sales Rate:
High-quality images clearly present product details, which increases customers’ interest in adding the item to their cart. Shopify found that high-quality images can increase sales. They greatly improve sales and boost business revenue.
Boost Online Visibility:
A high-quality image, when combined with proper SEO, can significantly boost online visibility and improve search result ranking. Furthermore, an optimized, high-quality image with accurate alt text and description can help generate more organic traffic to the online shop or site, thereby enhancing brand recognition.
High-quality images:
High-quality images not only attract viewers with clean and accurate details, but they also play a significant role in customer satisfaction. By reducing the likelihood of returns, these images build trust in the product and, consequently, in the brand itself.
Simplifies Virtual and AR Experiences:
As technology advances, so does the image world. Consistent with this progress, online furniture shops are increasingly embracing virtual and Augmented Reality (AR) techniques to let customers envision how the furniture will look in their homes or spaces before buying it. This process becomes more seamless and lifelike with the use of high-quality images.
Easy Tips for Taking and Editing Furniture Images
Here you are, on the main course of the content we are about to serve on this blog. In this section, we will provide detailed tips for taking and editing furniture images. Keep reading to learn more.
A) Tips for Taking Furniture Image
Photographing isn’t just clicking the camera. There are more things to involve with a proper understanding of different techniques to highlight the features best. Here are some tips for taking furniture pictures:
#1. Assemble the Photography Kit:
Photography is not all about the camera. More tools are required for professional results. Here are the basic photography kits you need:
- Camera: Do you need a high-quality camera? Yes, a DSLR can generate high-resolution images, but you can do it even using your smartphone, which has good camera features.
- Lens: For the best results, aim for a lens that falls within the 24 to 70mm for optimal performance.
- Lighting: Nothing can beat natural lighting for furniture photography, highlighting color and features. If the light is harsh, use a softbox to diffuse it. If the lighting source is poor, plan for artificial light.
- Tripod: A shaky move can ruin the photo creating a blurry image where the tripod comes into play. For capturing steady and sharp furniture pictures use a tripod.
- Reflector: Light and shadow are equally important, especially for product or furniture photos, to add a natural look. To manage light and shadow, use reflectors.
#2. Set Up the Scene:
For furniture photography, the setting is equally important as the main subject. Your goal is to show your furniture, so ask yourself- Does the setting pop the furniture? Here are the preparation tips for setting up the scene:
- Clean Furniture: Clean the furniture to make it free of dust and fingerprints, which will ensure a professional appearance.
- Background: Use a clean, neutral background and props aligned with the furniture style that complements the furniture without overshadowing it.
- Place: Choose a place with plenty of natural light, which will bring out the true colors and details of the furniture.
- Props: Props help in telling the picture story or conveying the theme or message. For furniture photography, you can use rugs, cushions, plants, etc as props that will enhance the visual appeal.
- Expanse: Ensure enough space in the setting environment so that you can move to capture the furniture from different points of view and angles.
- Time: Time impacts on lighting source. If you want to utilize soft and warm natural light, capture the furniture in the golden hours, which is early morning and late afternoon. Avoid capturing at noon to avoid direct sunlight that will ruin the photo.
#3. Set Up the Camera:
An accurate picture needs to go through the camera setting, and for that, you need to understand the setting to make a big difference in your furniture images.
- Aperture: Set the aperture higher f-stop, like f/8 or f/11, to ensure the whole furniture is in focus.
- Shutter Speed: If your setting has lower light, then use a slower shutter speed of 1/60 or slower using a tripod to avoid blur.
- ISO: Lower ISO results in clear, noise-free images. Set it between 100 and 400 to capture sharp images.
- White Balance: Adjusting the white balance is important to maintaining the color of the furniture. Adjust it according to the lighting condition. .
#4. Compose the Shots:
Once you have the setting and equipment ready, it’s time for image composition. Arranging elements harmoniously is key to generating attractive shots.
- Rule of Thirds: Apply the rule of thirds to split the whole frame into 9 horizontal and vertical lines and set the main subject off-center to grab the viewer’s attention.
- Leading Lines: Use the leading line image composition rule to guide the viewer’s eye to the main subject of the picture, which is the furniture you want to focus on.
- Framing: Framing is important to ensure the main subject is placed within the focus field. You can frame the furniture with windows or doorways to add depth to the picture.
- Angles: To give viewers a complete idea of your product, you need to capture photos from different angles and points of view, including front, back, side, top, and closed. It’s the disparity between a deal and a pass.
#5. Pay Attention to Details:
A furniture picture is the only means for the customer to check the details of the furniture. What are the Best Ways to Showcase Your Furniture Photos on the Online Store? Here are some tips to highlight features and textures of the furniture:
- Full Views: While photographing, focus on the whole piece of furniture and capture it from different angles to provide a complete view.
- Close-up Views: Take close-up shots to highlight intricate designs, details and unique features.
- In-Context Shots: Photograph the furniture in a real-life setting that will help customers understand how it will look in their home space.
- Multiple Shots: Do you think a single shot is enough for each view? No, for a better result, click multiple shots for each view so that while employing the Furniture Image Editing Service, you can pick the best one to generate the best result.
B) Tips for Editing Furniture Images:
Even a professional photographer feels the need to edit furniture photos to showcase them in the best appearance in the online store. Editing is not changing the image. It’s the process of enhancing the appearance and removing all imperfections in photography. Here are some photo editing tips:
#1. Choose the Right Software:
Which software is best for furniture photo editing? Many software programs, paid or free, exist for this purpose.
- Adobe Photoshop is the most used photo editing software, offering effective tools for professional photo retouching.
- Adobe Lightroom also presents excellent tools for professional image post-production.
- GIMP is an alternative free version of Photoshop that comes with many effective editing tools.
- Canva offers essential, user-friendly editing features for newbies. It’s beneficial for prompt edits or adding text to the photos.
#2. Basic Adjustments:
After capturing the furniture in the best way, you should make some basic adjustments using any of the software we mentioned before. Here are some basic adjustment tips:
- Brightness: With appropriate light, the furniture details can be observed. Adjust the brightness to ensure a well-lit appearance.
- Exposure: Too much dark or too much light can ruin an image. You should adjust the exposure to balance the view.
- Contrast: Contrast determines the main subject’s distinction with the other colors of the image. Adjusting contrast is crucial to setting the mood and making the image readable.
#3. Apply Furniture Clipping Path:
Did you know that a precise-edged image grabs a customer’s attention 25% more? Clipping Path comes into play here, which acts like the scissors of a tailor and cuts out the edges precisely. So, to add a precise professional look and make the furniture pop out from the background, apply the magical implication of the Clipping path. You can do it yourself or with the help of an expert like Furni Fixer for better results. Here are some tips for clipping path:
- Use Pen Tool and a few anchor points to create precise clipping paths.
- Zoom in closely to check if all parts are included.
- Apply the “Refine Edge” tool to make the path smooth.
#4. Apply Furniture Color Correction:
In photography, color is the language of conveying emotions. So, it’s essential to highlight furniture color correction to bring out the exact color in the image that the eye sees. Whether a wooden desk or leather sofa, accurate color in the image can boost customer trust by 35%. Furnifixer’s hotshots are always ready to make your image speak with the silent language of color. Here are some tips for color correction:
- Adjust the white balance.
- Slightly increase the saturation.
- Adjust the vibrance level to evoke muted colors.
#5. Adjust Sharpness and Clarity:
To improve and clarify your furniture photos, adjust the sharpness and clarity of your photos.
- Increase the clarity level to clarify the furniture’s textures.
- Sharpen the image to make the furniture clear.
- Employ noise reduction features to smooth the graininess.
#6. Furniture Shadow Adding:
Shadow adds depth to the photo making furniture look real. Adding shadow improves furniture appearance, which boosts customer engagement by 50%. Furniture Shadow Adding is an art, and Furnifixer has the artists to make your furniture stand out. Here are some tips for effective furniture shadow adding:
- Define the direction, intensity, and color of the light source.
- Consider the furniture’s shape and surface of shadow.
- For a simple effect, apply drop shadows.
- For complex images, apply natural shadows.
- Adjust the opacity to ensure a natural gradient.
- Zoom in to check the shadow blends accurately.
#7. Furniture Photo Retouching:
A photographer can’t ensure a flawless furniture photo with a single click. So, you have to play with the furniture retouching technique to remove scratches or spots in the photo so that the customer can see something best. Here are some furniture retouching tips for you:
- Spot Removal: Use the spot removal tool to clean the image by removing all spots, scratches, or dust.
- Clone Stamp: If there are any inconsistencies in the background or the furniture, operate the clone stamp tool to fix them.
- Liquify Tool: If the furniture’s shape is distorted, use the liquify tool to correct it.
#8. Furniture Advanced Image Editing:
If you want to make your image the best instead of good to stay ahead of the competition, you should not be confined to basic editing or filters. You should apply the advanced editing techniques that take the image to the next level. Here are some tips for advanced editing techniques:
- Focus Stacking: This technique demands multiple shots of the furniture from different focus distances. The next step is to unite all the shots to ensure that every part of the furniture is focused sharply.
- HDR Photography: High-dynamic-range Photography, or HDR photography, takes the same scene in numerous exposures and merges them to ensure a balanced image with details in both shadows and highlights.
- 360-Degree Photography: The advanced editing of 360-degree photography gives viewers an immersive experience by allowing them to view the furniture from all sides.
#9. Final Touches:
After employing basic and advanced image editing techniques with another process, it is the final touch to finish the image generation. Here are some tips for the final touch:
- Cropping: If the image composition needs a portion to remove or resize, then do cropping.
- Vignette: You can add a vignette to generate the focus of the furniture.
- Watermark: Images are intellectual property for businesses. To protect your business image, apply a watermark that will reinforce your brand.
#10. Optimize Images for Visibility:
Once your images are ready, it’s important to optimize them to reach more customers through online search. Here are some tips to optimize your furniture images:
- Resize: High-resolution images are vital to grab the viewer’s attention but take time to load, whereas lower-resolution images are awful. Therefore, you need to resize the images to meet the proper sizes.
- Compress: If resizing reduces the image quality, you have the option to compress the image using TinyPNG or JPEGmini tools.
- Format: The JPEG format is the standard one to ensure a balance of quality and size. However, you can also use the PNG format for transparent background images.
- Add Descriptive Name: To enrich your visibility, your images need to be identified by search engines that can’t see the image but can read the file name. So, add a descriptive file name with relevant keywords. For example, if you upload a coffee table, instead of keeping the original name, rename it with “stylish-wooden-coffee-table.jpg”.
- Add Alt Text: Use alt text for your furniture images to help viewers understand your image and improve visibility. For example, if you upload a coffee table, your alt text can be A stylish wooden coffee table with metal legs.
- Tag Structured Data: Structured data like product schema, image sitemap, etc, provide additional image information that helps search engines index them properly.
Final Word
For an online furniture shop, images are not just visuals, they are your virtual sales team: they attract, impress, engage and close deals. Their role is so crucial that there is no option except stunning images displayed professionally. From the initial shot to the final edit, each step is a vital part of creating a visual that not only showcases the beauty of your furniture but also tells its story.
Photographing furniture flawlessly is a blend of art and science. After reading the blog, you know about these in detail. Follow these Easy Tips for Taking and Editing Furniture Images to enhance your furniture image. Remember, excellent images not only attract customers but also build your brand’s credibility and online presence. Happy shooting and editing!