Human Centric and Contextual Photography promotes and sells Products
Product photography requires more effort than pointing the camera and shooting. Your product needs to be presented in the right light - and the right context. If the product has a lot of detail that is the main differentiator, then a close-up shot works well. This close-up also reduces possible distracting features around the product.
On the other hand, products that are designed around optimal usability or ease of operation are best being portrayed ‘in action’ which is their real world use context so that customers can see and feel how it is like to interact with your product.
A suitable lighting and light color is also very important to consider. Some products will benefit from a warm or cool dim atmosphere, others will better shine in a bright hi-key shot. This is also important for seasonal products. Items that are best sold in spring will for example benefit from a soft but colorful light and context setting, whereas products to be positioned for the autumn will benefit from a slightly dim light in warm tonality. Products with very strong contrast may sometimes benefit from a classy black & white photography.
My approach is always to interact with the customer to fully understand their product, the intended positioning and also the market and possible competitors, so that the product photography can greatly add to the product differentiation. HGA