Camera Settings for Product Photography

Essential Camera Settings for Product Photography

To begin, you can focus on learning how to use a few key features on your camera. Here are the essential camera settings for product photography we'll cover to get you ready to start practicing craft photography:

Exposure

• ISO
• shutter speed
• aperture value
• camera modes

Accurate Color

• white balance

I'll explain what each camera function controls, how it impacts your product photography, and how to choose the right settings.

I won't provide detailed explanations about how to adjust each of these camera settings for product photography.

Every camera is a little bit different. What I do to adjust my camera's settings will be different from what you'll need to do to adjust your camera's settings.

To find out how to use each feature on your DSLR camera, check the manual or search online for your specific camera model and the function you need to learn about. You should have no trouble finding articles and videos that have the information you need.

Once you finish this tutorial, if you decide you'd like to learn more about camera settings for product photography as well lighting, prop styling, and basic postproduction, check out Jessica Marquez' Craftsy course, Product Photography at Home. It is created specifically for craft business owners who want to learn to photograph their products, and it's full of information that is easy to understand and apply.

Typically you'll find these ISO settings on a DSLR camera:

ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400

Some cameras have a greater range, but the range above is quite common.

• ISO 100 makes your camera the least sensitive to light, and lets you maintain rich colors and avoid distortion / noise.
• ISO 6400 makes your camera the most sensitive to light but also creates the most distortion / noise.

Most of the time, you can choose a slower shutter speed for product photography.

The exact shutter speed you'll need will depend on:

• the amount of light you're working with
• the ISO and aperture settings you choose
• the look you want to achieve

As a very general guideline, start by experimenting with speeds between 1/60 and 1/250.

You don't have to limit yourself to this range. It's simply a guideline to give you a reasonable place to start.

A tripod can come in handy at faster shutter speeds a well. It will help:

• keep images crisp
• keep your setup, including camera distances and angles consistent
• and free up your hands for other tasks 

It depends on what you're trying to achieve.

Choose a wide aperture, that is, a lower f/number — like f/2.8 or f/4 — when you:

• want to make the background of your image appear out of focus
• want to let in a lot of light

If you're taking lifestyle product photos, you may want part of the background to be out of focus. In this case, you'd need to use a wide aperture.

A shallow depth of field with your product in focus and the background out of focus can create a dreamy atmosphere, and effectively draw attention to a specific area of your photograph.

It's also a good way to make a busy background less distracting.

Choose a narrow aperture, that is, a higher f/number — like f/11 or f/16 — when you:

• want to keep everything in your image in focus
• want to let in less light

If you're taking product only photos on a white background, a narrow aperture is a better choice. In this case, you'll want your photos to show all of the details of your product, so the entire image should be in focus.

Camera Modes

Way back at the beginning of this tutorial, I mentioned that ISO, shutter speed, and aperture all work together to create the exposure of your images.

We've looked at each function individually, but you might be wondering how to choose the right combination of settings for these elements.

That's where camera modes are your best friend!

What are camera modes?

A camera mode is a combination of settings that helps you adjust the elements that control exposure — ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

Different modes give you control of certain elements while giving the camera control of other elements.

For example, if you set your camera mode to aperture priority, you will control the aperture setting. Your camera will automatically choose the best shutter speed to go with the aperture setting you select.

How do I change the mode on my camera?

Take a look at the top of your camera.

If you have a Canon DSLR camera , find a wheel with the letters P Tv Av M.

If you have a Nikon DSLR camera , look for a wheel with P S A M.

There will be other letters or icons on the wheel. We won't worry about them for now.

That wheel is what you use to choose a camera mode.

What camera mode should I use?

That depends on what you're trying to achieve in your photos. However, aperture priority will often be a good option to help a beginner choose the right camera settings for product photography.

Program (P)

I don't recommend using program mode.

You might think putting your camera on full automatic with program mode would be a good option for beginners. After all, if you're not sure what are the best camera settings for product photography, why not let the camera decide?

The problem with program mode is different settings will create different effects in your photos. And your camera doesn't know what effect you're going for.

You need some control to create the look you want.

Also, if you always use program mode, you'll never get any practice experimenting with different camera settings for product photography to learn how to create the look you want.

Shutter Priority (Tv on a Canon or S on a Nikon)

Shutter priority will be a good option if you're dealing with movement in your photos. If objects you want to photograph are moving, shutter priority will give you control over how that movement appears in your images.

On shutter priority, the camera will automatically control the aperture value. 

Most of the time, in craft photography, you won't be dealing with moving objects. But if you are, try switching over to shutter priority and see if you like the result.

Aperture Priority (Av on a Canon or A on a Nikon)

Aperture priority is a great starting place when you're learning craft photography.

Aperture priority gives you control over the depth of field. It lets you choose to create photos with attractive out of focus backgrounds or images that are fully focused showing your products in crisp detail.

On aperture priority, the camera will control the shutter speed for you. If you're not dealing with a moving object, you can get away with letting the camera control shutter speed, giving you one less decision to make.

Fewer decisions can be most welcome when you're trying to master DIY product photography.

Manual (M)

A lot of people will tell you manual mode is the best choice. I'm not convinced it's the best choice for a beginner.

Learning to master manual mode is an excellent goal. It gives you full control of your camera's settings, which gives you full control of the look you can create.

Manual mode might not be the best place to start, though, if you're a beginner photographer.

Having full control of your camera is great when you know how to choose the right combination of camera settings for product photography to get the look you want.

If you're still trying to work out how different combinations of settings work together to create different effects, having full control of your camera can be a recipe for disappointment and frustration.

If your subject is not moving, and you start on aperture priority mode you can freely experiment with different aperture values, letting the camera make decisions about shutter speed. 

As you experiment, notice the shutter speeds your camera selects under different conditions and how the resulting images look.

Get a feel for how different combinations of aperture value and shutter speed work together. Then, if you want more control, you can move to manual mode with a foundation of experience that will help you choose the right combinations of camera settings for your product photography.

Accurate Color

Product photos need to show colors accurately to provide a clear impression of your items.

Unfortunately, plenty of factors, from the lighting you choose, to the objects in your environment, to the clothing you wear, can make color in your photos inaccurate.

While you can correct colors when you edit product photos, you'll save yourself a lot of time and headaches in postproduction if you can get your colors as accurate as possible from the start.

Luckily, your DSLR camera has a feature to deal with this problem.

White Balance

What is white balance in DSLR photography?

White balance is the feature on your camera that helps make white objects in your scene look white in your photograph. If you get your whites looking white, the other colors will be accurate as well.

There are a couple of things you can do to keep your colors accurate before you even touch your camera.

• Use only one type of light source. Using more than one of light confuses your camera when it comes to setting white balance.
• When possible, avoid strong colors in your environment that could cast color onto your scene. You can avoid this problem entirely with light box product photography.

How do I get white balance right on my camera?

On a DSLR camera, you'll find a number of options for setting the white balance.

My camera's white balance choices include:

• auto
• daylight
• shade
• cloudy
• tungsten light
• white fluorescent light
• flash
• custom

You'll find similar choices on your own DSLR camera. The location of the controls to set your camera's white balance may not be obvious. Check your camera's manual if you can't find them.

Auto White Balance

Auto white balance is exactly what is sounds like. Your camera will take a reading of the lighting conditions in your scene and automatically set the white balance.

This setting is helpful but limited. Other options will help you get the most color accuracy.

White Balance Presets

White balance settings like daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, white fluorescent light, and flash give your camera extra information to get colors accurate.

Different types of lighting conditions have different color temperatures. A photo taken by candlelight will have a warm cast, while a photo taken outside on a cloudy day will have a cooler cast.

These settings help your camera account for the type of light you're using. Simply choose the white balance setting that matches the type of lighting you're using, and your camera will adjust accordingly.

Custom White Balance

The custom white balance setting will give you the most accuracy when it comes to color.

Once you have your lighting, backdrop and scene set up, you need to photograph a white card in that space. The white card acts as a reference point telling your camera, "this object is white." With that information, your camera can make more precise adjustments to show colors accurately.

After you photograph the white card, you'll need to follow some prompts on your camera to tell it you want to use that image to set the custom white balance. 

Setting up custom white balance is the most complex of all the white balance options on your camera. It requires a few steps, and they might not be intuitive. Check your camera's manual and follow the instructions carefully.

You don't need to learn how to use every complex, obscure feature on your camera, particularly if you're just getting started. However, custom white balance is an extremely helpful and useful tool. It's well-worth learning how to use this feature on your camera.

Camera Settings for Product Photography Review

Phew!

That may seem like a lot. Keep in mind, there are only four settings to think about: ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and white balance.

Let's review the basic camera settings for product photography:

ISO

Controls your camera's sensitivity to light.

In general, for product photography, try to keep the ISO around 100 to 400 to preserve rich colors and avoid unwanted noise. Some cameras can handle higher ISO settings, so experiment with yours to see how it responds.

Shutter Speed

Controls how long your camera's shutter stays open.

This setting is a priority when you're photographing moving objects. A slow shutter speed — like 1/60 — will let in more light, and moving objects will appear blurred. A fast shutter speed — like 1/1000 — will let in less light, and moving objects will be in focus.

Aperture Value

Controls the size of your lens' diaphragm. It affects how much light passes through the lens and whether backgrounds are out of focus or in focus.

A low f/number like — f/2.8 or f/4 — will let in more light and create an out of focus background. A high f/number — like f/11 or f/16 — will let in less light and the entire image will be in focus.

White Balance

Helps ensure the colors in your photos are accurate. You can easily use the camera's auto white balance or a preset based on your light source. With a little more work, you can use the custom white balance feature for more accuracy.

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