One of the toughest things when it comes to shooting your own product photos is consistency.

Issues with lighting, style, and brand message cohesiveness are common for D.I.Y.-ers.

So today, I’ve got 3 tips to help you achieve the seemingly effortless flow among your photos that you’ve seen on your favorite Instagram accounts.

Would you like to have more control over the outcome of your next photoshoot, ensure a more successful result, and experience a more seamless client/photographer relationship?

Then you need…drumroll, please…a photoshoot shot list.

So what is it, and why do I talk about it so often? A photoshoot shot list is basically a clean, crisp outline of what a photoshoot will look like through the photographer’s eyes. It includes important items like the setups and props to be used and the types of photos to be taken. But more than that, a shot list provides an opportunity for the photographer to clearly communicate their vision and for the client to decide if it matches what they’re hoping for.

I have worked with a lot of beauty brands over the last couple of years with different budgets and different brand styles.

And after working with so many brands, I’ve gathered a few tips that consistently lead to better beauty product photos.

I feel these tips are so important because when you’re taking the opportunity to do a photoshoot, you want to make sure you get the most from it and that your products are shown in a beautiful way. And here’s the best part: the tips I’m going to give you below are actually things that are in your control and not dependent on a professional photographer.

Did you get some vertical images in your last product photoshoot?

As I’ve developed my client photoshoot questionnaire over the years, I’ve found that so many business owners consistently forget about vertical images. So if you didn’t get some vertical shots in your last batch of product photos, I want to tell you why you should definitely think about putting them on the list for next time.

Last year, I heard about a new company offering a different kind of email platform.

This platform has allowed me to easily distribute free tools, notify my list of upcoming events, and stay connected with the people who really want to hear from me during this strange COVID-19 time when so many businesses are turning to the online world in order to survive and thrive.

Today, I’m talking about Flodesk, why I dig it so much, and how it quickly became one of my favorite business tools.

Not every photographer you might want to work with will be located near you.

If you’ve found someone who is capturing the style and feel you’re going for but lives in another state, that’s totally okay. You can ship your products!

As a specialized product photographer, I serve clients from New Jersey to Hawaii. But I know long-distance shipping expenses can add up, so I like to support my clients in reducing those costs as much as possible. Here are the tips I give them, and I hope they help you, too.

Sometimes it’s a struggle to get a small business off the ground in today’s super competitive world.

So as a photographer and business owner, I’m going to talk about the awkward elephant in the room: the things that make your business look unprofessional.