Product photography or 3D visualization: Which one is better for presenting products?
Omnires - Ovo
To start with, let's state the obvious - in recent years, the sales process in e-commerce has only accelerated and made it easier, causing a significant increase in competition in the market. Online stores are competing to acquire customers, and their essential, magical ace up their sleeve is visuality. Both the product itself and its presentation. It is worth remembering that people are visual creatures, and it is the visual aspect that evokes emotions in them, which are one of the primary motivators for action (including buying). Having this knowledge, you already have half of the success behind you. So, what can you do to stand out from the competition? How to present the product online? There are several options, and you will read about two of them below.
What is product photography? What is CGI?
If we ask your customer what influences their decision when shopping online, we expect that one of the first answers will be a PHOTO! Preferably one that shows the product extremely accurately, its structure, material, and quality. An additional advantage will be presenting it in an arranged space so that the customer can imagine their future purchase during actual use.
One of the effects that give us this is product photography. It is a branch of photography that deals with presenting products intended for sale. The main goal of product photography is to showcase things in the best possible light, attractive to the buyer, while still maintaining the natural qualities of the product. Product photography can be divided into two types of techniques:
Packshot is a photograph of a product that accurately captures its appearance and documents its features. Usually, the product is placed in the center of a uniform background without any distractions. Such material can be used both in an online store and on auction portals, as it focuses the customer's full attention on the product.
Arranged product photos are photos in which the product is presented in a composed space. It may include background elements, surroundings, and other products that help to show the product in its natural context or in a way that emphasizes its advantages.
To prepare for a product photoshoot, remember that it is a whole process consisting of extremely important factors:
Preparing the product - make sure it is clean and tidy
Building the appropriate background - packshot, by definition, suggests a neutral, uniform background, and with arranged photos, it is necessary to ensure that the entire arrangement showcases the product
Setting the lighting - setting the appropriate lighting will help to highlight the strengths of your product and present it in the best possible light
Setting the camera - focus, ISO, sensitivity, aperture are your best friends
Taking photos - capture the best angle and perspective, as this will be the basis for your final effect
Post-production - here, you start working in programs like Photoshop to refine the photo quality to perfection.
Computer Generated Imagery is another way of showcasing a product. CGI is a computer-generated technology used to create realistic images that has become a staple in the representation of products or services. To create CGI, all that is needed are sketches, designs, or even unprofessional photographs. Its application is evident in almost every industry, from entertainment (games, movies), to design (architectural visualizations), to advertising and virtual photography (which fiercely competes with product photography). With current technology and professional execution, the target audience cannot distinguish between a photo and a visualization.
The virtual production process consists of several stages:
Tracing of the product involves creating three-dimensional models of objects or entire environments using specialized programs. This stage can be divided into:
Lighting provides the 3D model with a photorealistic effect.
Rendering generates an image or movie from the model.
Post-production allows for further work on the model after rendering. Similar to product photography, its purpose is to refine the quality and visual effect of the image.
The described virtual production is a presentation method that allows you to showcase even the smallest details of your product. It's like taking photos without using a camera, with much greater editing capabilities. With just a few clicks, you can change the color, texture, and size - it's magic! Moreover, once you have a ready 3D model, a sea of possibilities opens up for you, such as using it in product presentations (360° visualization, configurators) or animations (promotional videos, social media videos)! This is particularly useful in product design and sales, industry, architecture, and many other fields.
3D graphics are currently one of the most rapidly developing sectors in design, and what we remember from the first part of The Sims is definitely a distant past. With the current technology, the final result of classic photography and 3D visualization is qualitatively indistinguishable thanks to photorealistic rendering.
Comparison of photography and 3D visualization
For years, you've been photographing your products and wondering what benefits you could gain from using alternative solutions. You must keep in mind that photography is the process of creating images using a camera. Virtual production is the process of creating 3D models in virtual reality. In other words, photography involves recording reality, while virtual production involves creating virtual reality. This leads to many differences between photography and modeling. Of course, product photography is more traditional and commonly used, but renders offer a range of benefits, especially for a large volume of products.
In terms of financial aspects, 3D modeling may be more expensive for your company at the beginning. Specialized equipment, software, and a range of 3D graphic skills are a must-have. However, in the longer term, computerized 3D visualizations allow for significant savings because they do not require taking separate photos of each product or buying specially prepared scenes for photography.
In terms of time aspects, 3D modeling is much faster than photographing products. First of all, you bypass the entire logistical process related to the product, meaning that you don't need to produce it (you only provide specific technical data), you don't have to worry about transporting it to the photo studio, you don't have to assemble or screw it, and you don't have to build the entire arrangement every time, wait for the right weather conditions, set up equipment, or think about changing perspectives. You can work on 3D visualization at any time and place. Moreover, renders guarantee repeatability. Making 100, 1000, or even 10,000 images, you can be sure that the composition, perspective, color, light, everything is consistent thanks to matching the same settings. With product photography, this is extremely difficult to achieve, and it will certainly require a lot of your time to focus on the details of adjusting the light, matching the background, and arranging the product. And here it's worth coding to yourself - thanks to communication consistency, it's easier to recognize your brand. The scale tips in favor of modeling also because of the ability to return to editing your projects even after years, which is impossible with classic photography.
Marcus Design - product packshots
What is better for presenting products?
It's difficult for us to give a definitive answer to this question. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Product photography will allow you to obtain realistic images that perfectly reflect the appearance of the product. This is particularly important for items that are to be sold in person, such as clothing. 3D visualization, on the other hand, is more flexible and offers many more editing possibilities, which is ideal for presenting furniture and accessories that come in many configurations. Ultimately, the choice between product photography and 3D visualization depends on many factors, such as finances, time, product volume, and editing capabilities.
Imagine a situation where your online store has literally only a few limited edition products that cannot be changed in color - in this case, it's obvious that simple photos will be much faster and cheaper to produce. But in the case of sofas, which have 150 different upholstery options and 25 types of legs to choose from, organizing a photo shoot may seem like a challenge. The conclusion is that if you need a quick and urgent presentation of products, product photography is the better solution. However, if you have a large volume of products, and they have different options such as color or size, then 3D visualization is better because it guarantees:
Time savings: creating 3D models of products is much faster than producing and photographing each product individually.
Cost savings: creating 3D models is much cheaper than photographing each product separately, especially if the products are movable or consist of many parts.
Flexibility: changing the color, shape, or size of products is easy to do in virtual production, while in photography, changing these elements requires re-photographing the product.
Interactivity: 3D models can be used not only to create classic images but also in animations, promotional films, AR presentations, interactive applications such as product configurators, or virtual exhibitions.
Virtual testing: virtual production allows you to test products in different conditions without physically moving them.
Creating non-existent things: an experienced 3D team will allow you to visualize a non-existent product and make any changes before the prototype is created.
At the same time, you have to remember that virtual production cannot replace all uses of photography, for example, artistic or documentary photography, which involve recording reality. A perfect example here would be the production of material with live models - it can be done virtually, but it greatly increases the cost and complexity of the project.
Summary - product photography vs. virtual photography.
Omnires - Contour faucets
In today's world, images are the strongest means of communication - they speak more than a thousand words. To effectively stand out among the competition in the era of social media, it is important to ensure an aesthetic and consistent look for your brand. High-quality photos can encourage potential customers to purchase a product or service, but beautiful photos alone may not be enough for them. To effectively attract the attention of viewers, it is important to present originality and innovation. And here, 3D graphics come to the rescue, offering enormous possibilities. Are you considering introducing a higher level of presenting your products? Feel free to contact us . Together, we will give it some magic.
