Take Better Photos With Your Phone

Is your marketing budget a bit tight and you can’t afford a Photographer to shoot product images or don’t know anybody who can Photoshop your products into lifestyles? Then this month’s article is for you!

I sat down with our Marketing Assistant, Maddie Bottasso, who also happens to run her own photography business and has a degree in Marketing and Communication to share some tips on leveling up your camera phone skills to take better product photos.

How long have you been doing photography?

I’ve been doing photography for about 4 years and I started my business, Maddie Bottasso Photography, in 2022.

What are your top three tips for taking quality product photos for social media?

1. use natural light from windows
2. make sure your background is clean and not distracting
3. take a lot of options from varying angles

What is an app you recommend for photo editing? It can be free or paid.

I would recommend using Lightroom for photo editing, there is a free mobile app version that you can download and you can upgrade to premium for more tools. There is also a desktop version for a monthly fee that I use for my business.

Do you need to have a sunny day to take photos or will overhead lighting work?

You don’t always need a sunny day but I would always use a space with the most windows available because natural light is ideal. But, it can be cloudy out and you can experiment with different levels of overhead lighting to fill in shadows.

When shooting products, do you recommend standing back and getting more in the frame that you can crop during editing or should we be getting all up in the product's business for a tight shot?

I always like to get up close and personal to the products when doing product photography. Being up close will make for the least grainy image. But I also think it is important to take shots from all different angles and distances so you have options to play with while you edit.

What are your thoughts on portrait mode?

Portrait mode is a cool feature on phone cameras but I think it can sometimes be fidgety and hard to use when shooting products and doesn’t always work the best. But I think that it is a fun tool to experiment with.

I know they're nowhere near as popular as they were when Instagram first rolled them out, but IG filters - yay or nay?

Personally, I would say nay to the Instagram filters. They give me very 2012 vibes haha! Some apps that I use for filters instead are VSCO and Tezza.

Have you used clip-on phone lenses and do you think they're beneficial to achieve better photos or are they more of a whimsical/fun addition?

I’ve actually never used clip-on phone lenses but I do want to try some. I might get some for my new series, Through the Lens, to play around with and I will let you know!

Can you give us a little breakdown of what your new series, Through The Lens, is going to entail and when we can expect it to drop?

Make sure you're keeping an eye out for Maddie’s new series on PromoJournal.com so you can learn tips and tricks to help you improve your product photography using your phone.