What is Packshot Photography?

Within the business world, various terms related to photography are mentioned, including package photography, advertising photography, and commercial photography, and often people use these terms interchangeably. However, in many cases this is incorrect, and there is a world of difference between commercial or advertising photography and packshot photography. To appreciate this, it is important to first understand and recognize what we mean by a packshot photograph or image, and then understand the importance and benefit of this type of image.

What is a Packshot photograph?

A packshot is a high-definition photograph of a product or package, usually taken in a professional photo studio, and set against a seamless white background that is completely devoid of distractions. Often this white background is digitally removed, leaving a clean and simple image of the package or product. It can be anything from a ring to a DVD, from a children’s toy to a motorcycle.

The uniform background is usually achieved by having a smoothly curved wall, called an infinity curve, which allows the product to be easily integrated into web pages, brochures, catalogs, and flyers. Packshot photography provides convenience and versatility, but what is the real purpose of creating this type of image?

What is the purpose of Packshot photography?

The main objective of this type of image is to encourage visual recognition of the product. By clearly and simply conveying what the product looks like, without distractions, consumers are more likely to be able to recognize the product when they see it on the shelf for sale. There is a clear relationship between product image familiarity and product sales, particularly incidental sales, occasional sales, or sales in situations where many competing products may exist.

If a consumer has seen a product image that clearly shows what the packaging looks like, perhaps as part of a flyer, mailing, online advertisement, or catalog promotion, they are more likely to have this image in the background of their mind when browsing the shelves. in stores, increasing the likelihood that they will see the actual product, which in turn increases the likelihood of a sale.

So the real goal of packshot photography is to increase the conversion rate by increasing visibility and brand recognition. At its core, it is about psychology and visual memory, and for this reason packaged images are quite different, and have quite different goals, from advertising photography or commercial photography in general.

Why Packshot Photography Should Be Treated Differently

Increasingly, businesses of all sizes are under immense pressure to cut costs, and this has been evident in the world of advertising photography. Images sell, and no one would deny the importance of images and photographic advertising in an increasingly competitive business environment. But with the ever-increasing availability of ever more sophisticated and high-quality digital cameras, complete with inexpensive graphics suites capable of a staggering array of manipulation tools, many companies have been tempted to switch to producing advertising photography in-house.

In some cases this has worked, although invariably the results lack the imaginative and creative flair that allows an image to stand out from other images, but when it comes to packshot images there is simply no substitute for using a professional studio. Packshot photos should be high quality, sharp, expertly lit, and taken against a perfectly even background and free of distractions and focus points.

Lighting is one of the most difficult aspects of photography and often the only element missing where companies have attempted to shoot their packages in-house. Boosting brand visibility is critical, but it’s important to make sure that alongside that high visibility, there’s a clear message of precision, quality and sharp definition. High visibility that conveys messages of amateurish commercial approaches, lack of details or hidden aspects of the product can be as counterproductive as professional photography can be.