Take control of your camera

Modern cameras are very capable of producing good photographs but to get stunning shots you need to take control.

Switch your camera off auto mode. When the camera is on automatic it tries to make everything look 18% grey which is good for skin tones but not for a white background.

Shutter speed, your product is not moving, if you put your camera on a tripod then, you can use as long an exposure as you need.

Aperture, you can use this to control depth of field, how much of your product is in focus (See Tip #5).

Autofocus, again, your product is stationary so switch off the autofocus take control of exactly what part of your product is the focus point.

ISO, This is how sensitive your camera’s sensor is the higher the number the darker the scene that can be recorded. The downside is that as the sensitivity increases so does the noise, this looks like tiny grainy spots on your image. Modern cameras handle noise very well but you will still want to choose the lowest possible.

Use a Tripod, allows you to use slower shutter speeds and allows you to get consistent framing in your shots.

Tether your camera to a computer so you can see the image large on the screen. Most camera suppliers make tethering software for your camera or you can download other programs that can do this.

The good thing about digital photography is that you can shoot as many photos as you like take more shots with different camera settings.