We’re always searching for ways to improve our product photography, whether that is by learning a new technique, buying new equipment or improving existing skills. This is true across all aspects of photography including food, fashion and jewellery photography.

What many people forget to ask themselves is whether they have learnt bad habits that are actually harming their product photography services. As a result, we’ve put together some of the most common bad habits that photographers everywhere should be aware of and try to avoid where possible.

Sticking to auto

Modern cameras are incredibly smart, with an array of features and functions that make life easier for those working in product photography. As a result, it is quite common to rely on the auto function on your camera.

Whilst this isn’t the end of the world and you can genuinely get good images this way, you’re not developing your knowledge and experience of the fundamentals of photography. These include ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and many other settings found on a camera.

Spending time learning and developing your skill set in this area will pay dividends in the long run so avoid the bad habit of simply sticking a camera on auto and start shooting.

Forgetting to move

Failing to move and relying on zoom is more common among beginners starting out in product photography, but equally, something more experienced photographers are guilty of too. No matter whether you work in jewellery photography or fashion photography, you will likely have some decent zoom lenses in your bag of tricks.

However, if you fail to move and consider a better angle you will end up missing out on those truly effective and outstanding product images that your clients will love. Finding the perfect balance of angle and zoom is the key to success.

Relying too much on editing

The latest editing suites offer almost every tool you could imagine, fixing minor issues and enhancing subjects. Taking your images to the next level, they are an invaluable tool for anyone working in product photography.

However, one bad habit photographers tend to develop is relying on post-production to resolve issues that could actually be dealt with during the photoshoot. It is important to remember that fixing something via the camera during the shoot will always result in higher-quality images at the end of the process.

Inefficient storage systems

A common bad habit that should be dealt with early on in your product photography journey is not spending enough time making sure you have a correct final management system in place. Whether you wish to use a particular piece of software or any of the free online services, managing your files will make the entire process more efficient and effective.

It is also important to remember that backing up is vital. Don’t get into the habit of not having backups because guaranteed at some stage in your career this will come back to haunt you. With many reviews and guides out there about storing files as a photographer, it doesn’t take long to set up the perfect system.