10 Hottest Product Photography Trends

If you have an e-commerce store, you should know that product photography can make or break your business. Product images are the building blocks of a successful website, an effective marketing tool, and an essential communication element with potential buyers.

You might think that creating quality product photography is difficult and expensive, and you’re right. From product preparation to a photoshoot, it’s a complex, resource-intensive, time-consuming process, for which there was no alternative for a long time. Thankfully, the alternative has immerged. Another title for this article could be “innovative technologies at the service of photography”.

Digitalization undoubtedly and irreversibly affects the photography industry and its future. Our 3D rendering company has been creating product visuals for many years, so we prepared this article containing 10 product photography trends in 2022. It will help you stay up to date with the latest innovations in this field. 

#1. Authenticity

Your products must be presented in the best possible light, but they must also remain authentic. Most product returns and customer dissatisfaction are because the product in real life does not match the images shown on the website. Therefore, your task is to show the product in as much detail as possible — to reduce the use of retouching and evident photo manipulation.

Provide clean, high-quality product photography from multiple angles using a variety of lighting schemes. And do not underestimate natural lighting — it will help the consumer present the product as close to reality as possible.

#2. AI Post-Production

One of the most innovative product photography trends in 2022 is incorporating AI. A neural network can greatly facilitate the process of post-production product photography. Many online services include AI indicators to improve photo quality up to eight times, as well as to detect sharpness, remove noise, improve color, contrast, remove background.

Some of them are Adobe Sensei, a lantern extraction tool powered by Depositphotos, Vance AI Image Enlarger, Crea8tiveAI Photo Refiner, Topaz Gigapixel AI, Pic app. Such programs help to accelerate the post-production process but only the basic tasks. It still lacks in creativity and diversity that the human mind and manual work provide.

#3. Stylistics

The stylistic trends of 2022 help marketers, creators, and brands produce relevant, competitive, and engaging product photography.

Color Trends

• Muted Palettes

According to many color experts, the trend toward calm pastel shades will continue in 2022. These are predominantly green and blue colors that reflect natural calm and tranquility while energizing.

• Pantone Color of the Year 2022

Pantone’s Color of the Year 2022 is Very Peri, a shade of blue with a splash of purple-red. Color choice drives by the growing trend of virtual worlds and digital technology.

Style Trends

• Metaverse

Many are already familiar with augmented and virtual reality technologies, video games, artificial intelligence, etc. But this year has seen several milestones that will shape the future of the visual space: the announcement of Facebook’s Metaverse, the rise of the NFT market, the creation of digital clothing brands, the advent of neurochips, and discoveries in the space industry.

Visually, this will expresses in purple tones, neon, stylization for game spaces, unrealistic images, and AR.

• 2000s Aesthetic

The 2000s is the era of digital breakthroughs and techno-optimism, the heyday of the Internet, smartphones, and video games. Generation Z, born at that time, makes up a third of the world’s population. And now they are ready to warmly recall their carefree and bright childhood.

Create product photos in 2022 in pastel shades of pink, yellow, blue, and green, as well as film effects and frame grain.

• CGI & Animation

With the development of equipment power and performance, CGI is reaching a new level. The graphics have become more realistic and detailed. It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish them from real images. CGI is a practical solution for brands after the pandemic.

An attention-grabbing animation is a powerful tool. With animation, you can achieve an immersive experience that gives the viewer a sense of presence, which is incredibly useful for making e-commerce decisions, but more on that later.

Format and Feed

As we are all shopping, messaging, and reading more and more content from our mobile devices, vertical images are becoming the basic photo format. Therefore, take care of the attractiveness of vertical mobile-ready images for social networks.

#4. Monochrome

Monochrome color schemes are another long-running visual product photography trend in 2022. When a single color is present in a frame with some variation in brightness and color saturation, it adds depth and structure to the photo. Monochrome allows focusing only on the primary features of the product.

Keep the psychology of color in mind when creating product photography in monochrome. Color is a significant element in advertising and marketing. To use color effectively, think of it as a tool. Color can arouse curiosity, soothe or, conversely, irritate, be associated with professionalism and sophistication, call to action and evoke a wide range of other feelings in a person.

When choosing a color for product photography, it is important to consider the cultural characteristics of the market, the age category of buyers, gender characteristics, and many other nuances. Although there are no universal rules for choosing colors, numerous studies have established certain patterns that help photographers and marketers successfully use the magic of color in their work.

#5. Videography

The latest statistics claim 88% of people would like to see more videos from brands in 2022. Why is a video taking over photo and text content? Because audiovisual storytelling makes viewing a simple and easy task. So videography makes it easier to grab and hold attention. It also conveys information better, making it entertaining and dynamic. You can get product reviews, advertise services, talk about your brand, and educate — video is universal.

Recording and publishing video content or creating it in 3D means meeting audience expectations. Leading platforms striving to create the best opportunities for publishing and showing videos. And since the user is engaged in watching the video, he stays on the site longer. This time affects the SEO promotion and your position in the search. Also, the video can go viral as users actively share interesting and helpful videos.

#6. 360-Degree Views and Panoramas

Today, one of the most effective ways of visual presentation of the product in online retail is a product 360° view and panorama. The technique of panoramas in photography allows you to create the illusion of a three-dimensional object, usually rotating. The result of such a survey can display as an interactive 3D model that shows the product from all sides and allows the user to control the rotation of the object.

Trends such as 360-degree views and panoramas are the postulates of the most demanded media content and innovation marketing. By implementing them for your e-commerce site, instead of the usual static product photography, you will facilitate deeper integration of the consumer with your product and brand.

#7. Product Animation

Companies are gradually updating their visual language, and 3D is currently the most in-demand trend for this. CGI is about flexibility and the freedom to create graphics in any style. Simultaneously, the threshold for entering 3D is getting lower every year: the software is developing, most of the functions are well-tuned to the users’ needs, and accordingly, the process becomes faster.

Get a short feature video or how-to animation from a CGI studio and incorporate it into your e-comm website. You can also show how to assemble or use your products with an immersing effect, letting customers see the details.

Think of animation as a powerful trend and storytelling tool that enhances emotional response. It will engage your users to stay on the site longer and improve the user experience.

#8. Lifestyle Images

When it comes to e-commerce product photography, there are two main types of images: product shots and lifestyle images. Ideally, your website should include both types for every product you sell.

Lifestyle images help the consumer see the product in context. Furnishings, decor, composition, light, style — this will provoke a potential buyer’s imagination and bring them closer to buying.

Photographing products in a lifestyle environment can be very expensive and difficult, as it involves a lot of work in planning, organizing, executing, and post-production of this event. It is more practical and profitable to outsource its task to professional 3D artists.

Lifestyle 3D product photography trends will quickly and accurately create vibrant and unique lifestyles for your product catalog, social media, or e-commerce website.

#9. Immersive Experience

Another future-orientated product photography trend in 2022 is Augmented Reality. AR allows customers to view 3D products in real environments and in real-time using smartphones or tablets. The in-store experience does not help shoppers visualize how products will look in their homes. AR changes retail is by offering shoppers the chance to see products at home before they buy.

Allowing the customer to bring simple product photos to life and display it in their home lowers the barrier to purchase and creates a strong bond with the product. Augmented reality is suitable for large objects, such as furniture, that are difficult to return or require longer delivery times.

#10. Product 3D Visualization 

Product visualization is the digital alternative to traditional photography and the most cost-effective trend for creating quality product images without photoshoots.

You can quickly change textures and materials, lighting schemes, product design details, get several lifestyle scenes, and show an object from different points of view without creating a physical prototype. And this means that your business will be able to quickly personalize the product to the needs of customers, save money both at the production stage and at the stage of demonstration of the final product.

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With such product photography trends of 2022 as 3D visualization, animation, and AR technologies taking center stage, the merger of the real and virtual worlds is creating a new space for creativity. At the same time, stylistic and aesthetic trends help to form concepts for product images.

Do you want to try one of the innovations in your business and create unforgettable product images? Our 3D rendering services will help you develop grand visual content that will take your sales and brand awareness to the next level.

Maria Smith

Content Writer, Copywriter

Maria is a content writer. She loves to write about visual art and technology. In her spare time from writing, she sings and creates abstract paintings.