Cosmetic and beauty product photography ideas
There are so many incredible cosmetic and beauty product photographs out there. I want to help you create something that feels true to your own brand and ethos.
When putting together a mood board for my clients, I draw inspiration from the packaging, branding, texture of your product, ethos and application method.
Here are four fun photography tips to experiment with in cosmetic and beauty photography.
A simple product set up
Sometimes, stripping out all the noise and clutter can be really striking and powerful for beauty shots. Photographing your product on its own against complementary colours or interesting textures can be all you need to create an impactful photo shoot.
Cosmetic swatches and dribbles
Does your product consist of a powder, liquid or cream? It can be interesting to your audience to show exactly what’s inside that beautiful bottle or tube. Getting creative with dribbles, splodges or swatches is a great way to showcase your product. I will take the images into post production to highlight textures to make the images pop.
It can be useful to show colour and texture in makeup photography so that your customers can judge where their skin tone is the right fit for your product.
A traditional print advertising style image
Do you love those traditional images you might see in magazines that play with shadow, texture or lighting in a really dramatic way? Creating product photography that plays with an unusual or abstract concept can be really visually enticing. Useful items for this might include water, mirrors, or plinths and arches.
A flat lay arrangement
You can never go wrong with a flat lay. This arrangement is especially useful if you have multiple products to capture in the scene. You can arrange things in a really neat grid or go a little haphazard like these examples below with a maximalist pop of product and colour.
Take a look at my product photography portfolio or view the rest of the articles on my blog for more product photography tips and resources.
Helena is a professional photographer based in Bristol, specialising in product and food photography. She works with ethical and sustainable brands, creating joyful, story-telling product photos.