Auctioneer/Rose assortment manager Ger de Brabander receives many different questions about taking good product photos. Read his 5 most important tips.
1. Discover the extra banner options
"Growers start with the extra banner options that can take up a maximum of 20% of the total product photo. We are now offering the option to place text inside. You can add the cultivar name to the banner, as well as other product characteristics. At the Trade Fair I spoke with a Brassica grower, who produces fragrant ornamental cabbages. He now also carries a range of non-fragrant products. I advised him to make this distinction on the banner. Other growers use this space to specify the length, for example. With roses you currently have roses XL or Extreme. The quality, A1, can also be added to the banner. How long should the text be? Keep it readable. The customer must be able to read it in a split second. It's all about a short catchy text. "Don't write a love letter, even though this is appropriate for the rose," says Ger with a wink.
2. Be mindful of the background
"We see many differences in the backgrounds of product photos. Ensure that the background is neutral. We see all kinds of shadows - such as shoes, for example. It doesn't have to be complicated. Buy a white or gray sheet, hang it up properly and use this as a background.
3. Use clean packaging
"This is an obvious tip, but it is extremely important. The packaging must be clean. Keep some clean packaging at hand, for example 4 or 5 different containers and support shelves, and use it to take the photographs."
4. Ensure that the product is placed properly in the packaging
"It is very important that the product is neatly arranged. What do I mean by that? Ensure that the bunches are not lopsided, or avoid using one sleeve with a logo facing left and then another with no logo at all. The logo must face in the same direction at all times. In other words, present the product neatly."
5. Show your mixed lot
"Do you have a mixed lot? By showing two packaging units in one photo, it is immediately clear to the customer that the mix may vary. This option is not new, but not many growers are using it yet. I am now persuading growers to use this method of depiction to show that not every mixed lot in one packaging unit is the same. The customer then knows that the mix may vary. For example, one container may hold 2 orange bunches, 1 yellow, 1 pink and 1 red, and another container may have a different ratio."
Source: Royal FloraHolland