Automated Product Photography: Case Study – 10 Million Photos!

Slovakian production company, Studio 727, were given an automated product photography project which involved taking over 10 million photos!

The objective was to photograph and catalogue Slovakian museum artefacts that were located in 55 locations throughout the country, for the purpose of giving on-line viewers the ability to see these relics in full 360-degree panoramic view.

PHOTO LOGISTICS – SHOOTING AND MOVING

The scope of the project posted a logistical nightmare. Not only were there 55 locations that all needed visiting, there was also the entire gamut of museum artefacts, which came in all shapes and sizes. Then there were the museum buildings themselves, and all the issues of getting inside with the equipment and then actually setting up the shoots (lighting, backgrounds, equipment etc.).

The project also required that each artefact was photographed 144 times (4 elevations, with each level taking 36 photos), so that if needed they could be turned into 3D objects. With the task of taking 72,000 photos of each artefact 144 times, this meant Studio 727 had to come up with a solution to take 10 million photos!

Time was also a major factor. The project was funded by a government grant and the EU, and it had stringent time considerations attached. Factor in a time limit to an already complex and challenging undertaking, this compounded the vital importance of needing highly automated and sophisticated equipment to complete the project.

To see how Studio 727 used an automated photography solution with robotics, to get all artefacts photographed for full 360-degree viewing, download the Product Photography Case Study

You can also check out the short case study video, which has some great highlights of the different robotics taking photos

To see our Orbital Automated Product Photography Rig, click here

Why Product Photography for your Website?

E-COMMERCE, PHOTOGRAPHY & THE PIXEL CULTURE

Photos and video define the communication culture we live in today. Nearly every social media platform has the means to record, send, receive and view media. This movement has defined the pixel hungry populace, and the exponential rise of cheaper technology and accessible giant bandwidth means that everyone doesn’t just want it – they crave it!

The same cravings that drive the social media world likewise drive e-commerce consumers – the impulse for instant gratification! From the casual web surfer to the die-hard digital shopper, alike they demand visual stimulus to satisfy their shopping appetite. If they can’t see what they want to see, in literally seconds they are onto the virtual doorstep of the next proprietor. It is just as one would stroll shop to shop through Carnaby Street, only in the digital world, shops are at the mercy of a simple button click and the prospect’s gone.

It is not only the ‘engaging’ of the customer with strong visual assets (videos, photos and lately 360-degree pictures) that’s important. This is definitely vital to the buying cycle, but by ensuring you are visually answering the customer’s questions, you are less likely to have your merchandise returned. Around 1/3 of all on-line items are sent back, and thus, it is of paramount importance that on-line retailers focus on how to reduce return rates – photos, videos, 360° and 3D photography are all very strong solutions to this problem.

You’ll read and hear countless stories on the percentage booms in revenue through strong, well presented visual assets on your website. Like a shop window designed to entice potential buyers, a well laid out website, with hot-spot visuals, and other cleverly positioned media and icons, will serve you well in driving through website sales.

According to a study conducted through Adobe Scene7, 91% of individuals surveyed want the ability to turn products around in full 360° spin and zoom in on any perspective. Golfing superstore Golfsmith found 30% higher conversion rates amongst products being showcased in 360° & 3D views.

TOP BRANDS GETTING THEIR PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY RIGHT

Nike, Reebok, Asics and many other top sports brands are all great examples of companies who’ve maximised the use of good product photography on their websites. You can peruse clothing, trainers etc. with ease, and usually get a good visual impression of what you are interested in.

Asics recently streamlined their product photography process with The Orbital Rig; a powerful, high-speed photography rig designed to dramatically decrease the time it takes to get through high volume product shots. Switching trainers and other clothing items that require the same shots can be very time-consuming. With the Orbital, you can greatly increase the efficiency of this process. As Austin Langley Photographer for Asics comments:

‘We get the same shot, every time, every product, for every shoot. No variances in position or angle, which creates the uniformity we need.’

The longevity of any company today will depend on its ability to keep pace with the competitive digital landscape and to satisfy the consumer’s voracious appetite for visual content. Organisations both big and small should consider their options in terms of how they are going to standout in the insanely cluttered e-tail market and the means of showcasing their wares – whether it is generated through their own in-house photography studio, contracting the work out or purchasing the necessary photography equipment (cameras, turntables, photography rigs etc.).

As final thought, simply Google some relevant product images and see what stands out – what image do you see first? What photo do you like? What attracted you to that one image you clicked? – How can your product be that image?

For more information on the Orbital Product Photography Rig click here; for Turntables click here