Product Backdrop

There is a distinct commonality between all the photos of the products I sell. The white rock product backdrop is a photo scene setup with a consistent backdrop and good lighting. It appears in nearly every single product photo, and there is good reason for it:

Why is a product backdrop important for an online seller?

A consistent backdrop for product photos serves several important purposes in the world of e-commerce, marketing, and product presentation. Here are some of the key reasons why maintaining a consistent backdrop is crucial:

1. Highlighting the Product: The primary purpose of a consistent backdrop is to ensure that the focus remains squarely on the product being photographed. By eliminating distracting elements in the background, the product is showcased prominently, making it easier for potential customers to evaluate its features and details.
2. Brand Identity: Consistency in product photography helps reinforce your brand’s identity. When customers see a series of product images with the same backdrop, they immediately associate that style with your brand. This contributes to brand recognition and can help build trust and loyalty among customers.
3. Professionalism: A consistent backdrop lends an air of professionalism to your product photos. It conveys that you have put thought and effort into presenting your products in the best possible way, which can boost your brand’s credibility and reputation.
4. Comparative Analysis: When customers are browsing products online, they often want to compare similar items. Having a uniform backdrop allows for easy visual comparisons, as differences between products are more apparent when the background remains constant.
5. Versatility: A consistent backdrop can be adapted to different product types, sizes, and styles. Whether you’re selling clothing, electronics, or home decor, the backdrop can be chosen to complement and enhance the product’s visual appeal.
6. Social Media and Marketing: These days, product images are not only used on e-commerce websites but also in various marketing materials and social media platforms. A consistent backdrop makes it easier to create a cohesive visual identity across all these channels.
7. Efficiency: Using a consistent backdrop can streamline your photography process. You don’t have to set up a new background for every product, saving time and effort in the long run.
8. Quality Control: It helps maintain quality control in your product images. If all images are shot against the same backdrop, any variations or defects in the product are more noticeable, allowing you to address them before publishing the images.
9. Customer Expectations: Customers have come to expect a certain level of consistency in product presentation when shopping online. Meeting these expectations can improve their shopping experience and increase the likelihood of making a purchase.
10. Aesthetic Appeal: A well-chosen backdrop can enhance the overall aesthetics of your product photos. It can complement the product’s colors, textures, and design, creating visually appealing images that draw customers in.

The Construction Process

The building process started with creating half of a 2’x2′ cube from 2″x4″ lumber and OSB board. The half includes the top, bottom, left, and back sides of a full cube. The 2″x4″ lumber provides the frame structure for the plywood and casters to attach to, and the plywood forms the surfaces of the backdrop.

Then it was time to attach the decor to the frame. The rocks don’t stack together perfectly and you can see gaps in between them. Black paint was applied to the walls to minimize how the gaps stood out. I would have filled it with grout like a real stone wall but didn’t have any one hand.

After the walls were prepped, the rocks could be glued on. The rocks were leftovers from a renovation project at home, so they were free but could be sourced from a specialty home hardware store. They were held onto the wall permanently with construction adhesive. Each layer sat on the last, so the previous layer had to be fully attached before the next could begin. I quickened the process with some temporary hot glue that held the wall together until the construction adhesive had dried.

The floor is made of vinyl flooring that was part of another home renovation. It was cut to size using woodworking power tools and laid underneath the rock wall. As a final change, the extruding corner of the floor was miter cut as it wouldn’t be useable for photos and stuck out into the aisle.

Lighting

Quality photos need a bright, even, and consistent light. I bought a face sunning lamp, a “personal health” product that is supposed to improve health by shining sunlight and imitating light. While I am unconvinced of its actual health benefits, the product is cheap and makes a great studio light for the admittedly beginner photography I need. I hung it on the roof of the product backdrop and set it to a cool white color. This ensures all products are depicted in the same color tones and are as accurate to real life as possible.

I also included addressable RGB LEDs along the perimeter of the roof. It was intended to be accent lighting as needed, but as of now, the LEDs aren’t connected to anything. It may be a future upgrade to be able to change the color against the rock wall.

Results

Overall the product backdrop was been a very effective and utilized tool in the shop. The convenience of always having a clean and simple backdrop that works with every color and texture of photograph subject is immense, plus the form factor of the custom box adds to the small workspace rather than subtracts from it.

You can check out more project posts here!