Feedback on photos for website

[Humblegoat]

Hi all, I’m updating my website with 2025 photos moving toward putting up online sales. I’m trying to make the photos interesting, but would love some feedback. Is it too much? What do you all think? Apologies in advance for the long post of pics. Hope I’m in the right place to post.

 

[Humblegoat]

Sorry, I know there is a lot.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Love the artistic arrangements @Humblegoat! Beautiful soaps, too!

Pics are not fully focused. Was soft focus intentional? Personally, to really see the soaps I’m wondering how the pics would look if you used the same staging and took them outside in full shade. In my limited experience with the iPhone, outside-in-shade pics make soap images pop, which is what works best for website images.

 

[Humblegoat]

Love the artistic arrangements @Humblegoat! Beautiful soaps, too!

Pics are not fully focused. Was soft focus intentional? Personally, to really see the soaps I’m wondering how the pics would look if you used the same staging and took them outside in full shade. In my limited experience with the iPhone, outside-in-shade pics make soap images pop, which is what works best for website images.

Thank you. Some are different settings on the iPhone and I was using one of my plant lights at different levels to try and get good color and lighting. I have @10 pics of each setup and will check for focus, I wear glasses and that may be some of the focus issues. I will mindful of that. Thanks for the outside tip, I’ll try it. And thanks for the feedback!!

 

[Ephemerella]

this one is your best in terms of compostion

Just my 2¢, the dramatic colored lighting might be too much and detracting. The staged items are nice, but your soap should always be the forefront, staging items should be background -- some of the props are out shining your soap, and it makes your soap look like the prop.

Overall, really nice.

this is way more gear than you're working with, but the concept of staging, angle of view and simplicity might help

 

[Humblegoat]

Just my 2¢, the dramatic colored lighting might be too much and detracting. The staged items are nice, but your soap should always be the forefront, staging items should be background -- some of the props are out shining your soap, and it makes your soap look like the prop.

Overall, really nice.

@Ephemerella thank you. I was worried about that too. I want the photos to be interesting and might be giving more to overall photo composition than soap. I appreciate your feedback.

this one is your best in terms of compostionView attachment 80505

I do favor this one!!

this is way more gear than you're working with, but the concept of staging, angle of view and simplicity might help

I had actually watched this one along with some others. It’s just me and my iPhone I’m afraid.

 

[Ephemerella]

It’s just me and my iPhone I’m afraid.

You don't need the fancy gear and staging, I do my product shots w my iPhone as well... but what you can learn is the angle, you see many of the photos are eye-level to the product, rather than looking down on it... and lighting... the best lighting of all is free, sunlight! Find an area in your home where sunlight streams in and clear out a spot where you can set up a little photo shoot. You'll be amazed how gorgeous your soap photography becomes when you are down eye level, with natural light cascading all over your lovely soaps! Be sure to have some way to keep your phone still too, don't rely on holding it still, even if you just prop it up against your coffee mug, you shouldn't hold the phone in your hand while you shoot.

 

[AliOop]

Very pretty soaps! I agree with the suggestion to simplify the staging, shoot from eye level, and increase the ambient light. I use my iPhone 8 and cheap black or white poster board from Dollar Tree for my backgrounds. If you don’t have sunlight, move a regular reading light or two in front of the soaps - it makes such a difference.

As you can see from the below, I have a long way to go in composition, but the soaps are clear, with minimal shadows.

 

[Ephemerella]

Yup, up close, eye level (or dramatic angle) natural light, easy peasy and always comes out sharp.

@Humblegoat I forgot to say just how lovey your soap looks, the swirls are amazing and your bars are so polished looking!

 

[Humblegoat]

Yup, up close, eye level (or dramatic angle) natural light, easy peasy and always comes out sharp.

@Humblegoat I forgot to say just how lovey your soap looks, the swirls are amazing and your bars are so polished looking!




View attachment 80518View attachment 80517View attachment 80516

Thank you @Ephemerella! I take that as quite the compliment, thanks for sharing some pics. It was night time before I could get to this. I’m heading on vacation Tuesday and trying to get them in my phone so I can work on them there. Along with the million other things I have to do to get ready!!

Very pretty soaps! I agree with the suggestion to simplify the staging, shoot from eye level, and increase the ambient light. I use my iPhone 8 and cheap black or white poster board from Dollar Tree for my backgrounds. If you don’t have sunlight, move a regular reading light or two in front of the soaps - it makes such a difference.

As you can see from the below, I have a long way to go in composition, but the soaps are clear, with minimal shadows.

View attachment 80515

View attachment 80514

I see your point! Thanks for sharing some sample pics @AliOop

 

[FFLinOhio]

I liked the two with the plants.
bring the soaps closer to the camera, I agree with the others about letting the soaps be the star, not the props.
use more light on different sides to remove shadows.
your soaps are beautiful

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

Hi all, I’m updating my website with 2025 photos moving toward putting up online sales. I’m trying to make the photos interesting, but would love some feedback. Is it too much? What do you all think? Apologies in advance for the long post of pics. Hope I’m in the right place to post.

Do you sell goat milk protein as well? I looked up humblegoat and there is a company selling goat milk powders. Is that you?

 

[Humblegoat]

I liked the two with the plants.
bring the soaps closer to the camera, I agree with the others about letting the soaps be the star, not the props.
use more light on different sides to remove shadows.
your soaps are beautiful

Thank you @FFLinOhio. Your feedback is very helpful and appreciated.

Do you sell goat milk protein as well? I looked up humblegoat and there is a company selling goat milk powders. Is that you?

No, I sell goat milk soap.

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

Thank you @FFLinOhio. Your feedback is very helpful and appreciated.

No, I sell goat milk soap.

Gotcha!

 

[dibbles]

I don't sell, so I can't really advise you on what works best from that standpoint. But I will share my thoughts as a shopper. Keep in mind that I am a 'less is more' kind of person. From a web store perspective, my preference would be uniform photos with no or very minimal (a few coffee beans or a teaspoon of clay, for example). The photos with plants, baskets, or other props are good for social media posts.

I am far from an expert in product photography, but I have found that using a white background is helpful, because you can more easily correct the white balance to get a more accurate representation of the colors in your soap. Take your photo from farther away and crop to a consistent size for use in your web store. I think that may help to sharpen the images. If natural light is a problem (it is for me), brighten the photos. During the winter months here in MN taking photos outside really isn't an option.

Taking good soap photos is sometimes more difficult that making the soap That said, your soaps are lovely and I wish you much success if you decide to sell.

 

[Humblegoat]

I don't sell, so I can't really advise you on what works best from that standpoint. But I will share my thoughts as a shopper. Keep in mind that I am a 'less is more' kind of person. From a web store perspective, my preference would be uniform photos with no or very minimal (a few coffee beans or a teaspoon of clay, for example). The photos with plants, baskets, or other props are good for social media posts.

I am far from an expert in product photography, but I have found that using a white background is helpful, because you can more easily correct the white balance to get a more accurate representation of the colors in your soap. Take your photo from farther away and crop to a consistent size for use in your web store. I think that may help to sharpen the images. If natural light is a problem (it is for me), brighten the photos. During the winter months here in MN taking photos outside really isn't an option.

Taking good soap photos is sometimes more difficult that making the soap That said, your soaps are lovely and I wish you much success if you decide to sell.

@dibbles thank you so much for your perspective, definitely some good tips. I don’t really even want to set up online orders, but I see the need for my repeat customers. I’d really just like to stay home and play with soap, but alas, that doesn’t seem to be how it will work for me I do enjoy the people at the markets though.

 

[akseattle]

@Humblegoat , first, really beautiful soaps. As to the soap displays, I'm a totally lay person. I don't sell or anything like that.
At this point, I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even bother to trim my soaps. But, I love looking at photos of soap.

My favorite photos were #3792, #3817, #3826, and 3864. I did think that #3852 was a really nice composition. The soap was up close, but either the soap is pale in coloring or it was a little blurred. I would have liked to see more soap surface. The focus of #3852 seemed to be on the metallic-like design on the top (which is beautiful, BTW.)

My eye would generally go towards soap photos that are clear and up close. But, I love #3817. The soap is close enough, the plant compliments but doesn't detract. Photo #3792 is similar but maybe needed to be little closer on the soap with just little less pot? (or a smaller pot with less mass.)
I didn't pick #3818 as one of my favorites because the soap is too far away. But that plant is beautiful and the colors perfectly compliment that particular soap. I would shoot that soap and that plant until you find the right proportions and angle, like you did on #3817.

@AliOop's display is something I could do. The soap is bright, up front and center. The soap looks fabulous. With my skills that is where I would start if I were to start displaying soap for sale.

But, @Ephemerella is either naturally artistic or has been studying this art of soap photography for awhile. Her display has the perfect balance. The soap is crisp, clear, and upfront but is beautifully complimented by the simple textures around it. Even the grey & white soap. It's beautiful. @Ephemerella , Is that a piece of an old cracked fence plank? Tell me it's not. If I took a photo of my soap on an old cracked fence plank, it would like soap on an old cracked fence plank. @Ephemerella , you must be a Jedi. All I see is a beautiful soap.

@Humblegoat , thanks for giving me a chance to learn with you!!

 

[Humblegoat]

@Humblegoat , first, really beautiful soaps. As to the soap displays, I'm a totally lay person. I don't sell or anything like that.
At this point, I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even bother to trim my soaps. But, I love looking at photos of soap.

My favorite photos were #3792, #3817, #3826, and 3864. I did think that #3852 was a really nice composition. The soap was up close, but either the soap is pale in coloring or it was a little blurred. I would have liked to see more soap surface. The focus of #3852 seemed to be on the metallic-like design on the top (which is beautiful, BTW.)

My eye would generally go towards soap photos that are clear and up close. But, I love #3817. The soap is close enough, the plant compliments but doesn't detract. Photo #3792 is similar but maybe needed to be little closer on the soap with just little less pot? (or a smaller pot with less mass.)
I didn't pick #3818 as one of my favorites because the soap is too far away. But that plant is beautiful and the colors perfectly compliment that particular soap. I would shoot that soap and that plant until you find the right proportions and angle, like you did on #3817.

@AliOop's display is something I could do. The soap is bright, up front and center. The soap looks fabulous. With my skills that is where I would start if I were to start displaying soap for sale.

But, @Ephemerella is either naturally artistic or has been studying this art of soap photography for awhile. Her display has the perfect balance. The soap is crisp, clear, and upfront but is beautifully complimented by the simple textures around it. Even the grey & white soap. It's beautiful. @Ephemerella , Is that a piece of an old cracked fence plank? Tell me it's not. If I took a photo of my soap on an old cracked fence plank, it would like soap on an old cracked fence plank. @Ephemerella , you must be a Jedi. All I see is a beautiful soap.

@Humblegoat , thanks for giving me a chance to learn with you!!

@akseattle thank you for the specific feedback. #3852 is a pale colored soap with gold mica powder on the bees (I love the bees too ). And yes I love #3817, that soap is “enchanted woods” a custom scent of mine.

I truly appreciate all the great feedback. @AliOop @Ephemerella @Hope Elisabeth 68 @dibbles @FFLinOhio @ScentimentallyYours @akseattle thanks again for your time and assessments, everyone brought something to my mind and help in this process. I’m super happy I found this group! It is definitely #1 of groups that I’m in, thoughtful, caring, and supportive.

These are raw pics and I can do some editing, I also have a program that will remove the background and put in others or a solid color.
The clouds are a bit much

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

@Humblegoat, please try taking your suede cloth outside in the shade to stage a soap pic. It will make a nice, non-distracting background for your soap. Here’s how I do it for soap challenges so folks can really see details of the soap. Note how well the iPhone focused, and that pics can be enlarged to see tiniest details.

 

[Humblegoat]

@ScentimentallyYours i sure will! Those pics are amazing!