Packshot Product Photography

Want to perfect your packshots? Find all the tips you need in this comprehensive tutorial.

Discover how to achieve a clean white background, photograph reflective surfaces, control unwanted reflections and shadows on your products, and much more!

When you’re shooting packshots, speed and efficiency are key. That’s why it’s essential to have a lighting setup that’s both suitable and simple.

In this class, recorded LIVE, you’ll learn how to set up, light and and capture successful packshots.

Working through multiple products, Karl demonstrates just how important perfecting your lighting setup is. Starting with a simple two-light setup, he shows you how to achieve a professional result quickly – even if you’re working in a small studio and using basic modifiers.

In this class:

  • Product photography: Packshots
  • How to photograph packshots
  • Studio lighting setups for packshots
  • How to achieve a pure white background
  • Small studio photography
  • How to control shadows
  • Controlling reflections on shiny objects

If you enjoy this class, check out Packshots: White Background Product Photography.

Questions? Please post them the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Hey karl.
    I love your lessons, they are very much mohaned. I would love if you help me understand the rgb matter I can’t get to 255 but only to 93 and I do everything as you please. Thank you.

    1. Hi Adidia, in Photoshop and many other camera raw programs like Capture One or Phocus, the values are measured from RGB 0 (R0 G0 B0 = Black) to RGB 255 (R255 G255 B255 = white) In some programs (I think Lightroom) it is measured as a percentage. 100% would = 255 – 93% would only = 238

  2. I am using speed lights small room with poster board paper, Can I use 1 or 2 speed light to practice? Should I use bounce card on it. Retired now but like o learn new things. Last question when in larging or crop. Is it best to get in tight if using an old 18mp camera to crop?

  3. Hi Karl. I really enjoying your courses in the website and learning a lot from it.
    Thanks a lot!
    A question regarding the focal length you were using for shooting those products, in addition what is the recommended focal length for product photography in general?

    1. Hi and thankyou. I use 80-100mm focal length in medium format which is about 60-80mm in 35mm full frame format. I’ve also used a Sony 90mm Macro lens which has been very good too.

    1. Hi Gregory, if used carefully yes but it is difficult as it can be quite close to your subject and then ends up lighting your subject if you are not careful with your exposure level.

  5. Karl,

    On some of the glossy bottle surfaces I noticed the mono stand reflection was reflecting in the bottle. Would black card around stand or camera cut those reflections out or would you just take it out in post?

      1. Hi Karl,

        I think Kyle refers to the black vertical line inside the reflection created by the mirror on the left side of the purple drinking bottle, that goes from the bottom of the bottle and up to half the way through the letter “C” of the big Cadbury logo, seen at 32:43 of the tutorial.

        I signed up only a few days ago, and find your tutorials very clear and informative.
        For me many great tips in this video, including an important one: not all products can be shot as simple packshots, and they must be charged accordingly. Thank you sir! 🙏🙂

        Michael.

  6. Thanks Karl for one more in-depth tutorial !
    You are amazing 🙂

  7. The best techniques in shooting at off-white background. Simple tips can make you go further and give you high-end photography results. Doing the hard thing in a simple way and that what you Karl offering us. The best education platform I ever discovered! Please keep up the great work. Proud to be a member in this community.

  8. Karl,

    Using your techniques, I was able to complete a pack shoot from a new client and get a much hire rate. Because my samples were much better than others, the client agreed to my rate of 1200.00 usd. You ROCK!!!

  9. Hi Karl,

    Thank you for the videos and all the tips. Quick question. In regards to the LaCie Rugged Mini Hard Drive. When compared yours to the version on Amazon (US), for example, your box is uneven ( I know you are just demoing. I am not criticizing). Naturally this will be an issue with some boxes, therefore some photoshopping will be needed. (Not to mention that the box was shot from above so the horizon line was probably photoshopped out.) When you come across something like this, how do you adjust pricing? Clearly work goes into it to fix the box and take care of horizon and making the base white while the box shot is not even the hero shot. Thank you in advance.

    1. Hi Marty, if your customer is not going to supply you good boxes then yes you need to let them know there will be a charge to cut and glue.

  10. Hello Karl! a very useful lesson, I just want to ask if this same scheme can work for another type of product, hats for example, always for an ecomerce.
    thank you

    1. Hi Luis, yes generally speaking this will work for most product pack shots where you need a white background.

  11. Hi Karl, thank you for this amazing education.
    I have one question may I use a big octobox instead of big softbox?

  12. Hi Karl, i’ve a question about how to create a pure white flloor in a total body shot.
    I’m struggling to create a 100% white at the feet of the person at the floor in one shot. No problem with a white backgroud at the back, but at the floor i’ve to use photoshop to compensate. I think i’d use a shiny surface piece of sheet under the model but i’m interested in a way where the floor is pure white whitout nothing except the white floor.
    Thanks in advance,
    JAK

    1. Hi, this is often a tricky one as you generally need more space to do it correctly but it involves a light high behind your model pointing at the floor towards camera but you have to be careful about the light hitting the model too.

  14. Hi Karl,
    Just joined you education program and this tutorial has really helped and made some coins drop.

    Thanks for a really comprehensive video!

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