Footwear Photography: Ideas, Props & Setup Examples

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Footwear photography allows marketing teams to promote shoes, thus helping a company increase sales. It is also important for developing a consistent brand image, launching successful social media campaigns, and performing other tasks.

The owners of footwear brands should understand how to take high-quality photos to establish their position in the market and stand out among competitors, making more than footwear on white backgrounds.

7 Main Types of Footwear Photography

A photographer cannot use a one-fits-all method when it comes to capturing footwear as there are so many types of products available on the market. It is important to understand the differences between them to select the most suitable approach to staging and capturing photos.

1. Product - Lookbook vs Packshots

footwear photography product

Product photography is all about providing an honest preview of how a product looks in real life. It is similar to fashion photography. A photographer should be quite creative to get a decent result.

You can find plenty of photos on online auctions and eCommerce platforms that have a uniform background. When creating lookbooks, one may also experiment with different backgrounds or capture photos in unusual surroundings.

Most professionals use lookbook or packshot styles when working with product photos. Each of them aims to make a potential customer buy a product. However, they are used differently.

footwear photography lookbook example

Lookbook photography is perfect for situations when one needs to grab a viewer’s attention by producing professional art works. Such photos also look great on Instagram or when they are used as Google Ads adverts.

You may have seen that many people add the #shofie tag to footwear photos. Using the lookbook style and deploying advanced Instagram photo editing techniques allows photographers to create photos that can be posted under this hashtag.

footwear photography packshot example

Amazon and Allegro have specific footwear photography requirements. Such platforms require users to upload pictures with a white background. A photographer should take packshots to showcase a product from different angles. It’s better not to use the Instagram style when taking such pics.

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Need Perfectly Edited Footwear Shots?

If you want to enhance your footwear photos and give them a professional look, get in touch with the FixThePhoto experts. They will tweak the colors, improve lighting, delete the background, showcase the texture, and perform other tasks to make your footwear photos stand out among the rest.

Before taking packshots, it’s important to learn photo editing requirements for marketplaces and discover how to remove the background. You should be able to create a clipping path in Photoshop and master complex editing techniques.

When a photographer needs to take photos of sneakers or boots, they should use an informative style. It means paying attention to details, ensuring color accuracy, and emphasizing textures.

2. Fashion – Creating a Complete Fashion Look

footwear photography fashion

The purpose of fashion footwear photography is to capture a product as a part of a stylish look. There is no need to use product photography tips when taking such photos, as this style requires using creative techniques and taking pics in unusual locations.

Key elements of fashion footwear photography:

  • Styling & outfits. It’s important to choose the right outfit to showcase the product. Pick matching colors, textures, and styles to maintain consistency and create a harmonious look. For instance, a model may wear high heels with a nice dress or combine trendy sneakers with casual streetwear to emphasize footwear.
  • Creative locations. Fashion footwear photography requires using unusual locations. A photographer can take photos in urban spaces, use scenic locations outdoors, or take stylish shots indoors to tell a visually engaging story. Many Adidas footwear photography sessions take place in the city, while luxury brands typically prefer using minimalist interiors.
  • Lighting & mood. Using the right lighting, you can create a specific mood. Soft, natural light is perfect for capturing elegant shots, while dramatic light allows a photographer to increase contrast and achieve an edgy effect. Try using different lighting setups to see which of them allows you to showcase colors, textures, and materials.
  • Framing & composition. Creating a well-balanced composition allows a photographer to show footwear in the best light. You may focus on the product or capture the entire outfit using unusual angles. It’s recommended to combine full-body photos and close-ups to give a customer a complete overview.

3. Lifestyle – Telling a Story

footwear photography lifestyle

Footwear lifestyle photography focuses on capturing products in a real-world environment. This style is perfect for those who want to show how footwear can be worn on a daily basis. This genre requires a photographer to establish a connection with a viewer and use storytelling techniques to promote a product in an engaging way.

It’s important to understand the differences between various types of footwear to discover the best way to capture it. Consider the context and select the most suitable location for every product:

  • Athletic footwear: It’s better to use an action-oriented setting.
  • High heels: When doing ladies footwear photography, choose a luxurious backdrop to convey a feeling of elegance.
  • Children’s footwear: Come up with fun ideas that will be appealing to young clients.
  • Hiking boots: Capture them outside to take photos with an adventurous feel.

By establishing a connection with the target audience, a photographer can take photos that will generate some buzz.

When taking photos of hiking boots outdoors, I often capture pictures that demonstrate that the product fits perfectly. Then I capture the boots in various environments to show that they are suitable for all sorts of terrains. Finally, I take pics that inspire clients and demonstrate that they can reach their goals wearing these boots.

4. 360-Degree – Showing Footwear from All Sides

footwear photography 360-degree

When doing 360 footwear photography, a photographer has to take a sequence of shots using incremental angles (every 10-15 degrees). It facilitates showcasing a product from all sides.

Then, it becomes possible to create an interactive video allowing consumers to rotate the product on-screen. This approach empowers photographers to capture all the details and enables customers to view a product from various angles: front, back, sides, top, and even the sole.

Though it is a relatively new advancement, 360 product photography techniques are very useful for footwear photographers. With this method, there are no blank places in a photo.

If your profession requires you to work in this photography genre, buy some specific equipment for 360 photography to streamline your workflow. Besides a standard set of equipment, you will also need a rotating turntable, 50mm or 100mm prime lens and tripod.

5. Artistic – Evoking Viewers’ Emotions

footwear photography artistic

Artistic footwear photography is a unique genre that requires a photographer to focus on other elements of a product besides its physical features. Such photos are often used during advertising campaigns for world-known brands. They are also used on social media and editorial pages to improve a brand’s recognition.

Examples of artistic footwear photography concepts:

  • Luxury and elegance: A high-heeled product shot against a dark velvet backdrop. Using side lighting, a photographer can capture deep shadows to emphasize the curves and texture.
  • Street and urban grit: Take a photo of a sneaker put on gritty pavement. Professionals use such props as metal chains or neon lighting, which allows them to capture pictures in an urban style.
  • Nature-inspired: Outdoor footwear is captured against natural textures, like moss, rocks, or water. A photographer should use natural light to emphasize earthy colors and textures and demonstrate that a product is quite durable.
  • Surreal fantasy: Photographers take photos of sandals in a dreamlike setting with beautiful flowers or glittering fabric moving around them. It allows professionals to capture pictures with a magical feel.

6. Impression – Showcasing Functionality

footwear photography impression

Footwear impression photography is all about taking photos of thread patterns and footprints. Photographers with advanced skills know how to capture the design of the sole and demonstrate a product’s durability. This photography genre is perfect for capturing outdoor, athletic, or work footwear, as it allows a photographer to focus on threads.

When taking photos of impressions left on sand, mud, or snow, professionals demonstrate the functionality and durability of footwear. They know how to take photos that will appeal to customers interested in reliable products.

Note! This method is suitable for both commercial and forensic photographers. It allows one to emphasize the high quality of a product and document impressions left on various surfaces.

7. Forensic – Documenting Evidence Cases

footwear photography forensic

Forensic footwear photography is a narrow field. Professionals who work in this area, have to document and analyze shoeprints and footwear impressions when working at crime scenes.

They need to have strong photography skills to contribute to forensic investigations. Detailed footmark photos allow officers to learn about a suspect’s presence at a scene, track their steps, and even discover their identity.

Experienced forensic photographers know how to capture high-quality photos of footwear impressions that will be used during court cases.

Use of 3D Photogrammetry. Specialists leverage 3D imaging technology to generate digital models of footprints. Forensic footwear impression photography has many uses. Investigators can view impressions from multiple angles, take accurate measurements, and preserve the evidence to later re-examine it if prints get damaged.

Footwear Tips for Amateurs

Essential equipment includes a decent camera, professional lenses (it’s better to use a macro lens), a tripod, and lighting equipment (you may need studio lights or reflectors for natural light).

You can also take pictures with a professional camera for product photography or take product photos on iPhone. When you have the necessary gear, you can start taking footwear photos.

Set Up a Backdrop and Lighting

footwear photography backdrop and lighting

Footwear captured against a white background looks very neat and stylish. Choose such a background color if you want to learn how to photograph footwear for online stores like Amazon or eBay.

Make sure to purchase a product photo light box. It consists of a surface, backdrop and lighting setup, which will allow you to take professional photos. You can also make a DIY light box or use a roll of paper and window light to take photos without breaking your budget.

Lighting tips:

  • Natural light will allow you to add a soft, realistic touch to your pics
  • Studio lighting enables you to keep things under control and tweak the settings to take attention-grabbing pictures of footwear
  • Taking photos with a flash will allow you to achieve better sharpness

Pro advice. Stuff the product with tissue or crumpled paper or use dental floss to the footwear’s straps to hold them up in the frame. Make sure that footwear looks its best by creating the illusion that it is being worn by someone.

Make Proper Settings

footwear photography camera settings

If everything is ready, adjust your camera’s settings and press the shutter button. When working in a manual mode, I use the following settings:

  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/30
  • Aperture: f/11

However, keep in mind that these footwear product photography tips are suitable only for still pictures. If you need to take a photo of dark footwear and you don’t have enough light, try lowering the shutter speed.

To take a photo of a moving object, you will need much lighter. In this case, you will need to set the shutter speed to 1/500-1/1000. Set ISO up to 400 to avoid noise.

The recommended focal length is about 50 mm. It will enable you to avoid noticeable distortion and remove the lens limitations.

Keep in mind that different aperture values will impact the focus and the depth of field. For footwear, you can increase the lowest aperture value from f/11 to f/14. The upper limit should stay at f/16.

Pro tip. If you use the light sources at maximum strength when shooting in a studio setting and your footwear photos still look dark, try reducing the power of light. In case you have a tripod, you can decrease the shutter speed. Try experimenting with camera settings without going to extremes.

Pick Up the Background

footwear photography background

Professional photographers prefer to use a neutral white background when taking footwear photos. If you want to level up your skills, make sure to learn how to utilize a product photography white background to take pro-level footwear photos. However, even when using such backgrounds, you may face multiple issues:

Equipment needs. When doing footwear product photography with a white background, you will need to use the necessary equipment. You may use plexiglass tables, lightboxes, and other gear. If you want to add some visual interest to the background, use a set of colored and textured backdrops.

Contrast loss. You may need to adjust the lighting during a photoshoot and edit the contrast during the post-production stage. Otherwise, it may be impossible to capture glossy footwear without highlights. In some cases, you may notice that your photos look blurry. In this case, you should use popular footwear photography tips and perform the background cut to fix this issue.

Background uniformity control. It may be arduous to create the perfect RGB (255,255,255) background. You may notice lens vignetting issues or have to deal with unwanted shadows.

Besides, overburnt areas are another problem you may have to deal with. If you cut the background from your photo, you can quickly replace it with any color of your choice. Besides, this way, it will be easier for you to follow the repeatability principle when you need to work with other products.

Lighting focus: on the background or the product? When configuring the lighting to capture footwear, think about the location of the lighting focus. You can focus either on the footwear or on the background. It may be impossible to achieve excellent results if you focus on both areas simultaneously.

You will risk lighting your product poorly and capturing the greyish background. If you point the light source at the product, you can remove the background during post-production. When doing footwear group photography, you must use several light sources.

Consider these limitations when taking your photos. You may need to learn how to utilize professional photo editing software or outsource the task of enhancing your pics to experienced professionals.

Use the Props

footwear photography props

Props allow photographers to create attention-grabbing compositions and take visually appealing photos.

You can use the following types of footwear product photo props:

  • Fabrics and textures: Experiment with various materials like silk, leather, or rustic wood. It will allow you to achieve the right contrast and emphasize the texture. You can put them on the table or the ground to create a nice composition.
  • Fashion accessories: Using watches, sunglasses, belts, or handbags, you can demonstrate how footwear can be used as a part of a stylish look. Besides, customers will be happy to get some outfit ideas.
  • Foot forms or mannequin feet: This approach will help you demonstrate how footwear will look when worn.
  • Seasonal elements: Depending on the season, you might incorporate props like leaves for autumn, flowers for spring, or shells.
  • Jewelry: Using exquisite pieces of jewelry, you can create a luxurious effect and promote high-end or formal footwear more effectively.
  • Sports equipment: When capturing athletic footwear, you may put sports equipment in the background, such as a basketball or tennis racket.
  • Urban elements: Shooting streetwear with bricked walls painted with graffiti in the background or including street signs can help you achieve a nice urban feel.
  • Natural elements: Shooting footwear in a natural setting with sand, stones, water, or grass visible in the background is a nice idea for taking outdoor pics.
  • Books and magazines: These props are used by photographers to capture formal or classic footwear.
  • Travel accessories: Luggage, passports and other similar props are great choices for capturing casual footwear.
  • Food and beverages: Coffee, fruits, or stylish dining utensils could help you capture great lifestyle photos of footwear.

Footwear Staging Ideas

There are several ways to present a product in the right way and take cool shots when doing footwear studio photography. Everything depends on the footwear themselves and your final goal. When taking photos, you can experiment with various product photography ideas.

footwear photography flat lay

Flat lay. This method is popular among Instagram sellers and bloggers who put their main subject close to other objects and take a photo from above. Here the main thing is a color palette and natural lighting.

Speaking of colors, choose a neutral background, like a basic white, or, depending on your subject, a wood floor, desk, or table. Use a blank space to unite your image and make it more interesting.

By styling footwear in such a way, you can follow the principle of repeatability when preparing your content for promoting and selling products online. You need to take photos of your subject from different angles and group footwear in various ways to create interesting configurations. This approach is popular among those who specialize in footwear stock photography.

footwear photography flying shoelaces

Flying shoelaces. You can make it look as if your shoelaces were levitating in your pics if you hang them on a fishing line. It won’t be even visible in the frame. Make sure to build a rack behind the subject, as it will help you fix lines securely. You may even use a backdrop-hanging bar and two tripods to stabilize your setup.

If you attach the line to the heel, it will allow you to give a dynamic feel to your photos. Implementing such footwear photography ideas will help you grab the attention of e-commerce website’s visitors.

footwear photography soles

Photographing the soles. Using a headphone stand or thick wire with a base is perfect for situations when you need to fix the object upside down and take pictures from above. If you want to take more pics like this, you can also use a foot of a mannequin. Fix it to a plexiglass plate and take photos from a suitable angle.

footwear photography with box

Using the box. Some photographers prefer to utilize a box, which allows them to achieve the perfect depth effect. You can experiment with various heights and angles and lean footwear against the box.

It often happens that one brand box can help a photographer to create a consistent series of pics using footwear campaign photography methods. This technique was used for promoting the Nike Air Jordan "Bring Your Game" series.

footwear photography worm’s eye view

A worm’s eye view. Even though many professionals capture footwear close to the ground, it makes their photos less creative as they have limited opportunities when experimenting with angles.

Ask the model to lift their feet. Models can sit on a bench or assume another position that will allow you to include the sky and capture a 360-degree view of the object.

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