How to photograph watches?

In product photography, a specialization has developed for watch photography. In this post, we reveal the keys to photographing watches professionally, highlighting each product attribute in an attractive way.

What should watch photos show?

A good product photograph should be able to capture and reflect all the attributes, characteristics, and details of the object. Therefore, in watch photography, it should be possible to observe and identify those distinctive elements of the model in an attractive way. It’s important to highlight the packaging, the watch hands, the texture of the materials, the strap, the dial, and, if available, the digital display. It’s also necessary to show the front and profile of the watch. To achieve this, it’s recommended to capture the object from different angles and distances, using appropriate lighting and a clean background that makes the product stand out attractively for potential buyers. In photography, the function of showing objects from perspectives that the eyes in real life don’t highlight is fulfilled, so it’s important to take special care and attention when photographing watches to convey the value of the product in a different way.

How to do watch photography?

It’s important to play with focal lengths and lighting to create attractive scenarios that convey a specific aura related to sensations and experiences. To achieve this, it’s essential to have adequate preparation of the photography studio, ensuring good lighting and a clear background that highlights the product’s attributes. Generally, white backgrounds are used for product photography in online stores, as well as backlighting and indirect lighting to achieve homogeneous visualization without unwanted shadows or glares that could affect the final quality of the product photograph. You should play with focal distances, offering a 360-degree view of the product, allowing for complete and detailed appreciation of elements such as the hands, texture and finishes of materials, and the size of decorative elements. Using different lenses, such as a macro lens, can be useful for capturing detailed photographs without distortions. It’s also possible to have the help of models to add some kind of perception or relationship with a specific concept, adapting the model’s appearance and clothing to evoke elegance, informality, youth or maturity, depending on the target audience for the product. Through photography, it should be possible to highlight whether the watch is handcrafted or mass-produced, whether it has high-quality or replaceable materials. Users should be able to detect these details through the photographs of the watch. The side of the watch is also a key piece in watch photography, as it shows elements such as the winding and time-setting button in analog models, or simply the control buttons in digital pieces. Additionally, it allows capturing the finish of the reverse side where, generally, the watch has the manufacturer’s name and serial number, as well as its attributes, such as water resistance or special care instructions for the product.

Automated photography for watches

If you’re looking for the best way to capture professional watch images for your ecommerce, at AVisual STUDIOS you’ll find the solution you need. You can rent our photography studios and our automated product photography solutions, including our Alphashot 360 model available in our Barcelona studios, ideal for working on watch photography in a fully automated manner. The booth is equipped with LED lighting panels for homogeneous and adjustable lighting, and has a camera mount that allows you to adjust the angle and capture photographs from different perspectives. Additionally, if you want to bring out the full potential of your product in our Alphashot 360, we also have a wide variety of photography accessories to display your items so that you can always capture the best angle. Alphashot 360 also includes software with which you can configure the technical preferences of your packshot and capture images to upload them on-site to your ecommerce without delays. Another automated photography solution available in our Barcelona and Madrid studios is the ScanCube 308, ideal for automated photography of jewelry and small-sized products. It includes software designed to automatically control all camera, lighting, and configuration preferences. It also allows for post-production adjustments on the same device. All at the reach of a single click! If you want to know more about how to configure the camera for product photography, don’t hesitate to take a look at our previous post.