How to photograph glasses for e-commerce?

👓 E-commerce eyeglass photography: the complete guide

Logistics

A member of your team and an Orbitvu photo studio

Tool

Glasses, the Orbitvu software and a chamois

Duration

3 minutes

👓 Looking to enhance your glasses for your e-commerce site with professional visuals and striking?
Eyeglass photography is a demanding technical exercise: reflections, transparency, precise angles... But with the right tools, these constraints become opportunities.

📊 This comprehensive guide gives you all the keys to creating eyeglass photos that turn your visitors into customers.
Whether you sell optical mounts or sunglasses, you will learn to highlight every detail, manage reflections, and create appealing visuals adapted to e-commerce.

📷 Thanks to Orbitvu automated photo studio solutions, even beginners can get pro level results without endless retouching.

💻 Follow our step-by-step method to automate your workflow, Save time and boost your online eyewear sales as of today.

The set-up

Unpack the products, then categorize them by categories, models, variations, and types (e.g. optical/solar). Choose the appropriate nomenclature.

In the case of optics, the main challenge is knowing how to manage the different materials and types of frames and lenses. Good preparation will allow you to set up an effective workflow for a large number of shots. ⏳

For example, you can start by shooting the simplest models and then finish with the specific cases that will likely require different settings.

Do not forget to remove dust and possible fingerprints from the glasses with a chamois before starting the shoot.

Use cotton gloves to place your frames in the studio.🧤

Managing the light during the shooting

For the object to stand out well, the white background must be as neutral and bright as possible, without altering the color or texture of the product.

Choose your settings for the three main camera settings via the Orbitvu Station software: aperture, speed, and ISO. Then, orient your lights in different ways to get the exposure and reflections you want. 🎯

A photo studio, like The ALPHASHOT PRO G2, will make your task considerably easier for the lighting part of the product thanks to its 74 independent light sources. 💡

Plus, you can use the built-in AI Photo Assistant, which automatically recognizes your product and suggests the best light settings for your glasses.

You can save your best settings in custom templates and automate some or all of the lighting and shooting process. 📂

Position your frame

Place your frame in the center of the tray using the center point or use the built-in centering laser. 📍

For your e-commerce product sheets, you need to define from which angles your glasses will be presented. Every detail counts for the customer: the more information they have about the product, the more confident they will be in their purchase decision.

Thanks to the turntable integrated into the photo studio, you can be very precise in framing and adjust the height and distance of the shot. ⚙

The e-commerce visual quality charter

Take advantage of the position memory function (ghost image) to always maintain the same angle of view when placing the glasses.👻

For eyeglasses, this is even more important, as some models come in dozens of different colors.

Keeping the same position for each model will bring balance and better visual coherence to your window. A rigorous quality charter is essential to maintain a homogeneous presentation on an e-commerce site. 👁

Special cases: reflections and transparencies — Glasses

To photograph solar, mirror or highly reflective lenses, Alphashot Pro G2 offers precise lighting control thanks to its independent light sources. This system prevents unwanted reflections and guarantees a professional result.

Go for a 3/4 shot and position multiple reflectors to reveal shape and detail without overexposure. Soft, lateral light is often more flattering; you can increase the brightness in post-production if needed. 🕶🎨

Special cases: reflections and transparencies — The frames

The majority of frames have silver or metallic parts, such as hinges, or are made entirely of metal. These highly reflective elements react strongly to their environment. A closed photo studio eliminates most unwanted reflections.

Clear and/or shiny acetate frames may seem difficult to photograph, especially for a beginner. However, a conclusive result is quite simple to obtain: all you have to do is adjust the lighting so as to clearly distinguish the background and the transparent material. 💡

For a transparent or colored crystal frame, it will also be essential to adjust the IQ Mask in order to obtain a perfect automatic clipping. ✂️

The shooting angles to highlight your glasses

To effectively present your glasses on your e-commerce site, it is essential to photograph them from the right angles. Here are the recommended views for a complete presentation:

  • Front view : shows the frontal shape of the frame.
  • Three-quarter view : reveals both the front and the profile.
  • Profile view : highlights the thickness of the frame and the lateral details.
  • Top view : shows the width of the bridge and the distance between the lenses.
  • Detailed view : close-ups on distinctive elements (hinges, logos, finishes).

Enriching the customer experience with 360° and video

360 animations and videos have become essential to improve the user experience and reduce the cart abandonment rate. This technology allows customers to virtually manipulate the product and zoom in on the details. 🔍

You can capture between 24 and 360 photos for an animation. We recommend that you take 24. Then, you can manage and share this content via the Orbitvu SUN cloud platform, which integrates perfectly with your e-commerce site.💻

Discover how Orbitvu's AI makes 360° animation production easier for you.

The virtual try-on

More and more eyewear manufacturers are offering a virtual try-on to help customers choose their frames. With an Orbitvu automated photo studio, it becomes easier and faster to create a virtual model that can be tested in augmented reality.

When you create a 360° animation, the photos can be extracted and you will get 24 photos of your products. These images can then be used with vectorization or image processing software to produce a model that can be tested in augmented reality.👓

Retouching and exporting

Once your images are finalized, the Orbitvu Station software allows you to adjust colors, brightness, and contrast for optimal rendering. 🎨

You can then export your files in HTML5, MP4, MP4, MOV, GIF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG formats...

You can also create a template for these parameters to save time for future exports. Export your animations to the Orbitvu Sun cloud, in order to obtain a link or an integration code for your website. 📤

FAQS

Yes, thanks to the automation of lighting, positioning and routing, production time is considerably reduced. You can capture glasses from multiple angles in minutes, instead of having to manually adjust each shot.
With registered models and automated shooting, it is possible to shoot several hundred glasses per day, ensuring a fast and consistent production flow.
The 360° animation allows customers to see the product from every angle, review the details, and make a purchase decision more quickly, reducing product returns.
No, the intuitive interface and the AI assistance allow a quick start, even without photography training. A single operator can manage the entire process without difficulty.
Automation reduces shooting time, the cost of retouching, and the need for professional photographers, allowing for a rapid amortization of the studio, especially for brands with a large catalog.

Why talk to our experts?

- 20+ years of experience: Unparalleled expertise in photo automation
- 10,000+ installations: Proven solutions around the world
- Continuous innovation: The latest advances in automated photography
- Personalized advice: Recommendations adapted to your specific challenges

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- Accelerate your visual production
- Optimize your photo workflow
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