Tips to Shoot Sneakers
1. The right lens
The right lens will bring out the details on your sneakers that you probably wouldn’t see otherwise. Try taking shots of the inside of the shoe, from different angles, and from close up.
If you have a zoom lens, try it out. A zoom lens can be a real timesaver, especially when you want to snap a quick photo of a shoe without having to stop what you’re doing.
2. Lighting
The light is usually where most people make the mistake with a camera, especially if it’s outside in the sun.
3. Composition
Keep in mind the proportions when you take a picture, too. Usually you’ll want to have at least two thirds of the frame filled, and maybe one third, or one fourth, depending on how much detail you want to show.
4. Framing
The way you frame your shot, and the size of the subject, can make or break the composition of your image. Try to frame your subject so it has nice sharp lines, and the background blends nicely with the shoe.
5. Shutter speed
Shutter speed is a measurement of how long the shutter is open for. So, if you have a fast shutter speed, you can shoot some really blurred shots of your sneakers.
But, it can be hard to keep the shoes perfectly still when you have a fast shutter speed, so be sure to use a tripod.
6. ISO
Another measurement of how long the shutter is open for is the ISO setting. You can usually get away with a higher ISO setting if you’re taking a picture of your sneakers.
7. Autofocus
The autofocus is usually what people mean when they talk about auto-focus. That’s the function of your camera, and it’s pretty good.
Auto focus makes it easier to snap a photo of your sneakers.
But, sometimes it doesn’t work the way you think it should. If it’s focusing on a part of the shoe, you might not be able to get a good photo.
8. Manual focus
If the autofocus isn’t working the way you want it to, there’s another option you can turn to.
If you are using a DSLR, manual focus allows you to switch back to your autofocus mode.
If you are using a mirrorless camera, like the Sony A6000, manual focus allows you to control the focus settings.
9. Flash
The flash on a camera can make a big difference.
A good flash helps to illuminate a dark shoe, and it can also help to make a shoe look shiny.
But, too much flash can also make it too bright and wash out the details.
10. Bracketing
Bracketing is a way to make sure you get the right exposure for your photo. It’s a little complicated, so we won’t go into detail here. But, if you are interested, you can find more information on this online.
11. Post-processing
After you take a picture, it can be a good idea to look at it in post-processing.
This can help you edit the picture in Photoshop or Lightroom, or any other photo editing program.
But, it can also be helpful to do some of the adjustments on the computer.
12. Take as many pictures as you need
Don’t worry if you don’t like the first picture you took.
Take as many as you need.
13. Make your own Instagram account
Instagram allows you to create your own page, where you can post pictures of your favorite sneakers.
It might be a great way to build your collection of shoes.
14. Keep the sneakers clean
If you don’t keep your sneakers clean, it will be very hard to take good photos of your shoes. This is one of the first things you need to keep in mind when taking sneaker photography.
Sneaker Photography Ideas
