360 product photography: Difference between revisions

'''360 photography''' (also referred to as '''360 product photography''', '''360 spin''' or '''spin photography''') refers to a [[photography|photographic]] technique by which a series of photos give the impression of an object rotating. These photos can be displayed as an interactive [[animation]] on web pages and apps, allowing a user to control the rotation of an object. The photos can also be displayed as an infinitely looping GIF or video.

360 photography is used primarily by [[E-commerce|ecommerce]] websites, to give shoppers a more realistic impression of a product than static images. The use of interactive 360 spins has been linked to an increase in sales conversions and lower returns of unwanted goods.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slideshare.net/MollyPfister1/top-ten-sales-white-paper |title=

Photographers typically capture 360 photography in a [[Photographic studio|photography studio]] by using a turntable, [[camera]], [[tripod]], [[Photographic lighting|lights]] and a white background. To obtain a pure [https://pixelphant.com/blog/white-background-product-photography white background], a white lightbox or light tent can be used to help light the object evenly, though these can flatten the image, so some photographers use a white sheet or white card in the background.

Turntables used by 360 product photographers are usually powered, for automatic, precision rotation. A product is placed in the centercentre of the turntable and a camera, typically mounted on a tripod, captures photos of the product as the turntable rotates. Some turntables pause the rotation when each photo is captured, ensuring a sharp image. Basic turntables rotate continuously, which can cause slightly blurred photos but are suitable for capturing video, which can later be converted to a 360 spin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sirv.com/help/resources/convert-video-to-spin/ |title=Convert a video to a 360 spin |website=Sirv |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

Some turntables can be connected by [[USB]] cable to computer and/or camera, allowing [[Remote shutter|remote shutter release]] or USB to capture the images. Such automation speeds up the photography process, which is an important consideration when hundreds or thousands of products are to be photographed.

Amateur photographers can capture 360 spins on a low budget by using a simple lazy Susansusan instead of a powered turntable. The photographer can manually rotate<ref>{{Citation|last=Iconasys|title=360 Product Photography using a Manual Photography Turntable|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRU0cmP4LCY|access-date=2019-01-05}}</ref> the turntable between each frame. This is a slow process, thus impractical for large volume of making it an uncommon method of capturing 360 spins.

The final method of creating 360 degree spins is by using [[3D modelling|3D CAD modelling]] software. A product model can be constructed by a skilled 3D model designer, then rendered as a series of static [[JPEG]]/PNG images ready for use.

If adjusting colour levels and colour balance is insufficient in obtaining a pure white background, [https://pixelphant.com/background-removal background removal] may be required, either with an automated tool or by manual masking by a human editor. Professional photo retouching services are often employed for this manual work.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.clippingtimes.com/360-degree-product-photography/?ref=wiki |title=360 product photography represents a new way of capturing the images |website=Clipping Times |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

JavaScript image viewers are either part of a hosted 360 image service or a standalone script. Hosted services work by uploading images to the service, from where they are served with the scripts. Upon upload, hosted services automatically create the spin, resize and optimizeoptimise the images for fast loading. Image optimizationoptimisation is of particular importance for 360 spin because the total file size of 36 or more images is considerable. Hosted services reduce file size and often deliver the images from a [[Cdnjs|CDN]], helping the spin to download quickly. Hosted 360 services can also serve spins as GIFs or videos, which are suitable for embedding spins in social media and other websites where JavaScript is not permitted.