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Studio automation is a crucial component to realizing success in e-commerce product photography in 2020. Automation solutions allow studios to better utilize their teams’ time, to increase throughput, and, ultimately, to reduce overall costs. Thankfully, studio automation for product photography is becoming not only more advanced but also more affordable and accessible to a wider audience. Read on for all the reasons why online sellers, vendors, and photography studios in 2020 are embracing studio automation for e-commerce product photography.
Studio automation solutions for e-commerce exist to save companies valuable time, energy, and money with their product photography. No matter the scale of the operation, whether it’s through external vendors for a small e-commerce shop or an in-house industrial scale photoshoot, every talented studio or e-commerce manager has 3 primary objectives.
With the right photography studio setup, it’s possible to effectively reach all of these goals. However, if working with the same old setup, a limited budget, the same amount of team members and the same amount of hours, this is when realizing all 3 goals becomes more difficult for project managers.
No matter how much effort the manager puts into the traditional studio, they often have to choose to focus on 2 of these 3 goals rather than having it all. This is where studio automation comes into play. Automation technology for eCommerce photography has not only come a long way in recent years, it has become much more affordable and accessible, even for traditional studios on limited budgets.
At PhotoRobot, we develop custom solutions for 360-degree product photography and projects of any size. Our software-driven photography equipment help companies realize effective studio automation, increase throughput, reduce costs, and create consistent, visually-rich product content. Read on to learn more about studio automation, today’s studio automation solutions, and the benefits to automating your product photography studio.
With today’s studio automation technology, product photography studios can get the best of both worlds. They can see increased product throughput, reduce photography costs, and, with the right equipment, increase image accuracy, improve brand consistency and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.
US-based Snap36 (now 1WorldSync), for example, is a 360 degree and 3D modeling product photography company who has not only realized the efficiency of studio automation solutions but also now helps other e-commerce stores and distributors to deliver content around the globe. They specialize in cost-effective, high-volume photography services and solutions for e-commerce, and their studio is outfitted with a range of PhotoRobot equipment.
One cost-effective solution they put to use in the photography studio is PhotoRobot’s Robotic Arm, a simple solution for 360 degree photography or eCommerce 3D modeling. This robot has automated lift systems to manage the height of the camera for products of varying sizes, as well as PhotoRobot control software to help with controlling spin, lighting, camera triggering, and even automating repeatable tasks.
This product photography studio automation solution is only one among numerous PhotoRobot solutions Snap36 used to provide clients with high-quality, consistent imagery, while increasing overall workflow and reducing costs.
With any product photography studio, the challenges are often numerous. There are tedious, routine tasks that can be time-consuming for the team, from the project managers to the photographers.
There’s also the time needed for setting the photography scene, prepping products, doing photoshoots, or exchanging one product for the next. Then, there’s all the work that goes into image post production and finally distribution.
The amount of tasks that goes into capturing great product photos and then distributing them online or putting them into print can be daunting, but thankfully studio automation solutions exist to make studios more efficient and to improve overall workflow, especially in regards to routine tasks.
While companies do need to invest something to get started, they also need to consider the long-term goals and benefits to studio automation. Sometimes, all it requires is a handful of tools, or, simply, the right tool to meet the studio’s needs. These tools are like a long-term investment in the studio, one that potentially pays for itself and more over time.
Ultimately, the benefits to studio automation revolve around saving time, energy, and money. Photographers can benefit from having more time for photoshoots and tasks not only more suited to their creative skillset but also which they enjoy spending their time on. Managers will benefit from increased product throughput, more products online and in print, and ultimately more sales.
The bottom line: Studio automation allows studios to get more product photos online faster, easier, and at reduced costs. Moreover, it is a way to protect existing investments like still and spin photography, as studio automation paves the way for industrial-scale 3D modeling for augmented and virtual reality showcases.
Studio automation isn’t about replacing workers. Rather, it involves saving workers’ time, energy, and effort for tasks more suitable to their skillset. Why force a photographer to do work that’s better handed off to their mechanical assistant? In the end, the goal of product photography studio automation is to provide teams with tools they need to do their jobs more efficiently.
Once expensive, automation solutions are now becoming easier than ever to access, even for smaller scale product photography studios. Large industrial-scale operations are already on board, so the real question is why wait when you can save time and resources with automation.
Studio automation can not only do wonders for your staff but can also improve workflow and business overall. If you’d like to learn more or even begin the transition to product photography studio automation, feel free to check out PhotoRobot hardware and software solutions, or even reach out to us for a free consultation with our specialist technicians.
