We have 2 different ways to look at how much 360 photography costs. Firstly, is the amount on an invoice once photography is completed. Secondly, is the opportunity cost of not having 360 photography of your products. We are going to look at the cost and options of having 360 photography created in this article. I will then follow it up with a second article about the lost opportunity costs of not having 360s in the next article.
PhotoSpherix does not limit you to just a few options for your 360 views. We work to create the photography that you need to energize your customers and increase your sales. That being said, we will start with information about the product. Then we will work with the options that define a 360 view. Finally, we will look at output options. Some of these are simple questions and others will take a little more research to come up with the correct answers.
First, how many products are you wanting photographed? This helps us look at setup costs and just how far across the project does this expense get divided by.
Second, what type of products are they? 360 spin photography is a very hands-on process. The process includes manipulating the product around a 360 rotation, if the product is a car, it is more difficult to turn the product than if it is a shoe.
Third, what type of surface is on the product. Remember, this is a photography process that we do in our studio, mirrored and high reflection is always more difficult than matte finish. Glass is a completely different conversation.
Fourth, what is the size and weight of the item? This helps us know which of our multiple 360 product photography rigs we will need to photograph your product on. Sometimes, a small, but heavy item needs to be bumped to the medium rig. Other times the large items can really be done on a medium rig because they are light.
Five, how many images per row do you want in your 360 rotation? This is usually defined by the smoothness you are looking for in the rotation, or the amount of bandwidth, or page load time you are willing to spend on the 360 view. Sometimes this is defined by the specifications delivered by your retailer as well.
Six, do you want a multi-row 360 view? These are great for items that have visual interest on all sides of the product, but it is a multiplier for cost. If you have a single-row 360 with 48 frames and you choose to have a multi-row created, that will mean that your 360 has 480 images instead of 48.
Seven, do we have to rig the item or is it free standing? Rigging is used to hold an item up at attention while being photographed. Think of a hockey stick, while it could be laid on the table and be photographed, it is much more interesting to have it displayed the way it would show in a player’s hands. This takes wires, string, holders, and a little magic in post editing to remove all those things. Now, you have a 360 view where the hockey stick is just floating.
Eight, Hotspots, do you want to call attention to specific parts in the 360 view? Hotspots are a great way to add additional information that the user can read, watch, or view. They are clickable locations on the product that hold more information.
Nine, Postproduction editing can add up in the process. Do you have an imperfect item that needs editing? Or do you have a logo that needs changed? These things can always be done, but always keep in mind the better the original image, the less the amount of editing in post!
Ten, how about other output options? Can you have sequential images? Sure! What about MP4 360 product videos? Absolutely! These as well as many other options are avaiable.
All the above items go into the costs involved in 360 photography.
Now that we have gone through some of the items involved in 360 photography, let’s look at some examples of 360 views and what they can cost. For this I am not going to use any real-world examples, but instead use case in points.
How much does it cost to shoot a 360 of a baseball?
3in x 3in x 3in
Not freestanding. But no rigging needed.
1 lbs
White on white background
Single item
Single row – 48 frames
New condition no post editing
One single baseball $240 USD
100 Baseballs $61 USD each
How much does it cost to shoot a toaster in 360 view?
11in x 6in x 8in
Freestanding
5 lbs
Multiple colors
Single row – 72 Frames
New condition no post editing
One single toaster $320 USD
100 toasters $78 USD each
How much to shoot product bottles in 360?
4in x 4in x 12in
Freestanding
5lbs
Multiple colors and glass
Single row – 72 frames
New condition no post editing
One single bottle $180 USD
100 bottles $59 USD each
How much does it cost to shoot a Barbecue Grill?
6ft x 4ft x 3ft
Freestanding
Assembly time 30 minutes
120 lbs
Multiple colors and reflections
Single row – 48 Frames
New condition minimal post editing
One Single Barbecue $520
20 Barbecue Grills $360 USD each
To recap, you can see how options and the product itself can greatly change the cost of producing 360 views for you. So, keep in mind that all of the above pricing examples do not include shipping to and from our product photography studio in Indianapolis. They also do not include additional add-ons such as multiple output formats like MP4s or Sequential images. This is just the costs involved in creating the 360 view or the “Product Photography”.
How to tell your boss you need 360 product photography
