How to Photograph Books

Here are some tips for photographing books that I have acquired from a previous photoshoot. Although you don't need to have flawless skill, you should take the time to understand how to handle your camera, set up the right lighting, and practice a little bit.

How to Photograph Books?

Look for the proper lighting to photographing a book

Choosing the right lighting for your setting is the key to taking fantastic book photos. Photographing books with glossy cover pages may cause a reflection problem. These may be really annoying, especially when they obscure crucial or intriguing information that you want to emphasize.

That's why you should not use artificial light such as from a flash. Because it gives your book a yellow appearance. Additionally, the shiny surface of your book will result in those "blinding" yellow/white patches, which will essentially spoil your shot.

When photographing your favorite book, try to use natural light, such as sunlight coming through a window or an outdoor setting. The advice here is to avoid placing your book under direct sunlight since you could find the glare or reflections unappealing. Typically, using window light is the best option! Let’s place your books on a table near the winder in the daylight.

Choose the right angles for books photoshoot 

Try to capture images from as many different perspectives as you can. When shooting books, the angle is crucial since you want it to be as aesthetically attractive as possible rather than simply a boring stack of used books. Why not photograph your books stacked together if you are shooting them rather than individually? But not too many books in a stack or it can become chaotic. 

Book photography tips: You can layer many books according to size or arrange them in a visually appealing flat lay for media platforms photos or website banners.

Tricks to keep your book open while photographing

It might be challenging to keep your book open to photograph its pages. Some books shut and collapse instantly. Selecting a page in the middle solves this problem and keeps the book steady. Besides , you can put one of the book's sides underneath another. 

Press the pages down with your hands in case the tip above doesn't work. Then you can take a picture of only one part of your book or crop out your hand in the picture as you wish. 

Pick the right background

Once you are done with  your books, choose a background that is uncomplicated and not overly obtrusive. Something delicate or light, like white, cream or pastel, should work! 

Should not use a background too colorful like a rainbow themed one, please. This is necessary to ensure that your viewers see the books' immediate "color pop" and not the backdrop.

Of course, if all your books are monochromatic, you may decide to put some color in the backdrop to make the picture more interesting and lively.

Stage the Scene 

A shot may truly come to life if you add some staging and props to the background. These pieces can help you compose a story and deliver emotion to the photographs. Making wise choices about what to include in a photo allows you to completely change the scene.

Remember that you don't want a picture to appear overly crowded or cluttered. Add the elements that are valuable to the photo and remove the ones that make it appear excessively cluttered. Less is more.

Regarding the setting, seek out flat surfaces with solid color or having a light amount of texture like wood. You can also shoot on a blanket or piece of paper.

Use Editing To Set the Mood

And finally, a little Photoshop or Lightroom post-processing work will never be a waste of time! Whether you want to create a tone that is dark and ominous or bright and dreamy, use editing tools to do it.

Final Thought

In conclusion, if you want to take book product photography, note down our tips will help you later on.