In this article:
- What is 3D product photography?
- Benefits of 3D Product Photography
- What can I use 3D product visuals for?
- How Does CGI Product Photography Work?
- 3D Product Images with Danthree Studio
- Questions About 3D Product Photography
An isolated product image shows shape and detail. An interior scene shows how a product looks in a particular setting. With 3D product photography, both can be created from a prepared model. What matters is what the image needs to communicate and how the materials, lighting and setting fit the brand.
What is 3D product photography?
3D product photography refers to product images created using CGI rather than by photographing the product with a camera. It is based on a three-dimensional model. Materials, lighting, and a virtual camera determine the rendered image. How closely it resembles the actual product depends on the data, the references, and the quality control process.
The result can look like a photograph, but it is still a single image. An interactive 360-degree product view or a virtual tour also needs suitable views or a scene prepared for that purpose, plus a viewer. CGI alone does not make a JPEG interactive.
3D Model for 3D Product Photography - Danthree Studio
Benefits of 3D Product Photography
Show the details that matter
Consistent viewpoints let you show connections, edges, seams and surfaces in a comparable way. This helps potential customers assess a product. Whether it leads to more inquiries or sales also depends on the offer, price, website and audience. The imaging technique alone cannot establish that.
Flexible product views
A prepared model can provide the basis for different colors, materials and viewpoints. Each variant still needs an appropriate reference and approval. A different fabric, for example, changes not only the color but also the texture, sheen and sometimes the drape.
Interactive Display
To create a rotatable product view, multiple images from a predefined camera path can be rendered, or a suitable real-time model can be prepared. Which option is best depends on the desired user interface and the target platform. The integration is planned separately from the actual image production.
Plan for reuse
A virtual photo studio can make models and scenes reusable for later images. Whether the initial modeling effort pays off depends on the number of products, variants and follow-up projects. Changes to the design or materials may require additional work. To compare CGI with a photo shoot, both quotes should cover the same image requirements and approval stages. Our CGI services outline the available production stages.
Photorealistic 3D product photography of an electric toothbrush
What can I use 3D product visuals for?
3D product photography is used in various fields, such as:
E-Commerce - Product Images For Online Stores
When it comes to 3D product images for online stores, the focus is on clearly distinguishable variants, relevant details, and consistent presentation. Image size, background, and framing depend on the specific store or marketplace. The CGI imagery for LEICHT IDEA serves a different purpose: here, the kitchen is presented in a spatial context, showing both interior and exterior views.
3D Photos In Marketing And Advertising
A campaign needs a visual language as well as a product: which setting, lighting and framing convey the brand’s message? These choices can be developed deliberately in a CGI scene. The Adobe guide to product photography also distinguishes between product shots and styled lifestyle images. Both need planning and a clear role for the product.
3D rendering of a wireless speaker for CGI product photography
3D Images For Product Development
Visualizations can help illustrate designs and variations for internal meetings before a finished product can be photographed. However, they are no substitute for design reviews, material testing, or functional simulations. A convincing image does not prove that a product can be manufactured as shown.
How Does CGI Product Photography Work?
Before production, the shots, intended channels and references are agreed on. Modeling, material setup, lighting and rendering follow. Approval stages between these steps help identify fundamental changes before the final image is produced.
Product presentation of a faucet - With CGI, you can turn 3D models into realistic product visuals
3D Modeling
Existing CAD data can provide a starting point and is checked for suitability for image production. Without it, a 3D model can be built from drawings, dimensions and photographs. Hidden details and unclear dimensions need clarification. Modeling should not fill gaps in product information with assumptions.
Materials, Lighting, and 3D Rendering
Materials are set up on the model, followed by lighting, camera and surroundings. Reference images and material samples help assess texture, sheen and color. The rendering software then calculates the image. Techniques such as ambient occlusion can help depict recesses and contact areas, but do not replace carefully planned lighting. Product details and the overall image are checked against the agreed references before delivery.
3D visualization of a robot vacuum cleaner combined with a floor visualization
Prepare interactive applications separately
VR and AR are potential additional applications for 3D data, but they are not a necessary step in the creation of a product image. They require their own technical specifications, such as those for geometry, textures, file size, and user interface. A model designed for high-resolution rendering is not automatically suitable for a browser or a mobile device.
3D Product Images with Danthree Studio
At Danthree Studio, we combine an understanding of the product with the creation of a visual world. Photorealistic rendering is a tool we use to this end: it is intended to clearly illustrate form, material, and craftsmanship. Additionally, 3D product animations can be created to showcase movement and processes.
From model to image series
Our focus is on product visualization for furniture and home brands. This includes furniture imagery and visual settings for kitchens, bathroom products and interiors. Depending on the project, we agree on the following elements:
- 3D Modeling: Create models based on appropriate product data or using agreed-upon drawings, dimensions, and photos.
- 3D Rendering: Adjust materials, lighting, and camera angles to suit the desired image series.
- Isolated product images and interior scenes: Show products against a neutral or transparent background, or design a virtual setting for product presentation. This does not automatically make it a VR application.
- Models for AR: Prepare suitable 3D models for the agreed-upon application. App development and technical integration are a separate scope of services and are not automatically included in image production.
- 360-Degree Views: Create a coordinated sequence of product views for display in a compatible viewer.
- Image concept and advice: Define the audience, planned shots and visual language. Our guide to planning product visualizations explains which supporting materials are useful.
When it comes to sharing images later on, clear attribution is just as important as the subject matter. Our article on product images for the press, retailers, and websites explains how to choose the right angles, image details, and appropriate versions.
The mattress imagery for Serta Simmons, staircase visualizations for Viewrail and furniture packshots for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna show how different these assignments can be. For Serta Simmons, the client supplied the photograph of the person, which was combined with CGI to create a hybrid image.
3D Product Video From Danthree Studio
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A product video can show movement, changes in perspective, or a sequence of events. To achieve this, elements such as the sequence of scenes, camera movement, and duration are coordinated in addition to the models.
Our Product Photography Approach
For 3D product photography, we focus on:
- Product and Reference: Proportions and surfaces must match the reference. This applies to individual pieces of furniture as well as to office visualizations and furniture renderings within a space.
- The Right Solution: Images, animations, and interactive applications serve different purposes. We determine in advance which one is needed and what technical integration is required.
- The brand’s visual language: Setting, lighting, material combinations and framing are developed together. Suitable AI workflows can support backgrounds and image variations; the product depiction is still checked against the references.
Product data, reference images, and the planned visuals can help with an initial assessment. In our CGI projects, you can see how product presentation and visual language work together.
3D product photography of a modern refrigerator in a minimalist kitchen
