As leaders in the field of 360 product photography development Swiftspin are constantly coming up with new ways of displaying products online. To help this process they often take on work experience students as they find their enthusiasm and fresh approach extremely beneficial when it comes to new ideas. The student also benefits from learning the skills passed on by the team at Swiftspin.

During June this year they were able to help another pupil, Holly Moysey, with her work experience project. Holly is an A level student at a local school and is interested in making a career out of photography. Instead of letting her just stand back and watch the Swiftspin team in action, they 'threw her in at the deep end' by giving her a unique Swiftspin challenge all of her own.

The challenge was to come up with a unique way of displaying sunglasses online as a spinning image. Holly researched the current trends in product photography and found that most retailers showed sunglasses on a plain background or on a model. It was decided that the two could possibly be combined using Swiftspin technology in a 360 product view.

Holly styled and photographed a pair of sunglasses on both a 360 turntable and a live model. Then she helped process and animate her images before finally bringing them to life as a 360 degree spin.

Holly enjoyed her week at Swiftspin and picked up some valuable advice. We look forward to seeing her progress as a photographer over the coming years.

The result of Holly's hard work can be seen in her final 360 product spin click here

360 product photography is quickly becoming a must-have technology and is increasingly being recognised as one of the best ways to display products online. But the current world financial climate means that many retailers are unable to afford the services of a professional 360 studio.

In order to help retailers take advantage of this technology the team at Swiftspin near Bath in the UK have written a step-by-step guide to building a simple 360 product photography turntable which is ideal for products up to 400 kgs in weight and 1 metre in diameter.

Detailed instructions walk through the process of building an affordable turntable which will allow retailers to take their own 360 product shots. From the tools required, to finding the exact centre of the top disc, the guide clearly illustrates how to build an essential piece of 360 photography equipment.

"We realise that not all retailers are in a position to use our professional 360 facilities, but many have some photographic experience and want to give it a go themselves" says Swiftspin's head of photography Pete Gallop. "This do-it-yourself guide will help them construct a perfectly good turntable for far less money than the professional 360 equipment currently on the market".

Once constructed the Swiftspin team advise on the best way to shoot 360 spins using the turntable and offer an animation service which brings the images shot to life.

Retailers can request the guide by submitting the form at http://www.swiftspin360.com or emailing the Swiftspin team direct at info@swiftspin.co.uk

The Swiftspin 360 product line-up is further enhanced in 2010 with the addition of a brand new feature... 'Full Magnify'. Adding a touch of class to interactive product spins, 'Full Magnify' allows a magnifying glass to be hovered over the 360 spin at any angle in the rotation and allows the product to rotate whilst viewing detail through the glass. See sample here

'Full Magnify' is set to be a huge hit within 360 product display and is already proving of interest to manufacturers and retailers of fashion, footwear and luxury goods. The full version was due for release on June 1st 2010 but we are already receiving great interest and taking orders which is why we decided to bring the release date forward.

Swiftspin are the leading innovators in 360 product photography and are continually pushing the boundaries in both 360 hardware and software. We are very proud of this latest feature and would like to thank technical director Matt Pope, whose hard work and incredible programming skills have made 'Full Magnify' possible.

In celebration of the launch we have decided to announce a special offer of 50% off our Swiftbuilder price list to new footwear clients placing orders during May and June.

Swiftspin are pleased to announce that the word Swiftspin has been registered as a Trade Mark by the Intellectual Property Office.

This means that only photographers approved by Swiftspin can advertise the fact that their 360 product spins are created using our unique Swiftspin technology.

If you require the highest quality 360 product spins, make sure your photographer is using the highest quality software... from Swiftspin®

www.footweartoday.co.uk

Is technology leaving you in a spin?

Shoe retailers large and small are leading the way in a new technology, which is revolutionising the way products are displayed online. Terry Mapstone explains…

What is it about the shoe industry that has made it adopt a new technology faster than any other business? Could it be that shoe retailers are more forward thinking? Does the intense competition force shoe retailers to try new things in order to stay ahead of their peers? Or is it simply the fact that a shoe fits perfectly with this increasingly popular, interactive display medium? I’m talking, of course, about 360º product spins.

The benefits of 360 are clear. Firstly, it shows customers far more of a shoe than traditional photography - the more information customers have at point of purchase, the more likelihood there is of them buying. Secondly, it illustrates beautifully how light plays on the surface of a shoe’s form, giving life to textures such as leather, suede or sequins - these small details can be a big influence on a purchasing decision. But the main benefit which retailers are taking advantage of is the falling cost - improvements in 360 production processes mean that professionally produced 360-degree spins now compare favourably in price with that of still photography.

Mixed Messages

So why aren’t all shoe retailers displaying their products in 360 on their web sites? The answer could be a result of the mixed messages emanating from 360 suppliers. A quick Google search throws up results aplenty, but it all seems rather confusing. Some suppliers offer software, with no mention of photography. Some advertise turntables, but leave you to source software. Others offer 360 kits, but fail to explain fully the costs involved in DIY. Others offer a full service, but the choice is vast and the products markedly different.

Even though some of the large shoe retailers have increased its credibility by adopting 360 on their web sites, questions still remain. Will it work on my web site? Will it increase my sales? Is it a passing fad? Well, let’s find out.

Firstly, what exactly is it? 360 degree product photography is a process whereby multiple photos are taken of a product as it rotates, usually on a turntable. These photos are animated using specially written software, and uploaded onto a web site. The user can simply use their mouse to control the animation and recreate a view of the original product spinning in 360 degrees.

There are two areas which shoe retailers should have some knowledge of before thinking about investing in 360 spins - Software and Hardware. Let’s talk about software first.

Offering Complete Control

360 software offers two ways of spinning a shoe, Rollover (which completes one full spin left or right depending on which way you move your mouse over the shoe), and Click and Drag (offering complete control, including continuous spinning in either direction). Click and Drag seems to have the edge over the more basic Rollover but it’s a personal choice as to which to go for.

Within the spin there are a host of features available to allow potential customers further interaction, such as zoom and magnify. The main benefit of these features is the ability to show enhanced detail within a single file. The trade off is that the files themselves are slightly larger and can take a few seconds to download. Having said that, Broadband speeds are increasing so this is becoming less of a problem.

The most common worry shoe retailers have about 360 software is whether it will work on their web sites. The majority of spins are created from scripts written in a program called Adobe Flash (the Footwear Today ezine is created in Flash). Most web browsers accept Flash files and there are two types of spin file to choose from. Hosted or Self-contained.

Hosted files, as the name suggests, are usually hosted (or held) on a separate computer or web site. The benefit is that it only loads the images it needs and is therefore slightly quicker. The drawback is the risk of not being able to show the spins should the external file become damaged, lost or accidentally deleted. Although slightly slower to load, self-contained files offer greater control. They are single files, which are loaded in a similar way to a .jpeg and do not need to be stored anywhere else in order to work. They can be backed up easily, displayed in Powerpoint presentations and are small enough to be distributed via email.

There are a number of software programs that can create 360 product spins. Some produce simple rollover files with little interaction, others are integrated into complex e-commerce solutions that can offer other rich media such as video and podcasts. However, there are also companies who offer an animation service. For retailers who want to take their own photos but don’t want to get involved with the software side this is worth investigating.

In-Depth Knowledge of Photoshop

‘Where can I buy the kit?’ is the most frequently asked question 360 suppliers get asked. It’s actually quite simple to build a turntable on which to rotate a shoe. You certainly don’t need to spend a fortune buying one. But what you will need, is a professional camera kit, complete with colour-balanced lights, otherwise your shoes will be the wrong colour, blurred and out of focus. If you want to produce your own spins then retailers with existing photographic facilities and staff capable of retouching will probably find the transition to 360 quite straightforward. Having said that they might find it a good idea to make or hire a turntable first and outsource the animation until they can decide whether to take the production completely in-house.

Overall, 360 product photography can seem a little daunting, but hopefully this has given you enough information to grasp the basics. After all, it should be your shoes that do the spinning, not your head.

Online retailers are rapidly embracing a new technology that is proven to increase sales, by allowing potential customers to view products from all angles.

Swiftspins, or 360 degree product spins, are the fastest growing product display systems on the internet and are leaving traditional still images in their wake as internet shoppers demand more and more from their online shopping experiences.

In fact in a recent survey by one of the World’s leading software companies, over 90% of online shoppers asked said that the ability to spin products was the most useful feature and the one most likely to influence their purchasing decision. It is therefore no surprise that 360 spins were top of the list for most online retailers who were planning any rich media development on their site in 2009, and so far it looks like 2010 will continue this trend.

The technology is being embraced by retailers from a wide range of sectors, but it is the fashion and footwear industries that seem to be leading the way. Their customers in particular need to see products from all angles. Swiftspins give potential buyers the best online view of any product possible, in fact combined with a full zoom feature it is almost as good as physically handling the item in store.

But retailers are also finding that the improved view of their product means they receive less customer service queries and also less returns, both creating additional savings in time and money.

While some believe that the current economic climate is the worst time to invest in new technology, canny retailers of all sizes are taking advantage of the falling costs to bring this exciting new feature to their own sites ahead of their competition and are already seeing good returns on their investment as a result.

After all, the customer is King and if they demand change then you can either join the revolution or end up going round and round in circles.

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At the request of some of its clients, Swiftspin, the UK's 360 product photography specialists, have just added a full zoom feature to their popular rotating image software.

The new feature allows users to zoom in to any angle of a 360 spin to inspect a product in minute detail. It joins a growing line-up of functions which includes single zoom, magnify, hotspots and bespoke animation features.

Matt Pope, Swiftspin's technical director, says, "The full zoom feature is perfect for products which have areas of interest all the way around, such as clothing and collectables. It allows users to zoom in at the click of a mouse and continue to rotate the product whilst zoomed in."

There were a number of factors which the development team at Swiftspin had to bear in mind when creating the new feature, such as keeping file size to a minimum so that it downloads quickly, and making the file 'self-contained' so that it doesn't rely on externally hosted images.

Based near the beautiful city of Bath in the UK, Swiftspin are one of the longest established specialist 360-degree spin companies. They offer their services to online retailers and web designers as well as their software to other photographers. They have rotated a huge variety of items online including shoes, bicycles, toys, furniture, lingerie, figurines and handbags.

Swiftspin's website can be found at http://www.swiftspin.co.uk. It is packed full of useful information including a free downloadable guide to 360-degree product photography aimed at helping retailers implement 360 spins onto their websites.

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When 360 degree product photography company Swiftspin need a new turntable for their studio near Bath they don’t approach high-tech engineering companies. Instead, directors Terry Mapstone and Pete Gallop call in the big guns... their retired dads Bob and Alan.

As one of the UK's leading 360 degree product photography companies, Swiftspin are constantly developing new turntables on which to photograph clients' products so that they can be displayed on-line in 3D. Each new product throws up a different challenge but the dads are always on hand with a practical solution. "If we need something done properly then we always turn to our dads first" says Terry, Swiftspin's founder. "Not only are they enthusiastic, they both have an eye for a bargain, which is useful in the current financial climate".

Bob (68) is a keen mechanic and when he's not building turntables he's restoring old Hillman Imps, whereas carpenter Alan (66) partakes in woodturning during his spare time. Together, the two men have created turntables on which their sons have photographed shoes, handbags, watches, bicycles, jewellery and even gas masks for some of the countries leading retailers. "It's fun working with our dads" says Pete who heads up the photography studio at Swiftspin. "We're reaping the benefits of the older generation's work ethics whilst providing them with challenges which they love to solve".

As directors of a high-tech company the two sons may know the ins and outs of actionscript, f-stops and image retouching but they admit to being completely stumped by some of the requests they get from clients, for example, how to spin a floating bicycle in mid-air without showing any supports. Before Terry and Pete have finished scratching their heads Bob and Alan have usually rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in to finding a practical solution.

Swiftspin are one of many companies making use of the skills and experience of the retired generation and are proving that reliable, hardworking staff are readily available, they just looked a little closer to home in order to find them.

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You’d have thought that the fashion business, a traditionally tactile industry, would shy away from interactive on-screen technology to help sell their wares, but retailers are rapidly embracing a new technology which may change the way online shoppers make their decisions in the future.

Tipped to be one of the fastest growing product display systems on the internet, 360 degree product photography threatens to leave traditional product photography in its wake as internet shoppers demand more and more from their online shopping experiences.

360 degree product photography is a process whereby multiple photographs are taken of a product as it revolves on a turntable. These images are then merged in a computer program to create a Swiftspin which allows them to be viewed very quickly one after another to create the illusion of movement, a digital end-of-pier peepshow if you like. Simply by clicking and dragging on the image, the website visitor can recreate the rotation and is able to see all around the item including zooming in to see detail.

The technology is relatively new but is rapidly being embraced by online retailers, especially those in the fashion industry, where buyers like to see products all the way around. Shoppers want to inspect a product in detail before they contemplate purchasing it, and by being able to rotate an item on-screen and see it from all angles, it is the closest they will get to physically seeing a product in-store. Another reason shoppers are demanding 360 degree product photography is because it means retailers can’t cheat in their photography. There’s no chance to pin excess fabric or hide an untidy seam, with rotational photography what you see really is what you get. The use of live models add a human element which shoppers prefer to computer generated images as well.

In a recent survey, Swiftspin, one of the UK’s leading 360 degree product photography providers found that 97% of all retailers they asked said they believed it was an improvement on what they were using at present. You may think that today’s uncertain financial climate is the worst possible time to invest in such a new idea, but it seems not. While many retailers cut back on their spending canny marketeers are taking advantage of the low introductory prices on offer for 360 degree product photography, with some suppliers providing rotations for less than a traditional flat shot. When you realise that the images used to make up the rotations are able to be used in print too you can see the thinking behind the investment.

But it’s not just the large high street retailers who are introducing 360 degree product photography to their websites, the smaller independents are finding that it is affordable for them too and they’re making the most of being able to compete with the ‘big boys’.

It just goes to show, if your customers demand change then you’d better join the revolution, if not you may find yourself going round in circles.

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Swiftspin have announced plans to deliver the most cost-effective 3D product photography solution on the market following a redevelopment of their studio near Bath. Their 360 degree product photography service allows retailers to display their products as Swiftspins so that consumers can rotate, zoom, and thoroughly inspect items online as if they were browsing in a physical store.

For the past year Swiftspin have been researching the market and have been perfecting a service which they believe is kind on retailers' pockets. They can now deliver high quality Swiftspins that cost as little as £20 each.

"There are plenty of companies offering 360 product photography" says Swiftspin founder Terry Mapstone' "but some of the prices being quoted are putting retailers off using what is proven to be a brilliant sales tool. In the past even the large retailers could only afford to create 3D rotations for their flagship products, but with our prices they can afford to create them for every product, and small independent retailers can afford to join the party too!".

Swiftspin has refined their studio processes to create their Swiftspins faster, easier, and more economically than most. Retailers send their products to Swiftspin, and the company rapidly returns 3D images in a format which can be uploaded immediately to the retailers website.

They may be new kids on the block but Swiftspin are developing rapidly and online retailers who are taking early advantage of their service are already benefitting from a fixed pricing structure, free new feature updates and a referral scheme offering up to 15% discounts.

"We find that clients who try us out with a few products come straight back to us with their full collection, which is great and proves that our Swiftspins work" says Terry. "We don't want to be another company who pop up and then disappear just as quickly. We genuinely want to offer a great service at an affordable price and want to reward our clients for their loyalty."

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A local photography company are putting the fashion industry in a spin with its revolutionary rotational photography service.

Swiftspin, based in Keynsham, create interactive images which users can rotate on screen to see the detail all around the product.

It has created quite a stir in the fashion industry and the team have already secured work from retailers including a number of London boutiques.

"We've spent the last eight months researching the industry", says Swiftspin founder Terry Mapstone. "We've learnt that retailers want a different, but affordable, way in which to display their products and allowing customers to spin them certainly fits the bill".

It seems Swiftspin are starting their own fashion revolution right in the heart of Keynsham.

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