Jason Lawrence

Articles by: Jason Lawrence

Jason Lawrence

Jason Lawrence is a computer scientist, researcher, educator, and entrepreneur who is passionate about creating tools to improve the online shopping experience. He pursues these goals both as co-founder of Arqball, a 360 product photography software start-up located in Charlottesville VA, and as an associate professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Virginia. In March 2012, Arqball launched Arqspin, a mobile phone-based platform for creating 360 spins.

Dr. Lawrence holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed academic articles and authored multiple patents. His contributions have been recognized by an NSF CAREER Award, multiple NVIDIA Professor Partnership awards, and the UVa ACM Computer Science Professor of the Year Award in 2011. Dr. Lawrence also serves as associate editor of the academic journal ACM Transactions on Graphics.

Photography & Video
Video Styles that Attract and Convert Shoppers, for Ecommerce

April 6, 2015 • Jason Lawrence

In today’s marketing world, companies spend much time and money deciding how to create the most compelling content to promote their brands. One way to do this is with video. There ...
Photography & Video
7 Powerful Apps for Product Photography

February 5, 2015 • Jason Lawrence

You might remember “Product Photography: DSLR Cameras vs. Smartphones,” my article about the trade-offs between using DSLR cameras and smartphone cameras for product photography. I noted that there is a ...
Photography & Video
5 Great Video Hosting Services for Ecommerce

January 8, 2015 • Jason Lawrence

When it comes to managing an ecommerce site, it’s important to consider the best way to integrate product videos. There are a range of video hosting options, depending on the ...
Photography & Video
Product Photography: DSLR Cameras vs. Smartphones

November 4, 2014 • Jason Lawrence

High quality product photography is key for building customer trust and increasing conversions on ecommerce sites. A topic that comes up a lot at Arqspin, my 360 photography company, is ...
Photography & Video
Top 10 Cameras for Ecommerce Product Photos, Videos

July 29, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

One question I get asked a lot at Arqspin, my 360 product photo company, is, "What camera should I use for product photography?" With the right techniques, almost any camera can be used to take good product photography — even the camera on your smartphone. And if you’ve read "How to Tak...
Photography & Video
Behold the Animated GIF

June 4, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

Since its birth in 1987, Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, has proved to be one of the most durable image standards. GIFs are supported by nearly every modern web browser and almost every email client in the world. That’s a big deal. GIFs provide a way of embedding animated content ...
Photography & Video
5 Simple Ways to Make Great Product Videos

May 1, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

In "Learning from Infomercials for Product Demonstration," my article last month, I discussed the importance of product demonstration and video in selling online. This month, I’ll explain how to make product videos that get results. Given the rise in well-produced online video, it can ...
Photography & Video
Learning from Infomercials for Product Demonstration

March 29, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

Perhaps the easiest advertisers to brush off are the ones behind television infomercials — those talking-head, late-night sales pitches complete with low-budget graphics and mind-numbing sound effects, enticing us to buy a $29.99 kitchen gadget we don’t need at 2 a.m. What could they k...
Social Media
Hashtag Your Products on Instagram

February 28, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

Instagram is a massive social network built around a beautifully designed — and addictive — mobile photography app. As of September 2012, Instagram reportedly had 11 million active users. It was famously bought by Facebook for $1 billion in April 2012. Instagram is creating new and exc...
Photography & Video
How to Take Gorgeous Product Photos

January 28, 2013 • Jason Lawrence

Editor's Note: We welcome Jason Lawrence as our newest contributor. He is a computer scientist, researcher, educator, and entrepreneur, having co-founded Arqspin, a mobile phone-based platform for creating 360 spins. He is also an associate professor in the Computer Science Department a...