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Product Photography
Your brain processes images in about 13 milliseconds. That’s not a lot of time to make a first impression on potential customers.
What shoppers see on your website often determines whether they stay or leave. So it’s worth investing in ways to grab their attention and keep them interested, and great product photography is one of the best ways to do exactly that.
If you run an eCommerce store, you already know how good your products are. But until a customer holds them in their hands, photos on your website are all they have to go on.
This is why the most successful eCommerce platforms pair outstanding products with equally good product images. Those photos build trust and credibility by showing off the quality and value of what you’re selling.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about product photography so you can start capturing that perfect shot.
Types of Product Photography
Detailed Shots
Detail photos work best for products with small features that need a close-up view, like jewelry and other tiny objects.
These shots highlight specific product details that a standard photo would miss. To capture those fine details, you’ll usually need specialized camera settings and equipment like a macro lens.
Group Shots
A group shot shows more than one product in the same frame. Group photography is commonly used for product collections and bundles.
Interested in this area? We go deeper in our street photography guide.
It shows the range and variety of your items and gives buyers a clearer picture of what you offer. These photos are perfect for ads and social media posts since they give customers a taste of your full product line rather than just one item.
Individual Shots
The individual shot is one of the most common types of product photography since it features just a single object in the frame.
You’ll often see these in banner images and product catalogs, where they’re used to highlight specific items on their own.
Lifestyle Shots
Lifestyle product photography lets you show your products in action.
These photos tell the story behind your products and show how buyers might use them day to day. While lifestyle images can supplement individual shots on your product page, they also work well for ads, emails, social media, and other visual channels because they draw attention and make your products feel more real.
Scale Shots
One common frustration with online shopping is not being able to tell how big (or small) a product actually is.
Sure, the dimensions might be listed in the product description, but photos alone can be misleading. By placing your product next to familiar everyday items, you help shoppers get a better sense of its actual size.
This kind of comparison helps customers picture your products in their own lives, and that added confidence can push them toward making a purchase.
Product Photography Tips
Set Up Your Background
Picking the right background puts the focus on your product and makes the editing process easier down the line.
For the complete picture, our types of photography guide fills in the gaps.
For product photography, a white or light background works best. It helps eliminate distracting elements and simplifies retouching.
The good news? You don’t need an expensive backdrop. A simple white sweep or even poster board can get the job done.
Set Up Your Product
This sounds simple, but getting the angle, lighting, and placement just right can take a few attempts.
Place your product in front of the background, making sure it’s centered on a flat, stable surface like a table or chair.
Adjust Your Lighting
Good lighting is one of the most important parts of capturing a high-quality product image. Adjusting it can take time, but getting the light right can make or break your final shot.
Pick The Right Camera
It might seem obvious, but choosing the right camera matters a lot for product photography.
That said, if you’re not planning regular photoshoots or you’re working on a tight budget, don’t feel like you need to invest in a high-end professional camera.
Smartphone camera technology has come a long way, so you can get great results with a recent iPhone or a solid Android phone.
Final Thought
And there you have it. A handful of product photography tips to get you started.
You don’t have to try everything at once. Capturing great product shots takes practice, so experiment a bit and see what works best for your setup.
