It is hard to overstate the role and importance of product photos for eCommerce websites. In today’s age, a digital photo of your product plays the role once taken on by the physical product itself: it drives shoppers to decide whether to put the product in the cart. In fact, research suggests that 93% of consumer buying decisions are based on the images they see.
Today more than ever before, visual experiences are guiding our decisions. They are leading the way when it comes to our ability to learn and retain information.
Consider:
While consumers are spending more and more time on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, eCommerce sellers have struggled to keep pace with the visual first world by making their product pages equally visual–and with good reason.
Professional product photography is expensive; online stores need to see significant increases in sales to enjoy a positive ROI from large-scale photography investments.
However, all is not lost. There are clearly defined best practices to help any business thrive in this visual economy.
In this ultimate guide to product photography, we’ll take you through these best practices, share the hidden costs you incur when you don’t invest in the best product photography practices for your online catalog, and most importantly reveal the latent superpowers product photos have for your online presence to remain successful.
Let’s first start with understanding how to get the most out of the investments you make toward your product imagery by adopting one or more of these practices.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Expressions like these are holding true in today’s digital era where your visuals are what sell your brand. The notions of “the more, the merrier” and “bigger is better” apply to product photos in eCommerce:
The challenge for online businesses is to create a variety of great images of every item in their catalog while still ensuring they remain within allocated budgets. But before we get to budget-friendly solutions, let’s add other angles.
Seeing is believing.
White background, static images were a norm for eCommerce. With increased optimization of data speed, online shoppers are engaging with more interactive forms of visual content and have higher expectations now.Currently,trust is established through the visual experience of product images.
Consumers presume a website navigation will enable them to zoom into and rotate product images to view from different angles. They expect to instantly see variations of the product in different colors and patterns or look to understand the functionalities of the product, graphically or through a video representation. Lifestyle images that tell a story about the brand also are a key driver.
Here you are with a great product to sell, but how do you convince potential customers to purchase it? Product photography quite literally puts your product in the best possible light. You can use these product images for a variety of purposes including:
Showcasing the product: Website, Social Platforms, Marketplaces
Promoting your product: Ads, WhatsApp Business, Press Releases
While you could hire a professional to shoot your product, sometimes the cost, or even the sheer number of products, means it’s just not an option. The good news is, you don’t need the latest camera or gadgets to capture professional-looking images, nor do you need to spend a lot of money.
Customers simply want proof that your product is of desired quality and value. In the sections below, we’ll cover everything you need to know about product photography, and how to shoot your own product photos.
Let’s look at ways a seller can use to take full control of the images needed for a product catalog without causing a dent in their pocket. Here are 3 key aspects of the product photography that we will focus on:
For most small businesses on a budget, investing in expensive product photography options simply isn’t an option.
Fortunately, getting high-quality photos today is much simpler than some years ago. Smartphone cameras have gotten smarter, and Artificial intelligence more intelligent: combine the two and there are multiple easy-to-use and pocket-friendly solutions to create professional quality product photos.
Here we’re showcasing how with a small investment of money, you can take control of your product photography and create stand out photos that let you outsmart your competitors.
Your own DIY, at-home photography studio requires minimal time and effort to get going. Here are the 4 key things you need to consider when you’re setting it up:
Don’t be scared to shoot on a smartphone.
Most photographers will convince you that nothing less than a high-end, 50-megapixel (MP) camera with a 100-millimeter screw-on lens works for product photography.
If you already own a camera that fits this description, make the most of it. However, most product images for digital display online can be shot on smartphones. Newer smartphones boast powerful camera lenses that allow optimization for the different types of environments and lighting you might shoot in.
Use a tripod for consistent photos.
Starting off with holding your smartphone yourself when clicking product photos isn’t a bad option. However, as your business grows, it can become difficult to remain consistent with product orientations when using a handheld device for long durations.
To ensure consistent outputs across your product catalog, investing in a tripod can be useful. Fortunately, buying one today isn’t the heavy, industrial-sized investment it used to be.
You can consider one of 2 types of tripods:
Professional-grade tripods come with a screw to attach to the camera and hold it in place. Smartphones use an adapter for the same purpose:
The adapter grips the sides of your smartphone and can screw into either type of tripod, allowing you to operate the camera controls with the phone screen facing outward and toward you.
Getting the right backdrop not only ensures the focus on the product you’re clicking, it also helps simplify the image editing process when it’s time for post-production of your product photos. Try the usage of a white or light backdrop, as this will make it less difficult to get rid of unwanted objects and retouch images.
Fortunately, you no longer have to spend an arm and a leg on investing in fancy backgrounds to get the ideal product photo. There are a couple of low-cost choices that will do the job.
A small investment in a light box can go a long way, especially for those who sell small products like jewelry, toys, shoes, and fashion accessories. Lightboxes allow evenly distributed light around the object of focus and make sure the output looks professionally shot. Lightboxes also prevent color casts from surrounding objects that affect the color of your product. It is particularly important when shooting light-colored products or products with reflective surfaces.
In case you sell larger products like furniture or luggage, you can benefit from a white sweep off of Amazon.
Alternatively, here too, you can take the DIY route. You can make your own chair-mounted sweep using a roll of white craft paper. All you have to do is to place a chair against a wall and tape the craft paper on the wall above the chair, allowing it to fall to the ground. This will create a clean transition between the vertical and horizontal planes whenever you position your product on the chair. Another choice is to clamp the sweep to the top of the chair and allow the paper to drape down the chair, which will create an identical seamless effect.
We cannot say enough about what lighting can do for your product images. One of the most important elements in creating professional-looking product photos is having the perfect lighting. However, the good news is that while lighting might seem like a technical subject, in product photography for digital display, some very simple tricks can help to get the pro look your images deserve. Luckily, in product photography, you only have two types of light sources to choose from:
For those who are on a budget, using natural light is the best way to go. But just because this is the cheaper option doesn’t mean it’s lower quality.
On the contrary, natural light is ideal if you’re clicking photos outdoors or if you’re shooting a lifestyle photo with a model. Just make sure you’re shooting during the day when the sun is at its peak so that you can get optimal light.
If you’re having a product shoot indoors, place your backdrop and shooting table close to a source of light, like a window that gets a lot of natural sunlight. If the light is too intense, you can try diffusing it with a light-colored cloth or paper draped over the window.
A great example of when to use natural lighting is food photography.
This product photo by Santa Monica Seafood is an example of natural lighting. Their website features a buffet of food photography, much of which utilizes natural lighting that gives their products a more dramatic effect.
If you want to shoot during different times of the day when the sunlight is not optimum, artificial light may be a better option.
What you will need are at least two softbox light setups, which will help soften shadows. You can find clip-on light clamps and high-intensity bulbs on Amazon, and if you have the budget, there are plenty of higher-end options as well.
Once you have your studio lights, you can decide how to position them to achieve your desired look.
Regardless of how you adjust them, one should serve as the key light source, placed in front of your product, and the other should be your fill light, positioned on the opposite side, back, or above your product.
Although the lightboxes efficiently diffuse light, if the shadows are still too intense, you can always use a sheet or white cardboard to further soften it.
Once you have your lighting setup just right, make sure you document the positioning and camera settings so you can recreate a consistent look across multiple photoshoots.
Don’t invest in every piece of equipment all at once. Apply these product photography tips gradually to see what makes your store look the most attractive, and keep modifying your approach as your understanding of what’s working improves.
Now it’s time to bring your product into the spotlight.
It may seem simple, but setting up your product can take a few tries to get the angle, lighting, and position just right.
Place your product in front of the backdrop, making sure that it’s centered and on a flat, stable surface like a table or chair.
For products like jewelry and other accessories, you may want to use a bust that better displays the product. And for items with labels or special designs, you may need to adjust the product until it’s precisely centered.
For smaller, more intricate products, here are a few more tools that might be helpful:
Product photography isn’t one-dimension fits all. Just as your eCommerce shop possibly features a variety of products and services, product snapshots also come in a variety of styles and purposes. Some are for daily use, whilst others are solely used in unique cases. Whether you want to maintain a standard across different product pictures or tastefully mix them, it’s essential to understand the difference between each kind of product photography and how to create them.
Here is a list of the six most frequently used product photography shots, when to use them, and what they look like in practice:
One of the most common kinds of product photos, the single shot, also called the “Hero image” on Amazon product listings, contains only the main product in the frame. These types of photos are mostly featured in product catalogs and listings on marketplaces, banner photos, and all through product pages on brand websites to showcase their best-selling product.
A terrific example is this one from Skullcandy, which is shot with a white background to create a clean, easy look and maintain the focal point on the product.
Another example is this image used by X on Amazon.com, which is a front shot with a white background to create a clean and simple look to keep shoppers’ attention focused on the product.
Besides the first individual product shot against a white background, a better idea is to have at least 2-3 more images covering different angles of the product using the same background. This helps to highlight key features of the product and gives the buyer a better sense of the product from all dimensions.
Here the product photos have covered a handbag from different angles to give a clear sense of its shape and the style of its handle.
If you’re shooting for a clothing brand, for example, capture the garment alone in one image and on a mannequin whose color contrasts with that of the product from another angle. This kind of variety enables better decision-making for customers.
You can use lifestyle photography to your brand values and set your products in context. Often these product photos are shot with a model, or the product is placed in a contextual scene to highlight its use.
Like in this example created on DoMyShoot, lifestyle photos show customers how they can use the products in their daily lives.
Besides adding value to the single product shots on a product listing page, lifestyle photos are ideal for use on social media, Ads, and email marketing campaigns as they support brand personalization and help convert browsers to buyers.
A group shot like the above showcases more than one product together.
Often used in electronics or product kits, group photos of products show the range and variety of your products and give the customer a complete view of your offerings. Such images are perfect for creating special deals during sales and promotional activities.
A close-up shot is necessary for small products or those with intricate details, as it allows for highlighting of specific features that may not be visible in traditional product photos. This is particularly important for products such as jewelry, where detailed shots are essential. A zoom feature is often required to capture these delicate images effectively.
From browsing your website or listing to ordering and then finally receiving the products, shoppers look for a seamless experience throughout the purchase cycle. So, while your product might be perfect, if the photos used to showcase it aren’t at par, you will be leaving behind money on the table.
So, if you have put in the effort to create great branded packaging for your product, make sure to show it off on your product listing page.
Packaging shots, like this example from X, highlight not just the product but also the packaging, whether it be a box, bag, or just the label.
Now that you can create a range of professional quality images of your products and have full control of the process, how do you generate product images that meet the specifications of all the channels you want to sell on?
To ensure that, it is important to consider key parameters when generating adaptations of your photos for multiple uses.
Online marketplaces have strict image guidelines that must be followed to list products on their platforms. It is well-established that high-quality product images lead to higher conversion rates, meaning that the better your product images, the more likely you are to sell your products.
To help you navigate these guidelines, here is a summary of some standard guidelines for some of the key channels:
Besides specifications that each marketplace has, there are some universal guidelines that, if adhered to, ensure your product photos will drive success everywhere. These are-
Much of the focus on images in eCommerce is due to the rise of mobile commerce. Smartphones’ are now playing the dominant influence and therefore as a seller, ensuring your product images are optimized for mobile is an essential first step to being able to have a multi-channel product catalog.
No matter the channel, your product photos should be accurate representations of the actual product being sold. Be careful when including props or accessories that may lead the shopper into believing these are included with their purchase.
For the best display on all devices, your product should occupy 75-80% or more of the canvas. No one likes to see a tiny product in the middle of all the white space, especially when viewing on a mobile device!
Also, ensure your images are 1200 pixels or more on the longest side so the zoom and enlarge features can be activated. Be mindful of the fact that the largest marketplaces like Amazon and eBay have a minimum size requirement of 500 pixels on the longest side. For best results, regardless of product category, go for large, high-quality images of 2000 pixels a side or more.
A white background with Hex #FFFFFF or RGB 255-255-255 value is required for all Amazon main images. Other channels might not mandate this requirement but do highly recommend this too. White background images enable a clear view on mobile devices. More importantly, it’s a format shoppers have gotten used to and is widely considered a best practice for eCommerce product photography.
However you choose to go about your product photography, keep your images consistent. This helps to build strong brand recall and develops confidence in the buying decision. This is especially important in an online marketplace like Facebook or Etsy, which also plays the role of a social media marketing tool. Active buyers on platforms like these are returning customers who discover brands they love and trust.
If you want to easily and cost-effectively bring your product photos into marketplace compliance, consider using DoMyShoot. Select the preset mode for a product shoot, which ensures your output files meet all the specifications for Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and other marketplaces with a few quick clicks.
Consider all the digital touchpoints your brand needs to be visually present today to stay relevant. And also, reflect on the types of product photos you need to display at each of these touchpoints:
Now combine these parameters with your product portfolio. What you are dealing with now is hundreds of images for each of your products on a regular basis.
The challenge lies in being able to create high-quality product photos at scale without spending significantly. Or was that a challenge in the times when the only options were expensive photo studios?
Today, eCommerce sellers can leverage AI to power their product photography needs. Generating high-resolution photorealistic images of products from every angle without ever shipping products to a studio, fussing with lighting, and going back and forth with photographers is very much a reality of today with smartphone apps like DoMyShoot.
Besides addressing the concerns of scale, AI photos also cover for the hidden costs associated with poor quality product photography.
There are three primary expenses that brands incur when they rely on bad (or too few) product visuals:
64.2% of online shoppers report that they make a return when “items don’t match the description or expectations.” This indicates that lack of enough product information is a key cause for returns. If shoppers get a better sense of what they are buying, they’d be less likely to return it. Higher quality & quantity of eCommerce images along with product photos that drive engagement play a key role in controlling returns.
Reviews have more power over eCommerce purchases than ever before. The best way to drive on-site purchases is to have the review right there with the details of the product.
That said, reviews are designed primarily to give shoppers the confidence to buy when they don’t feel so sure about the credibility of the product. Better quality visuals can potentially eliminate or cut down on the demand for such reviews.
Online shoppers are buying around the clock. If there aren’t enough product details in the listing , there must be someone available to answer questions. Live customer service is expensive and requires good management.
Crisp and clear product photos with detailed descriptions can decrease the need for 24/7 customer service. Additionally, adding alt text and alt tags can further broaden your target audience, increase accessibility on your site, and help improve your image SEO.
As you strategize for your 2023 product photography goals and budget, definitely consider the ROI of better product imagery.
AI tools not only help you scale out your visual content creation, but also ensure you have the consistent outcomes you need, at scale. All in one solutions like the DoMyShoot photography app enable you to :
Within days, you can have your entire product catalog photographed. At the start of a new season, you can update your images in just a couple of days. And because you totally skip the costs associated with setting up a photos studio shoot, you’ll only pay about 1/1,000 what you would to achieve the same through traditional photography.
Consider all the digital touchpoints your brand needs to be visually present today to stay relevant. And also, reflect on the types of product photos you need to display at each of these touchpoints:
Now combine these parameters with your product portfolio. What you are dealing with now is hundreds of images for each of your products on a regular basis.
The challenge lies in being able to create high-quality product photos at scale without spending significantly. Or was that a challenge in the times when the only options were expensive photo studios?
Today, eCommerce sellers can leverage AI to power their product photography needs. Generating high-resolution photorealistic images of products from every angle without ever shipping products to a studio, fussing with lighting, and going back and forth with photographers is very much a reality of today with smartphone apps like DoMyShoot.
Besides addressing the concerns of scale, AI photos also cover for the hidden costs associated with poor quality product photography.
There are three primary expenses that brands incur when they rely on bad (or too few) product visuals:
64.2% of online shoppers report that they make a return when “items don’t match the description or expectations.” This indicates that lack of enough product information is a key cause for returns. If shoppers get a better sense of what they are buying, they’d be less likely to return it. Higher quality & quantity of eCommerce images along with product photos that drive engagement play a key role in controlling returns.
Reviews have more power over eCommerce purchases than ever before. The best way to drive on-site purchases is to have the review right there with the details of the product.
That said, reviews are designed primarily to give shoppers the confidence to buy when they don’t feel so sure about the credibility of the product. Better quality visuals can potentially eliminate or cut down on the demand for such reviews.
Online shoppers are buying around the clock. If there aren’t enough product details in the listing , there must be someone available to answer questions. Live customer service is expensive and requires good management.
Crisp and clear product photos with detailed descriptions can decrease the need for 24/7 customer service. Additionally, adding alt text and alt tags can further broaden your target audience, increase accessibility on your site, and help improve your image SEO.
As you strategize for your 2023 product photography goals and budget, definitely consider the ROI of better product imagery.
AI tools not only help you scale out your visual content creation, but also ensure you have the consistent outcomes you need, at scale. All in one solutions like the DoMyShoot photography app enable you to :
Within days, you can have your entire product catalog photographed. At the start of a new season, you can update your images in just a couple of days. And because you totally skip the costs associated with setting up a photos studio shoot, you’ll only pay about 1/1,000 what you would to achieve the same through traditional photography.
DoMyShoot provides online sellers with a simple photography workflow to create marketplace ready images in no time. Sellers can easily follow the in-app guides for their product category and get back ready to use images in multiple adaptations within 24 hours.
Besides being perfect for product listings and ecommerce photography, DoMyShoot users can pick from a variety of templates to get stand out images for listings or for social media.
No matter what you sell - apparel, fashion accessories, shoes, electronics, furniture, real estate, cars, or food, DoMyShoot can make eCommerce product photography hassle-free for you. Choose from several templates and capture images using flat lay photography, close ups, or other angles, perfect for ecommerce listings!
The app works in 3 simple steps:
1. Sellers start by shooting their product using the in-app guides and overlays available for their product category. They can shoot as many angles of the products as they need. When they are done shooting, they can submit the clicked images to us.
2. We receive the photos. The images are enhanced and optimized based on the marketplace guidelines. We also generate custom outputs, including products on any background, lifestyle images and 3D content.
3. Once processed, the images are available in the Gallery section of the app and from there they can be linked to any product.
Our success rate includes being the photography and listing partner for international stalwarts like Walmart, Amazon and Shopify, as well as having a list of successful clients and use cases in different categories, such as kids wear with Gugguu and hair products with WigChick.
Let’s deep dive into how DoMyShoot helped these sellers to succeed:
Gugguu is a premium kids’ fashion brand from Finland. The company designs and manufactures high-quality clothing for children aged two to fourteen years old.
The company was founded on the principle that every child has the right to feel beautiful, comfortable, and stylish in their own clothes. They believe that dressing well boosts self-esteem and helps children to feel confident in their own skin. Their vision is to create garments that are both stylish and practical, ensuring that children can move around freely without feeling constricted.
The company’s target market is families with young children who appreciate quality clothing and want their children to look fashionable yet timelessly elegant.
Prior to incorporating DoMyShoot into its photography workflow, the client faced a few key challenges:
After discussing the situation with the client, we came up with a plan that would help them achieve their goals. Here is what we did:
1. We created a system for batch processing photos. This enabled the client to quickly and easily produce large quantities of photos without sacrificing quality.
2. We worked with the client to streamline their photo editing process. By doing this, the client was able to reduce the amount of time spent on each photo edit.
3. We helped the client find cheaper sources of stock photography. By doing this, the client was able to save money while still meeting their needs for high-quality photos.
The client is an online luxury wig store dedicated to providing its customers the highest quality human hair products. Its range of products includes everything from toppers to full wigs and all the tools and accessories in between. Made from 100% human hair ethically sourced from all over the world, each product is individually designed and thus, no two products are identical.
Wig Chicks & Co. sells its products through their Shopify store as well through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok. Therefore, they needed high quality product images for a variety of platforms.
Before incorporating DoMyShoot into its photography workflow, the client faced some key challenges like –
After working together, we simplified the photography workflow for the client, making the entire process seamless and hassle-free. Now they get high quality images in half the time.
Traditional photo shoots have always been a challenge for photographers. The process is time consuming, expensive and can take days to produce just one image.
Technology based app shoots are much easier to produce and require far less effort. The photographer sets up the shoot using a mobile phone app that allows them to choose from hundreds of different filters and effects. They can also add text or images to their photos before they are sent out.
The cost of traditional photography is also higher than technology-based photography because the photographer must pay for studio space, models and props.
Technology based photography requires no extra costs like these items since it produces images on its own. Therefore, apps like DoMyShoot are disrupting this space. Making use of your mobile phone, with the power of AI, you get high quality studio like results in just a few minutes.
Not only that- the traditional forms of structuring an image and shooting, be it using flat lays, portrait shoots or contextual shoots can all be done using the app as well- thereby making exorbitant spends on a shoot outdated.
We’ve reached the end of our blog on ecommerce product photography. Let’s quickly recap the key points we’ve covered:
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