Product photography: professional results with a phone

In a physical shop the customer picks the product up, turns it over, feels the fabric. Online, one thing replaces all of that: the photo. A bad photo won't sell a good product.

Light is everything

You don't need expensive equipment; you need good light.

The best free light: next to a window, at an hour when direct sun isn't coming through. Direct sun creates hard shadows. An overcast day gives ideal light for product photography.

Turn the ceiling light off. An overhead lamp leaves an ugly shadow on the product and shifts the colour temperature.

Keep the background plain

White or very light grey. A sheet of card or large white paper is enough. Lean the paper against the wall and let it curve down onto the table — that way no line appears in the background.

At least five shots per product

1. Main shot — product centred, plain background, fully visible
2. Detail — fabric texture, stitching, material
3. Scale — the product beside a hand or a familiar object
4. In use — the product in its real setting
5. Back/underside — the other faces a customer wonders about

Shooting on a phone

• Turn on the grid and centre the product.
• Don't use zoom. If you need to get closer, move closer physically; digital zoom degrades the image.
• Steady the phone. A small tripod is cheap; failing that, lean the phone against a stack of books.
• Set focus manually. Tap the product on screen to lock focus.

Editing afterwards

Don't overdo it. Three things are enough:

1. Crop — product centred in the frame, no wasted space at the edges.
2. Brightness — raise it slightly so a white background actually looks white.
3. Colour accuracy — the colour on screen must match the colour that comes out of the box. Play with colour and you'll get returns.

Uploading to the site

Shoot and upload all product photos at the same ratio (1:1 square, for instance). Mixed ratios produce a ragged grid in the product list and make the shop look untidy.

And always compress: a 5 MB product photo slows your store down and costs you customers.

• #e-commerce
• #photography
• #products