12 product photography tips that lift conversion

Get the fundamentals right

1. 1

   One large, soft light source

   A window or a large diffused light gives clean, flattering falloff. Two or three small lights fighting each other is what makes amateur photos look amateur.

2. 2

   Shoot for the zoom

   Customers pinch to zoom on the detail they care about. Focus carefully, use a small aperture for depth, and deliver at least 2000px on the long edge.

3. 3

   Keep backgrounds boring

   The background exists to disappear. Pure white for listings, one muted tone for lifestyle. Busy props compete with the thing you are selling.

4. 4

   Lock your set-up across the range

   Same height, same distance, same light. A grid where every product sits differently looks careless and makes comparison harder.

The frames brands forget

• Scale — the product held in a hand or beside something familiar
• What arrives — everything in the box, laid out
• The back — buyers assume you are hiding something if you never show it
• Texture in macro — material, weave, finish, the justification for your price
• In use — the product doing its job, not sitting still
• Size variants together — so people pick correctly the first time

Small things that make a visible difference

• Clean the product under the light, then clean it again — dust is invisible until it is enormous
• Shoot slightly above eye level for most objects; straight-on flattens them
• Use a polariser to control reflections on glass, metal and packaging film
• Keep colour honest; returns caused by colour surprise are expensive and avoidable
• Shoot a colour checker in the first frame so the grade has a reference
• Leave space around the product for later cropping to different ratios

Frequently asked questions