How To Take Product Photos (Beginner’s Guide 2025)

Why We Updated for 2025

My first camera was a Kodak Ektralite 10 in the 1980s. It was blue, used 110 film, and took objectively terrible photos. I loved it anyway. I photographed everything I could, fascinated by the idea that you could capture a moment in time and share it in a way words couldn’t.

Over the years, I upgraded from a Canon point-and-shoot to a mirrorless DSLR. Each upgrade deepened my love for photography. I learned the technical side, from aperture to lighting, but more importantly, I learned how each improvement helped me share moments more clearly with others.

When you run an e-commerce store, your goal is similar. Instead of sharing a personal moment, you’re sharing what it feels like to own your product. The more accurately you convey that experience, the more likely customers are to buy and the less likely they are to return items.

Our last deep dive into product photography was back in 2015, the same year Windows 10 and the Apple Watch launched. A lot has changed in the decade since. This 2025 update reflects today’s tools, techniques, and platforms so you can create photos that both sell and build trust.

What Is Product Photography?

Product photography is the practice of capturing images that accurately and attractively represent your product for online or print marketing. It’s a blend of accuracy (showing the product as it really is) and persuasion (making it look appealing).

Types of Product Photography

• Studio shots – clean, white-background photos for marketplaces.
• Lifestyle shots – showing the product in use.
• Detail shots – close-ups highlighting textures, features, or craftsmanship.
• Scale shots – showing size comparison (e.g., in hand or next to a ruler).
• Group shots – multiple products together (useful for bundles or collections).

Camera Body

DSLR or Mirrorless

Pros

• Maximum control over exposure, focus, and depth of field.
• Interchangeable lenses for different product types (macro, wide, portrait).
• Larger sensors = better low-light performance and sharper images.
• Delivers a polished, professional look that strengthens customer trust.

Cons

• Higher upfront cost.
• Steeper learning curve for beginners.
• Bulkier and less convenient to set up quickly.
• Requires additional accessories (lenses, batteries, memory cards).

Smartphones

Pros

• Modern smartphones (like the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel) can produce images that rival entry-level DSLR cameras, especially in good lighting.
• Convenient and portable - always available when you need to shoot.
• Built-in editing apps and AI-enhanced features (portrait mode, background blur).
• Affordable compared to pro camera kits.

Cons

• Smaller lenses and sensors limit sharpness and depth of field, especially in low light.
• Harder to control advanced settings like aperture and shutter speed (unless using manual mode apps).
• Less consistency across a full product catalog if lighting isn’t carefully managed.
• May struggle with complex lighting or very small/detailed products.

Lenses (for DSLR and Mirrorless Users)

• Standard 50mm lens: Great for true-to-life images.
• Macro lens: For small products with intricate details.

Note: If you’re using a smartphone, you can simulate lens effects with clip-on smartphone lenses (wide-angle, macro) or simply by using built-in portrait/macro modes.

Accessories (Helpful for Any Setup)

• A tripod prevents blur and ensures consistency. We love our Manfrotto, but there are many great options available. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the tripod, the steadier your shots will be.
• Remote shutter release (or phone timer).
• Reflectors/diffusers to control lighting.

Quick Take: If you’re just starting out, a smartphone paired with good lighting is more than enough for professional-looking results. But for growing brands seeking full control and consistency, a DSLR or mirrorless setup is a smart investment.

Natural Light

Natural light is one of the easiest, most flattering sources for product photography. It lends a believable, welcoming look that’s ideal for lifestyle, crafts, and food shots while keeping colors true to the eye. It’s free, requires minimal gear, and is approachable for beginners and small teams.

The challenge is harsh, direct sun, which creates sharp shadows and blown highlights. To manage it, avoid midday light and shoot during the “golden hours” (shortly after sunrise or before sunset) or on overcast days. Work beside a large window with indirect light; if it’s still too punchy, soften it with a sheer curtain, diffuser, or scrim. Bounce light back with a white foam board or reflector to open shadows, and position the product a few feet from the window to reduce contrast and glare.

Artificial Light

Artificial lighting gives you the advantage of control and repeatability. Unlike sunlight, which changes throughout the day, artificial light stays consistent, making it ideal for shooting large catalogs or updating product images over time. Softbox kits, LED panels, and ring lights are the most common tools, each offering a steady, balanced light that keeps colors accurate. This makes artificial lighting particularly useful when marketplaces (like Amazon) require a pure white background for main product photos.

The key to success with artificial light is creating a soft, even spread that minimizes harsh shadows. Position lights at a 45-degree angle to your product, and consider using two lights to balance shadows from either side. Diffusers, reflectors, or softbox covers help create a natural look that flatters your product instead of making it appear flat or overly contrasted. While artificial light requires a bit more setup and equipment than natural light, the ability to replicate the same lighting conditions across multiple shoots ensures a professional, uniform look that builds customer trust.

DIY Lightbox

A DIY lightbox is one of the most cost-effective ways to achieve professional-looking product photos without investing in a full studio setup. At its simplest, a lightbox is just a small enclosure with translucent sides that diffuse light evenly over your product. You can make one with a cardboard box, white poster board, and a few LED desk lamps. The enclosed space eliminates harsh shadows and distractions, giving your product a clean, consistent look against a neutral background. This setup is especially useful for small to medium-sized items like jewelry, crafts, or accessories where detail and consistency matter.

The key to success with a homemade lightbox is diffusion and positioning. Cut out large windows on the sides of the box, cover them with white tissue paper or fabric, and place your lights outside the box shining through the panels. This creates soft, even illumination. Position your product on a white sweep of poster board that curves from the back wall to the floor of the box—this eliminates the “horizon line” and gives a seamless background. If you’d like a step-by-step visual walkthrough, we recommend this helpful tutorial on YouTube: How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent. With just a few supplies and a little setup time, you can dramatically upgrade the professionalism of your product images, even on a budget.

White Backgrounds

White backgrounds remain the industry standard, especially for eCommerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Google Shopping. A white or light-gray background eliminates distractions, ensures consistent branding, and makes it easier for marketplaces to remove backgrounds if needed. You don’t need an expensive setup to achieve this—something as simple as a white sweep of poster board or a roll of seamless paper can do the trick. When combined with good lighting, white backgrounds give your product a polished, professional look that instills trust.

Lifestyle Backgrounds

While white backgrounds are essential for marketplaces, lifestyle shots are just as important for brand building. These images show your product in a real-world setting, helping customers imagine it in their own lives. For example, a handmade coffee mug looks much more inviting when photographed on a wooden table with steam rising than when isolated on a white sheet. Lifestyle images convey mood, context, and use, and they’re particularly powerful for social media and brand websites where storytelling matters as much as technical accuracy.

Props & Styling

Props can elevate a photo, but the key is restraint. A good prop complements rather than competes with the product. For instance, a leather wallet can be styled alongside keys and sunglasses to suggest everyday use, while a dog collar might be shown with a leash or pet toy. Be careful not to overload the frame. Too many props can distract from the item you’re actually selling. Another effective styling tool is color harmony: choose backgrounds and props that match or subtly contrast with your product’s color palette. This creates visual balance and reinforces brand identity.

Consistency Across Your Catalog

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of styling is consistency. Whether you’re photographing ten products or one hundred, aim to use the same type of background and similar styling choices across your entire catalog. Consistent images build a professional, cohesive look that helps customers trust your brand. It also makes your store feel organized and intentional, which can increase perceived value. Even small details, like keeping the same angle or spacing, go a long way in creating a polished presentation.

Why composition matters. Composition is how you arrange elements in the frame so the product reads clearly, looks desirable, and feels consistent with your brand. Good composition reduces friction: customers instantly understand scale, shape, color, and key features without hunting.

Rule of thirds (and when to break it). Turn on the grid in your camera or phone and place the product (or its most important feature) along a third line or at an intersection. This creates a natural visual “pull” and gives you space to show accessories or context. For highly symmetrical products (a centered logo, a perfectly round bowl), break the rule deliberately—centered symmetry can look stronger and more premium. The key is intention: use thirds to guide the eye, and use centering to convey balance and authority.

Fill the frame - intelligently. Let the product dominate. For catalog and marketplace images, aim for a consistent margin around the product so it fills most of the frame without feeling cramped or clipped. Avoid trimming off edges or important features; if in doubt, step back slightly and crop later for uniformity across SKUs. In lifestyle images, “filling the frame” is about visual priority: the product should remain the brightest, sharpest, or most contrasty object so it wins attention even if other elements are present.

Negative space for messaging and crops. If the image may be repurposed for ads, emails, or hero banners, reserve clean negative space for headlines or price flags. Keep that space simple and high-contrast relative to your text color. To future-proof against platform auto-cropping, keep the main subject within the central ~70% of the frame; this preserves the subject on square, 4:5, and 16:9 crops without re-shooting.

Angles and perspective control. Choose angles that best explain form:

• Eye-level for true shape and proportions (great for boxes, jars, packaged goods).
• Three-quarter (≈45°) to show front + side + depth in one shot (a classic eCommerce “hero”).
• Top-down (flat lay) for kits, bundles, and small parts—clean, informative, and scalable.
  Keep verticals vertical on structured products (bottles, boxes, bags). If you tilt the camera, edges converge (keystoning), and the product can look distorted. Align the sensor plane with the product or correct gently in post.

Leading lines and visual pathways. Use edges, seams, straps, or diagonals to point toward branding or key features (buckles, textures, stitching). Subtle diagonals add energy without chaos. Avoid lines that lead the eye out of frame - curve them back toward the product when possible.

Symmetry, repetition, and pattern. For sets, stacks, or multi-packs, align items precisely to create satisfying repetition. Symmetry conveys quality and control; small misalignments read as sloppy. If asymmetry better serves the brand, use deliberate, repeating offsets to look intentional rather than accidental.

Color and contrast as composition tools. Backgrounds and props should serve the product. Use contrast (light/dark, warm/cool) to pull the eye to the item, or analogous tones for a softer, lifestyle feel. Be especially careful with highly saturated props - they can outshine the product and steal focus.

Scale and context. If size isn’t obvious, include a neutral, brand-appropriate scale cue (a hand model, standard notebook, cutting mat grid). Keep it subtle; the goal is clarity, not a gimmick. For marketplace main images, confirm whether props/scale cues are allowed; when in doubt, move scale cues to alternate images.

Consistency across the catalog. Decide on a default angle, height, margin, and background - and stick to it. Consistency builds trust and speeds comparison shopping. Create a quick composition checklist (below) and keep it at the shooting station.

 Why settings matter. The aim in product work is clean, accurate, repeatable images. That means controlling exposure, color, and sharpness so the product looks true-to-life across your whole catalog. Whenever possible, use Manual (M) or Aperture Priority (A/Av) with exposure compensation, and watch your histogram so you’re not clipping highlights on bright packaging or white backgrounds.

Aperture (f-stop): sharpness & depth

For most tabletop products, f/8–f/11 is the sweet spot on full-frame; on APS-C, f/5.6–f/8; on Micro Four Thirds, f/4–f/5.6. These ranges maximize lens sharpness while giving enough depth of field to keep edges, labels, and features in focus. Stopping down too far (f/16+ on many systems) introduces diffraction, which softens detail - especially visible on fine textures and stitching. For very small items (jewelry, hardware) where depth is razor-thin, consider focus stacking: shoot a series with the focus plane nudged forward each frame, then blend in software for a tack-sharp composite.

ISO: keep it low for clean detail

Use the lowest native ISO your camera offers (often ISO 100) to preserve color fidelity and dynamic range. Raising ISO brightens the image but adds noise and reduces fine detail—noticeable in fabric grain, labels, and smooth gradients. Because products don’t move, lean on your tripod and lights instead of ISO: add more light, or lengthen shutter speed, before you bump sensitivity. (On phones, aim for bright lighting so the camera doesn’t auto-raise ISO and over-denoise away texture.)

Shutter speed: freeze, don’t smear

On a tripod with a stationary product, shutter speed can be as long as you need. Sharpness beats speed. Use a remote/timer to avoid shake, and turn off image stabilization when the camera is firmly tripod-mounted (some systems can micro-drift). Handheld, use the classic guideline of 1/(2×focal length) or faster on today’s high-resolution sensors (e.g., a 50 mm lens → ~1/100 s). Under mains-powered LEDs, avoid banding by choosing shutter speeds synced to your region’s power frequency (e.g., 1/60, 1/120 in 60 Hz regions; 1/50, 1/100 in 50 Hz). Many cameras also offer anti-flicker modes—use them if you see exposure pulsing or stripes.

Focus: lock it where it counts

Use single-point AF on the most critical branding or detail, then focus-recompose minimally (or move the AF point). For small products, switch to manual focus with live view magnification (and focus peaking if available) to place focus precisely. If your item has depth (e.g., a bottle angled toward camera), stop down first; if that’s not enough, fall back to focus stacking.

File format & in-camera processing

Shoot RAW (or RAW+JPEG) whenever possible. RAW preserves latitude for white balance, highlight recovery, and color matching. Keep in-camera sharpening/contrast modest; heavy settings can create halos around edges and misrepresent texture. You can standardize the look later with presets during batch editing.

Most phones fix the physical aperture, so you control exposure with ISO, shutter, and brightness slider (EV). Use a Pro/Manual mode if available: lowest ISO, steady support, and lock AE/AF once framed. For depth-of-field, step farther from the subject and zoom slightly (2×/3× lenses are often better for products) rather than relying on Portrait mode, which can mis-cut edges. A tripod + timer makes a huge difference in sharpness.

Starting-point recipes (copy/paste)

• Catalog white-background (DSLR/mirrorless):
  f/8, ISO 100–200, shutter to the meter (often 1/60–1/200 with continuous LEDs); single-point AF on branding; custom WB; remote/timer; histogram checked for clean whites without clipping the product.
• Lifestyle by window (natural light):
  f/4–f/5.6 for a touch of separation, ISO 100–400, shutter as needed on tripod; fixed WB (Daylight), bounce card to open shadows; keep verticals straight.
• Macro/small items:
  f/8–f/11 (watch diffraction), ISO 100, longer shutter on tripod; manual focus with live view; focus-stack if the front and back can’t both be sharp.
  
• Smartphone universal:
  Lowest ISO, EV adjusted so whites aren’t blown, AE/AF lock, tripod + 3–10 s timer; use the tele lens (2×/3×) for flatter perspective; brighten with lights rather than raising ISO.
  

Good editing does three things:

1. Corrects reality (white balance, exposure, color)
2. Removes distractions (dust, backgrounds)
3. Standardizes a look across your whole catalog.

Modern editors are non-destructive, which means your originals stay untouched while edits live as instructions you can change later—ideal for eCommerce where consistency matters. (Lightroom Classic stores edits in its catalog non-destructively.

Goal: clean, accurate, consistent images that reflect the product truthfully.

Desktop (Lightroom Classic or similar):

Work top-to-bottom in the “Basic” controls: set White Balance (neutral whites), fix Exposure using the histogram & clipping warnings, balance Highlights/Shadows/Whites/Blacks, then fine-tune Presence (Texture/Clarity) sparingly so fabrics and materials look natural. Adobe’s Basic panel guides walk through this exact order and how to read the histogram.

Mobile (Lightroom mobile / Snapseed):

On the phone, the same logic applies. Start with Auto as a baseline, correct WB/Temp/Tint, then refine exposure and contrast. Adobe’s mobile tutorials display the equivalent sliders; Snapseed’s help features cover White Balance and Tune Image for quick fixes.

Lens corrections & geometry:

Enable lens profiles (distortion/vignetting), straighten with Crop/Rotate, and keep verticals vertical for boxed goods or packaging. (Lightroom Classic crop/straighten primer.)

Color honesty tip:

If your product comes in multiple colors, keep saturation realistic and use the HSL/Color controls subtly so swatches online match in real life (fewer returns!). (See Adobe’s tone/color basics.)

Photoshop (precise, controllable):

Use Remove Background (Quick Action) for a one-click start, then refine edges (hair, fuzzy textiles) in Select & Mask with Refine Edge/Decontaminate Colors; output to a layer mask for reversible edits. (See Adobe's Tutorial)

Canva (fast, simple):

Canva’s Background Remover is great for quick listings and social graphics (Pro/Teams/Edu/Nonprofit tiers). (See Canva's Tutorial)

remove.bg (speed + batches):

Web app, desktop, and plugins; excellent for bulk white/transparent cutouts and shadow options when you need throughput. (remove.bg)

Quick Quality Check: zoom to 100%, check edges for halos/color fringing, add a subtle shadow or reflection only when it enhances realism (and keep it consistent across SKUs).

• Lightroom Classic:
  Edit a “hero” image, then Sync or Auto Sync those settings to the set. Save Presets for future shoots or apply on import to jump-start consistency.
• Capture One:
  Copy/Apply Adjustments and use the Adjustments Clipboard to decide which settings propagate (often skip local brushes/spotting). This is a workhorse for high-volume tethered sessions.
• Background batches:
  For high throughput cutouts, the remove.bg desktop app/plugins can process many files at once and keep the naming intact.

Reality check: Batching gets you 90% of the way there. Still scan each image for outliers (mixed lighting, reflective packaging) and make local adjustments.

Sharpening, Noise & Detail

• Sharpening should support texture (fabrics, stitching) without halos; apply globally, then mask it away from smooth areas (labels, gradients).
• Noise Reduction helps high-ISO smartphone shots, but avoid over-smoothing that erases material cues.
• Texture vs. Clarity: Texture is gentler on fine detail (threads, grain); Clarity boosts mid-tone contrast—use lightly on metals and hard edges.

(These are standard practices within Lightroom’s Basic & Detail panels referenced above.)

Export for the Web (Profiles, Sizes, Formats)

For most eCommerce images, export JPEG in sRGB to ensure predictable color across browsers and marketplaces; Lightroom’s built-in export presets demonstrate sRGB-tagged JPEG output and are easy to duplicate/tweak. Keep long edge ~1500–3000 px for zoom features, and compress just enough to stay sharp without artifacts.

(Platform-specific pixel rules live in Section 7; this subsection is about getting clean, web-ready files from your editor.)

A Simple Editing Workflow (Copy/Paste-ready)

Desktop (Lightroom Classic):

1. Import & flag selects
2. Enable lens corrections
3. White balance on a neutral area or use WB eyedropper
4. Exposure via histogram; fix clipping highlights/shadows
5. Color/HSL to match real swatches
6. Spot removal (dust, lint)
7. Crop/straighten to consistent framing
8. Save preset, Sync settings to the set
9. Photoshop or remove.bg for cutouts if needed
10. Export JPEG sRGB with your web preset.

Mobile (Lightroom mobile / Snapseed):

1. Auto as baseline
2. WB/Temp/Tint
3. Light (Exposure/Contrast/Highlights/Shadows)
4. Texture/Clarity minimal
5. Crop/straighten
6. Optional background removal in Canva app
7. Export at high quality.

Troubleshooting (Quick Wins)

• Color looks different after export: check you exported sRGB and are previewing in a color-managed viewer/browser. (Lightroom export presets show sRGB tagging.)
• Edges look jagged after a cutout: refine with Select & Mask and output to a layer mask to non-destructively clean the edge.
• Batch sync missed local fixes: in Capture One/Lightroom, local brushes and spot heals may not copy; re-apply to problem files or adjust your clipboard options.

Further Reading

• Lightroom Classic: tone, color & histogram basics (official)
• Batch edit in Lightroom (official primer)
• Lightroom Classic: catalog = non-destructive edits (official)
• Photoshop: Remove Background (Quick Action) + Select & Mask (official)
• Canva Background Remover (help center)
• remove.bg overview & batch options
• Capture One copy/apply & multi-image editing (official)
• Lightroom on mobile: basic edits (official)

The “one-size-works-almost-everywhere” standard

If you want a single spec that safely covers nearly every marketplace and ad channel, use this:

• Canvas & aspect: Square 1:1 images.
• Dimensions: ≥ 2000 × 2000 px (3000+ if you can while keeping file size lean). This satisfies zoom on Amazon/eBay and exceeds minimums on Google/Etsy/Meta.
• Format & color: JPEG (preferred), sRGB color profile. PNG is fine for graphics, but tends to be heavier. Etsy explicitly converts to sRGB.
• File size target: ≤ 10–20 MB (most platforms allow much larger, but this keeps pages fast; Shopify’s hard limit is 20 MB).
• Background (primary image): Pure/neutral white for marketplace “main” images; lifestyle/scale/detail for alternates. Amazon and Walmart require a pure white main image; eBay strongly prefers neutral/white.
• Framing: Product fills roughly 80–90% of the frame (Amazon calls out ≥85%; Google recommends 75–90%)
• No overlays: No text, watermarks, logos, borders, or promotional badges on the product image (Google will even auto-strip them if you opt in).
• Consistency: Same angle, distance, and background across variants to stabilize thumbnails and PLPs (Etsy and eBay emphasize consistency).

Use this standard for your master assets, then downscale as needed per channel.

Principles

• Compliance first: The main image should meet marketplace rules (usually pure white, product ≥85% of frame, no overlays).
• Tell a story: After the hero, sequence images to answer the shopper’s next questions: What does it look like from other angles? How big is it? What’s the texture/quality? How is it used? What’s included?
• Fill every slot: If a channel offers 7–10 images, use them. More angles and details reduce returns.
• Consistency: Keep angles, margins, and lighting consistent across variants/SKUs.

“Universal” 8–10 Image Set (ideal)

1. Main hero on pure white (front/primary angle; clean edges; no overlays).
2. Three-quarter (white) to reveal depth and form.
3. Reverse/underside (white) to show backs, clasps, or mounting points.
4. Scale shot (white): in hand, on a mannequin, or beside a neutral reference; keep props compliant.
5. Detail close-up #1: material/texture (stitching, weave, finish).
6. Detail close-up #2: functional feature (buckle, hardware, fastener, clasp).
7. Lifestyle #1: in real use (clean, on-brand setting; product remains the star).
8. Lifestyle #2: benefit or context (e.g., durability, comfort, aesthetic fit).
9. What’s in the box/bundle contents: neatly arranged, clear inclusions.
10. Variants/choices (if applicable): colorway array or swatches only where allowed; otherwise, put variants on separate listings and use the channel’s native swatch system.

Pro Tip: If the platform supports video or 360° spins, add one short clip (5–15s) showing scale, movement, or a quick rotation. It often outperforms a still image in engagement.

Platform links & quick notes (2025)

• Amazon: Product image requirements (Seller Central): pure white MAIN image (RGB 255,255,255), product ≥85% of frame; ≥ 1000 px longest side recommended for zoom. (Source)
• eBay: Adding pictures to your listings: min 500 × 500 px, 1600 × 1600 px recommended; 1:1 or 16:9 looks best; avoid watermarks/text; neutral/white backgrounds recommended. (Source)
• Etsy: Requirements & Best Practices: ≥ 2000 px on width/height recommended; first photo square or landscape; sRGB color profile. Keep files ≤ ~1 MB for faster uploads. (Source)
• Walmart Marketplace: Image guidelines & requirements (updated Jul 15, 2025): 2200 × 2200 px, 1:1, seamless white background (RGB 255/255/255); ≥1500 × 1500 for zoom; JPEG/JPG/PNG/BMP; ≤5 MB. (Source)
• Google Merchant Center (Shopping): Image requirements & troubleshooting: ≥ 100 × 100 px (non-apparel) / ≥ 250 × 250 px (apparel); ≤16 MB; no overlays/watermarks; optional automatic image improvements can strip promos/logos. Google also recommends product occupy ~75–90% of the image. (Source)
• Shopify (your own store): Recommended product images 2048 × 2048 px (square) for crisp zoom; supports up to 5000 × 5000 px; ≤ 20 MB per image. (Source)
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram Shops): Catalog images: JPEG/PNG, ≤ 8 MB, must accurately represent the product (Meta Business Help). Many implementations use ≥1024 × 1024 px as a safe baseline. (Source)
• TikTok Shop: Official docs vary by region and are gated, but common guidance: JPEG/PNG, ≤ 5 MB, square images within roughly 600 × 600 to 6000 × 6000 px range; use clean backgrounds and multiple angles. (Use these as guardrails; confirm in your TikTok Shop region.) (Source)