E-commerce product photo tips: images that sell

What should a good product photo achieve?

A product photo has three jobs:

• Show the product as it is: colour, texture and size should be close to reality. Many returns and bad reviews come from "it doesn't look like the photo".
• Answer questions in advance: what does the back look like, the inside, how big is it in the hand?
• Grab attention: stop someone scrolling on social media or browsing hundreds of listings on a marketplace.

The first two build trust; the third earns attention. Making the product look different from reality to get attention brings clicks in the short term and returns in the long term.

The essential shots for every product

1. Main image: the product on a plain, light background, centred, fully visible. Marketplaces usually require a white or light background.
2. Detail: a close-up showing quality, such as stitching, texture, material or print.
3. Scale: the product in a hand, on a table or next to a familiar object. A size label alone isn't enough; people want to see it.
4. In use: the product being used or in place: a necklace worn, a vase on a shelf, a bag on a shoulder.
5. Other angles: back, side and, if relevant, inside.
6. Variants: a separate, colour-accurate photo of each colour option.

For social media, add a shot that tells a story: making the product in the workshop, packing an order, or the box it arrives in.

Choosing a background

• White or light grey: the safest choice for marketplaces and catalogues. It puts the product first.
• Natural texture: a wooden table, linen or stone adds warmth to handmade and natural products.
• Real setting: showing the product where it's used gets more attention on social media, but the main image should still show the whole product.

Make sure the product contrasts with the background. Shoot a white mug on a white surface and its edges disappear; light grey or a coloured surface works better.

Light: no expensive gear needed

The best and cheapest light is indirect daylight from a window. Direct sun casts hard shadows; an overcast day or a sheer curtain gives soft light. Put a sheet of white card opposite the window to soften shadows. For more on light and shooting, see product photography with your phone.

Size and ratio: think per channel

You'll use the same product photo in different places, and each has its own ratio:

• Marketplace and website: usually square (1:1) or portrait, at least 1000–1500 px.
• Instagram feed: portrait 4:5 (1080 x 1350) takes up the most space.
• Instagram stories and Reels: 9:16 (1080 x 1920).
• X, LinkedIn and YouTube thumbnails: landscape ratios.

Leave space around the product when shooting so you can crop square, portrait and landscape versions from the same frame. For Instagram dimensions, see Instagram post sizes.

Editing: little, but right

1. Straighten: the product's and surface's lines shouldn't be tilted.
2. Balance exposure: the product shouldn't be too dark or blown out.
3. Fix white balance: neutralise any yellow or blue tint. This is the most important step for true colour.
4. Clean up: remove dust, lint and small marks.
5. Skip heavy filters: filters that change the product's colour cause returns.

After editing, export as a high-quality JPEG in the sRGB colour space. If you work with iPhone HEIC files, see how to upload HEIC photos to Instagram.

Common mistakes

• Cutting off the product: part of the product falls outside the frame when cropping. If the ratio doesn't fit, adding space at the edges is better.
• An inconsistent set: every product shot in different light on a different surface. A shop page or Instagram profile looks messy.
• A single shot: one photo doesn't answer the buyer's questions.
• Unrealistic images: making the product look bigger or a different colour.
• Files that are too small: images that pixelate when zoomed don't inspire trust.

A simple consistency routine

Pick one spot, one background and one time of day for all your product shots, and write down your camera distance and angle. When the next batch of products arrives, you recreate the same setup in minutes, and your shop page and Instagram grid look like they belong together.

From photo to post

Once you have a good product photo, what's left is the caption and hashtags. When you upload the photo on Vitrin's create post page, it suggests an Instagram format automatically, keeps the product centred in the frame and drafts a separate caption for each platform.

Frequently asked questions