How to Photograph Your Products with the Camera You Already Have
You don't need studio lighting or a mirrorless camera to shoot product photos that convert. Here's what an afternoon of practice can get you.
Light
The single biggest lever is light. A large window on a bright but overcast day is close to ideal for most products — soft, even, no harsh shadows. Direct sun is usually too harsh. If you can only shoot at night, invest in a single softbox; more is not better.
Background
A plain background — a piece of foamcore, a lightly textured cloth, a clean wooden table — puts the focus on the product. Busy backgrounds compete for attention and photograph worse. Neutral is your friend.
Framing
Shoot square if the marketplace uses square thumbnails; shoot slightly wider than you need if you're not sure. Fill the frame with the product but leave a small breathing margin. Shoot at the subject's eye level, not down at it.
Show scale
At least one photo per listing should show the product with something that makes size obvious — a hand, a coin, a mug. Buyers guess wrong constantly when there's nothing to compare.
Edit lightly
Straighten. Adjust exposure so the whites look white. Boost contrast a small amount if the photo looks flat. Don't push saturation. Don't remove imperfections — you're setting expectations, not selling a fantasy.
This article is part of the Suliit editorial series on online commerce for independent sellers and buyers. Suliit is a U.S.-based marketplace operated from Prince Frederick, Maryland.