Hey guys! I'm going to share how I take products photos!
Good product photos are super important whether you sell on a platform like Etsy or your own website. You really only need a few things to get going:
A camera
Lighting
Backgrounds
A few photography & editing tips
Someone to help!
Camera:
I have a Samsung Galaxy s25, and I sometimes use a Pixel 6 Pro. You definitely don't need either of these or any specific phone, but try to use one that has a good camera so you can get good shots. Borrowing a phone when needed is great too! I just use regular settings.
I always make sure my phone is charged and that the lens on my phone is clean before starting. There's nothing worse than my phone battery dying or taking a bunch of photos, then later realizing I have to take new ones because of a product flaw or a smudged camera lens. I also like to make sure my hands and nails look good before taking photos.
I always check my products for flaws or smudges before taking photos.
Practice is key!
Lighting & Backgrounds:
Outdoors:
Taking photos in the morning or evening will help you to capture colors well and avoid shadows but I do sometimes photograph in direct sunlight. Cloudy days can work well too. It's really about trying different things and finding what works for you!
For small items, I like to hold my product over a background of green grass or shrubbery. You can even put down something like fabric or paper on the ground or sidewalk and use that as a background. A cement sidewalk makes a great industrial-style background for edgy art too.
For items like tote bags and apparel, I personally like to go out to the nature trail behind my house, then have my model hold/wear them in indirect light. I love the natural background options out there! Brick or cement walls can also look really cool depending on what effect you want to achieve.
Indoors:
If you have good photography lights, you can take great photos night or day!
For small and medium items, I use a table with two photography lights. I have the lights set up on opposite sides of my photography table and point them each downward toward the center of the table. I also have my table right next to a window (usually with the blinds pointed upward so natural light is more controlled). You can get these kinds of lights on Amazon:
I have a rug like this draped over the table:
…and I also added artificial greenery that I got at the craft store. If you get lucky, you can sometimes find artificial greenery at the thrift store!
For larger items like sweaters, T-shirts, posters, etc. I lay them flat on a rug in my studio and often hold them up in front of me for scale (poster) or wear the sweater or shirt with my studio walls as a backdrop.
I use this light (and stand) in my studio. I have it pointed up toward the ceiling, and it lights up the WHOLE room.
I also painted my walls and ceiling bright white, which helps a lot.
Photography & editing tips:
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I take several photos of each angle of each product so I can choose the best shot later.
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I don't use a flash; it washes the color out of my products.
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I use the editing settings on my phone to get my photos closest to what they actually look like. Playing around with the different settings will get you familiar with your own phone camera's editing capabilities.
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I don't use AI to edit.
Someone to help!
It's often way easier to take photos if I have someone to help me, especially when it comes to large items or when there are a lot of items to get photos of. It's okay to ask for help! :-)
I hope this helps! It really comes down to practice, trying different things, and finding what works best for your own aesthetic!