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7 Product Photography Tips to Enhance Your Listings

an analog camera with a lens

Product images steal the spotlight on Amazon. Whether on search result pages or individual product detail pages, images are front and center — and have the power to make or break your chances of landing a sale.

With this in mind, consider the following tips to elevate your product photography and create listings that convert.

7 Product photography tips

1) Use the right equipment

When in a pinch, an iPhone camera can get the job done. But ideally, you’ll want to shoot your images using a DSLR that gives you the greatest control over the brightness, sharpness, and resolution of your images.

Beyond this, you should invest in a tripod and a few lenses that capture both wide and close-up shots clearly. Fortunately, you likely don’t need to worry about portability as much as stability, so you won’t have to stock up immediately on equipment that’s easy to travel with.

In addition to the basics, there’s plenty of other gear you could purchase, including light stands, light modifiers, backgrounds, and editing software. However, you don’t have to purchase this all at once. Assess your needs and add to your collection gradually.

2) Find a white background

Amazon requires you to shoot your main images against a pure white background. For this, you can use white fabric — such as a bedsheet — or a backdrop purchased online. Make sure every surface surrounding your product is covered with your white sheet (Amazon wants to mimic the appearance of your item floating on its interface).

While editing software comes in handy when you want to touch up your images, avoid using it to remove the background of your image entirely. This can easily lead to distortion or false customer expectations if, for instance, you shoot your image under yellow lighting, but remove the background to make it look like it was shot under white lighting.

3) Watch your lighting

Speaking of lighting — use natural lighting whenever possible to provide the most accurate representation of your product. Make sure your lighting isn’t too bright or severe to cause glare or distortion.

If you need to use artificial lighting, leverage umbrellas and reflectors to cast bright, even light across your item. In either case, it’s best to have a designated spot within your home or office to shoot your photos. This ensures the overall look and feel of your product images remain consistent across all your Amazon listings.

4) Be mindful of relative size

According to Amazon guidelines, your product must occupy at least 85% of the area of your main images. However, when it comes to secondary images (aka your alternate images), you have more freedom over how your product is displayed. You can show your items in various environments and situations, or even overlay them with text.

As you capture these photos, be careful not to portray your product as bigger or smaller than it is. Provide objects, models (when appropriate), or labels to showcase the true size of your products so your customers aren’t surprised.

5) Include close-ups of key features

Close-ups are typically much more alluring and informative than wide images. They allow your customers to inspect the finer details of your product, like the fabric, zippers, and pockets of a bag.

When deciding what to capture in close-ups, consider how customers would examine your item in person. Don’t leave things open to interpretation; zoom in on the details that make your products unique or attractive.

6) Capture every angle

When customers evaluate products in store, they tend to hold the item up and inspect the top, back, inside, and outside. Likewise, your online photos should showcase your products at multiple angles.

They should essentially offer a 360-degree view of your product so customers know exactly what to expect when they receive it in the mail. If you’re not sure which angles are optimal to post on your listing, take various shots to keep in your library and test which images perform best.

7) Show your products in action

Aside from setting the right customer expectations, images serve to inspire your customers. They help build personal connections or affinity towards your product even before your buyers see it in person.

When photographing alternate images, go in with a plan. Consider what you want your customers to feel when they see your product — do you want them to feel safe? Energized? Relaxed? By showing your products in various use cases, you help shoppers visualize themselves using your items.

You can simultaneously communicate the intended use of your product and the intended user. For example, if you sell a children’s toy, you can showcase kids within your target age range playing with your toy.

Wrapping up — Harness the power of high-quality photos

Photos are some of the most important components of your Amazon listing. They reel your customers in and build confidence in your brand. Don’t put your sales at risk by overlooking the importance of your images, and take the time to learn the best practices of product photography.