How to Take Product Photos for Your Online Store (Step-by-Step)

Your product photos are your online storefront. They’re the first thing shoppers see and the last thing they remember before clicking “Add to Cart.” Research consistently shows that high-quality product images are one of the top factors influencing online purchasing decisions. The good news? You don’t need to hire a professional photographer or rent a studio to get images that convert. This step-by-step guide covers everything you need to take product photos that look professional and sell effectively on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, and any other ecommerce platform.

Step 1: Gather Your Equipment

Here’s the minimum kit you need to start taking great product photos:

Camera or smartphone: Any modern smartphone with a 12MP+ camera will work. If you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, even better—but it’s not required.

Tripod: Essential for sharp, consistent images. A basic tabletop tripod ($15–30) is sufficient for most product photography.

Backdrop: The most important investment you’ll make. A clean, professional backdrop eliminates distracting backgrounds and makes your product the star. More on this below.

Light source: A large window or an affordable LED panel. Avoid overhead room lights and fluorescent bulbs, which create unflattering color casts.

Reflector: A white foam board ($3 at any craft store) works perfectly to bounce light and fill shadows.

Step 2: Select the Right Backdrop for Your Product

Different products call for different backgrounds. Here’s a quick reference guide:

For maximum versatility, the Double-Sided Mix & Match backdrops let you combine any two surfaces into a single board. This is especially valuable for small business owners who sell diverse product ranges and need multiple looks without the storage headache.

If your brand has a specific color identity, Custom Color Backdrops let you specify any hex code for a perfectly on-brand surface. Consistency across your product catalog builds brand recognition and trust.

Step 3: Set Up Your Lighting

Position your table next to a window with the light coming from one side (the 90-degree setup). Turn off all other lights in the room to avoid mixed color temperatures. Place your white foam board reflector on the opposite side of the window to bounce light back onto the shadowed side of your product.

For cloudy days or windowless rooms, a single LED panel positioned at 45 degrees to your product works well. The key principle is this: the larger your light source relative to your product, the softer the shadows. A bare bulb creates harsh, unflattering light. A large panel or a window draped with a sheer curtain creates beautiful, soft illumination.

For more advanced lighting strategies, Shopify’s smartphone photography guide covers several practical setups you can replicate at home.

Step 4: Style and Arrange Your Product

Before you press the shutter, take time to prepare your product. Clean every surface, remove tags or stickers (unless they’re part of the design), and arrange the item in its most flattering position. For clothing, use a steamer to remove wrinkles. For food, work quickly while ingredients look fresh.

Shoot multiple angles of every product:

Hero shot: The main product image, typically a straight-on or slightly elevated angle against a clean backdrop.

Detail shots: Close-ups of textures, labels, closures, or unique features.

Scale shots: Show the product next to a common object (a hand, a coin, a mug) so customers understand the actual size.

Lifestyle shots: Show the product in use or in context. This is where styled backdrops shine. A candle photographed on a Cabin backdrop with some dried flowers tells a much more compelling story than the same candle on a bare white table.

Step 5: Camera Settings That Work

Whether you’re using a smartphone or a dedicated camera, these settings will give you the sharpest results:

Aperture: f/8 to f/11 for full product sharpness. If you want a blurred background in lifestyle shots, open up to f/2.8 or f/4.

ISO: Keep it as low as possible (100–200) to minimize grain and noise.

White balance: Set it manually or use a grey card for accuracy. Auto white balance can shift between shots and create inconsistent colors across your product catalog.

Smartphone users: Use your phone’s Pro/Manual mode if available, lock your focus and exposure by tapping and holding on the product, and avoid using digital zoom (it degrades quality).

Step 6: Edit for Consistency

Post-processing is where good photos become great. Your goal is to make the product look accurate and appealing, not over-edited. Focus on these adjustments: white balance correction (make whites truly white), exposure adjustments (bright enough to see details, not blown out), cropping to a consistent aspect ratio across your catalog, and removing any dust spots or blemishes with the clone/heal tool.

Free options like Canva’s photo editor or Snapseed handle basic edits well. For batch processing across dozens of images, Adobe Lightroom’s preset system saves hours of work.

Step 7: Optimize Images for Your Store

Once your photos are edited, optimize them for web performance. Large image files slow down your store and hurt your search rankings. Resize images to the dimensions your platform recommends (Shopify suggests 2048 x 2048px for square product images), compress using tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel, and use descriptive file names like “hand-poured-soy-candle-wood-backdrop.jpg” instead of “IMG_4392.jpg.”

Don’t forget alt text. Write descriptive alt tags for every product image to improve your store’s SEO and accessibility. Describe what’s in the image naturally: “Hand-poured soy candle on rustic wood photography backdrop” is far better than “candle photo.”

Elevate Your Product Photos Today

Taking professional product photos at home is a skill anyone can learn. The combination of good lighting, a quality backdrop, careful styling, and consistent editing will put your product images on par with brands that spend thousands on professional photography.

The right backdrop makes the biggest visual difference in the shortest amount of time. Explore the full range of photography backdrops at Best Ever Backdrops—from single-sided surfaces to curated collections designed by award-winning photographers—and start taking photos that convert browsers into buyers.