10 Product Photography Ideas to Help You Stand Out in 2024

The power of images to convert internet searchers into buyers proves that humans favor beautiful objects. Combining product photography with the right message and people to convey them can win the hearts and minds of customers.

Why Product Photography Is Important

Results of a 2022 Salsify survey show that 41% of U.S. consumers consider high-quality product images with detailed product descriptions as one of the top three factors when deciding where to shop online. 

Moreover, 30% of shoppers said they would not buy from sites with missing or low-quality images. Hence, if your online store is experiencing sluggish sales, you may have to evaluate how your product photography is doing.

Pictures are effective when they show products as part of people's daily lives. Product photography can tell a story to achieve that—describe what the brand is about, what its product means to consumers, and why visitors should care. The Salsify poll revealed that 70% of U.S. respondents are more inclined to buy if there are personally relevant images on product pages.

Also, providing online shoppers with several images of your product improves their buying experience. Findings by Digital Commerce 360 revealed that 35% of respondents felt frustrated when retailers post only a few product photos on their e-stores.

Showing enough images can provide more context and describe your item’s function in detail—sometimes better than text descriptions alone. Sellers can set expectations—and reduce product returns—as potential buyers get a better picture of what the item looks like in real life.

How to Improve Product Photography: 10 Ideas to Explore

With 340,852 online stores and auctions operating in the U.S., knowing the latest product photography trends is crucial to standing out and outperforming other players in your niche. 

There are standard types of product photography—product-only (individual or group and product detail) and in-context or lifestyle (with models posing with the product) shots. For e-commerce photography, most images are "clean-cut" with white backgrounds. 

However, if you want to add life to your subject, you can experiment with these product photography tips on your next product shoot:

Professional product photoshoot of coffee being poured into a coffee mug. Made by romanmfs

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1. Make objects "float."

Infuse some playfulness or magic into your product photos by experimenting with different angles to make them appear like they are levitating. This strategy engages shoppers because it creates the illusion that the object can defy gravity or balance in mid-air—a superhuman feat. However, the “freeze-frame” effect merely results from suspending the item on a fishing line and deleting this prop later through editing software. There are plenty of tutorials available if you’re unsure how to achieve this look.

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2. Add motion.

Another way of grabbing your buyer’s attention is to take your product shots as if they are in motion. Action photography allows shoppers to visualize how your items work.

These shots also help buyers imagine how they will look when wearing or using your products while they’re on the go. Adjust your shutter speed when taking photos of your products as one way to achieve this look.

360-degree spin imagery and GIFs:

Commercial photography can serve in place of a video when you present your product from all angles through 360-degree photography.

A post-production looping GIF image can also help shoppers understand how a product operates or moves.

3. Use reflective surfaces.

Placing products on a mirror, plexiglass, or shiny surface, such as a buffed light-color marble countertop, can help make your photos look three-dimensional. This is a great option for still life photography.

4. Focus on texture.

Texture can pertain to different aspects of your image, all of which you can play around with for a unique product presentation:

• Background: Experimenting with backdrops can add interest or contrast to your products without removing the spotlight from your primary object. Stones, marble, wood, velvet fabric, or vinyl sheets with pre-printed backgrounds can breathe life into flat-lay images (products are laid on a horizontal surface and shot directly from above, parallel to the subjects) or regular front-angle shots. 

• Depth: You can avoid making your products appear two-dimensional by arranging them and your props in layers to create depth. This technique is also an excellent way of giving buyers an idea about the size of an object and how the product looks realistically.

• Zooming in on the product: Photography can help shoppers imagine how apparel, footwear, or cosmetics feel by providing close-up shots of the surface or content of these products.

5. Take a macro shot.

A macro shot sharpens the foreground and puts the rest of the scene out of focus. This strategy is ideal for product feature shots or photographs of an item’s specific parts.

These shots offer a close-up view of small products, such as jewelry and beauty products—or large objects, such as home appliances.

Professional product and culinary and food photography. Made by professional photographer cat_on_table

6. Create a pattern or symmetry.

Arranging several pieces of the same object in a row or column—as if you are creating a wallpaper design—is becoming a widely used composition technique. Repetitive details produce a sense of rhythm and are easy to set up.

Symmetry is a common approach for flat lays. However, you can also use it for outdoor and lifestyle shots, especially when posing models in front of or within establishments with symmetrical architectural elements like arches. 

Symmetry can also help shoppers understand the size of products in proportion to their surroundings.

Photoshoot for Amazon products. Made by jiahe530

7. Shoot from unusual angles.

Some objects look captivating when shot from unconventional angles. Give site visitors a fresh experience by taking a shot of a product from a low angle or eye level. This type of photography may help you show off small, not-so-known details about your product to attract potential customers.

8. Get creative with lighting.

Pay attention to your light source and lighting setup because it makes a big difference. Natural light or artificial light can produce some drama, including shadows on backgrounds with solid colors or illuminating only parts of a product while keeping the rest hidden in the dark for a mysterious effect.

Meanwhile, rim lighting can call attention to the outline of your product by lighting up its sides or edges. Studio lighting is another option for great product photos.

Also, using colored gels on your lights and flashes can change the mood of your image instead of editing the colors using Photoshop.

9. Use "real" models.

At this time when brands welcome user-generated content as part of their advertising, companies prefer featuring real people instead of celebrities or talents from a modeling agency. 

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However, the individuals in your images should be relatable to your target customer. Embrace people of diverse sizes, ages, ethnicity, and backgrounds, so a more diverse customer base can imagine themselves with your products.

10. Shoot outdoors: night-time photography with neon signs.

For some creative product photography ideas, try neon lights and signs make great backdrops, symbolizing cyberpunk culture and retro-futurism.

This DIY photoshoot can elevate the mood of your products—just remember to adjust your camera settings. You can research where you can find neon signs near your area or customize your signage. Neon lights look mesmerizing when reflected, so make your models wear glasses or shoot images after a downpour.

Partner With Product Photographers to Innovate Your Marketing

Well-composed images can engage your site visitors and improve your conversion rate for your ecommerce store or Shopify store.

If you need more help in giving your clients a more vibrant shopping experience, Fiverr has a pool of freelance product photographers that can streamline your workflow.

Freelance photographers also tend to own the photo editing software that you as a beginner might not have. Access to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and other apps is a gamechanger. Find a freelancer that matches your industry and photography style by checking their profiles.