Helpful Product Photography Tips

Having high-quality product images is essential to effectively promote your Etsy shop. People form their first impressions in just seconds, that is why it is important to have attention-grabbing product images for your listings.

It really doesn’t matter what type of product you are selling – may it be jewelry, baby clothes, wall décor, or vintage garments, product aesthetics do matter, A LOT.

Here are some helpful photography tips that will inspire and motivate you to take stunning pictures of your products that will surely wow online shoppers.

Do Macro Shots

Macro shots are shots that are super close-ups. You’ve probably seen this kind of pictures in restaurants, advertisements, and more. These are evocative images that will encourage you to buy and awaken your senses.

Create a Scene

It is also important that you think of the area surrounding your product. You can actually use the background to help sell your product.

For instance, you’re selling customized coffee mugs. It’s better if you don’t just sell the coffee mug – sell a great breakfast experience instead.

Place Your Product in the Background

We’ve discussed macro shots, now let’s discuss the opposite. You can also place your product in the background rather than making it the main focus. The purpose of this shot is to show how your product would look like in a real environment. It can also spark the imagination of potential customers.

Show All Product Variations


When customers are buying online, they want to look at as many product photos as they can. They want to know if they are going to be happy with their purchase. Showing variations of the product will help with that.

Don’t just let your customers imagine what your item looks like in various colors, let them see it.

Freeze-Frame Photography

Photographs that are freeze-framed are cool and it’s a great way to grab a customer’s attention. However, it is a skill that you have to practice because it can be tricky. Don’t be discouraged by the blurry shots. You’ll find the perfect shot eventually. Imagine how impressed your customers will be.

Show the Product in Use

Think of what your customers want from your products.

Grab attention by displaying your products in unusual situations. For instance, showing off your sneakers by a couple wearing formal attires and stuff like that. You have to stand out from the crowd because we all know that eCommerce is one competitive game.

Show People

Online shoppers love to see other people using your items in your product photos. People will feel more connected with images that feature real people. Featuring real people in your photos will speak to your potential customers. They are going to recognize themselves and imagine themselves wearing or using your product.

Use Props

Using props is another great way to help your shoppers imagine all sorts of ways they can use your products. Another tip is to use your other products as props so you can also sell more of those – like hitting two birds with one stone.

Use a Reflected Surface

This will add a little extra something to a straightforward product photo.

You can use an image manipulation tool or make your own reflected surface to achieve this effect. You can adjust the lighting in the room as well to make your images look professional.

Standalone Product

We’ve discussed creating a scene, using props, and showing people using your products. However, you can’t deny that a stand-alone product is also essential. This photo will put focus only on your product, so make sure that it is crisp and professional-looking.

Show Your Personality

You can also get your personality across with the use of your product photos. Customers identifying with your brand’s personality will strengthen your relationship with them and encourage a sense of loyalty.

About Charles Curry

Charles founded his Etsy shop Wall Decal Source in 2012. He opened his decal shop and decided to create a nursery decal for his sisters new baby. Funnily enough he published the decal as an item for sale on his Etsy shop and people really liked it. Well a few years later and his shop has been almost completely taken over by nursery wall decals. He must still be a kid at heart. As Charles tested and tried all sorts of methods to expand his shop he stumbled upon a few simple formulas for consistently growing Etsy sales and views.
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