Product Photography 101

Course content (31 lessons)

Product photography is an essential part of building a successful ecommerce business. There are two mains methods to get product photos for your business:

Do it yourself (DIY)
Hire a photographer (or agency)

Watch and learn how the Jaswant’s kitchen team tackled this important topic, and the steps you can take to get started with your photos.

Resources:

Read The Ultimate DIY Guide to Beautiful Product Photography to learn how to take photos on a budget without fancy equipment.
Read DIY Photography: How To Take Product Shots For $1.00 for a quick synopsis of how to take your photos on a budget
If you’d prefer to hire a photographer here are a few online marketplaces to consider:
- Kijiji, Craigslist, a local university or college student in a photography program or Thumbtack
- Note: when working with new people ensure to check references and past work to ensure you’re hiring a credible, trustworthy person.
Burst: Access free stock photos for entrepreneurs that you can use to build your business.
Take the Shopify Compass Course Product Photography for Ecommerce

0:00
[MUSIC PLAYING] You've put so much time into creating your product and now it's time to take beautiful compelling photography that gives your customer an idea about what they're about to buy. The truth is the way your product looks online will play a big part in whether or not people want to buy it. You have a couple of different options when deciding on how to create photos for your website-- do it yourself or hire a photographer. The do-it-yourself method will require you to put yourself in the shoes of a photographer in order to capture your product at its best.
0:33
In the resources section below, we show you how to put together a cost-effective kit with simple materials you can buy almost anywhere. The other option is to hire a photographer. When you're evaluating possible photographers, find ones that have experience in product photography. Here are a few places to look for freelance photographers that you could work with. First, ask within your network, post to Facebook or Instagram, ask friends who run their own business, and start looking at photo credits you see on social media profiles that you like.
1:04
Another option is to hire an up and coming photographer from a college or university. You may be able to find one who is incredible at their craft and is looking for an opportunity to get some helpful portfolio shots. This can be more cost-effective than an experienced photographer. Shopify also has a community of experts, some of whom are photographers. Go to Shopify.com/experts and find photographers in your city who meet your budget requirements.
1:31
Lastly, check out an online marketplace like Thumbtack, Kijiji, or Craigslist, and post your requirements there. Whether you decide to do it yourself or hire someone, it's important to have a clear idea of the type of images you want and what you will use them for. For Just One's kitchen, we chose to hire a photographer for our images. Here are some tips to think about as you get started. Start off by studying websites that you think look great and get inspiration from them.
1:59
What type of images do they have? Look at magazines and coffee-table books with gorgeous images and earmark pages that you love and you feel that they align with your brand. I find that the best way to let your photographer know what kind of images you want to create is to show them. A picture really is worth more than a thousand words in this case. Pinterest and Instagram are also other great places to get ideas.
2:24
To take your photos to the next level, think about the details and props used in the images that you love. For our images, since we are dealing with food, we had to find plates, tablecloths, cups, and cutlery. The details really do matter for a great picture. For product images, think about whether they will be used online only or whether you might also want to create a printed piece with the image.
2:48
This will impact the resolution required in the final image and it's an important piece of info to let your photographer know. What orientation do you want the pictures in, landscape or portrait? It might be a good idea to get images in both orientations so you have more options when you're creating your website. We want to remind you that top online businesses spend millions of dollars on hiring talent, scouting the right location, and having the best possible equipment for their photography.
3:16
So if your pictures aren't perfect at this stage, don't worry about it. Get good pictures now and get great pictures later on. This is something that you'll keep refining and updating as your business grows. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Product Photography 101

Course content (31 lessons)

Welcome!

01 |Profit with Your Product

02 |Brand and Design Your Shopify Store

03 |Shipping Products on a Budget

04 |Marketing Your Business

05 |Launch Your Store!

Resources: