Product photography is a big part of a small business owner's life when they create products. It's not an easy thing to have so many products and ensure that each one is photographed differently. It's why I have a large collection of props on hand.
The first step is to choose a product to photograph. I try to showcase a variety of products on social media and photographs are needed on my website.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/Screenshot_20220913-143658_Gallery-SM.jpg?v=1677330523)
Once I've chosen the product, I decide the theme of the props I want to use. I like to go with themes related to my business and products so the mains ones are nature, stationary and home décor.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_163710-SM.jpg?v=1677330526)
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_163930-SM.jpg?v=1677330528)
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_164026-SM.jpg?v=1677330530)
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_164136-SM.jpg?v=1677330533)
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_164314-SM.jpg?v=1677330536)
I create a scene with the product as the focus of it. I want the props to complement the product and not overshow it. Sometimes it means that not even the entire prop is in the photograph.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/Printables-Product-Photos-2022.03.09_0091-SM-Birthday-Tracker-683x1024.jpg?v=1677330302)
Lighting is the other important part of it. My main source of light is sunlight coming from the open door in my home studio. I will often use a piece of white cardboard as a reflector to get more light into the scene. I may also use a camera mounted flash aimed at the ceiling to bounce diffused light back into the scene.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220807_141435-SM.jpg?v=1677330540)
I take all of my product photographs on my SLR set on manual. I have the aperture set at f8 or higher to ensure that all of the scene that I want is in focus/sharp. As I generally handhold the camera, I have my shutter speed set at at least 1/80th of a second as it's the speed I know I can hold my camera without getting camera shake and making the photograph blurry.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/20220816_142221-Screen.png?v=1677330543)
Product photographs tend to be edited more as unlike nature photography where I don't want to change how nature created it. There's still a not of editing as I just want to correct the things I couldn't perfect in the studio.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/Printables-Product-Photos-2022.03-Unedited.png?v=1677330547)
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/Printables-Product-Photos-2022.03-Edited.png?v=1677330550)
It's a fun process of being able to create a scene that makes my products shine.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/7930/5252/t/4/assets/Gift-Tag-Product-Photographs-2022.04.10_0073-SM-1.png?v=1677330553)