BEFORE THE DETAILS
- Link every shot to an item code and the feature a customer needs to see.
- Agree how size and colour will be represented before photographing the full range.
- Review images in a trial catalogue page alongside the actual product.
1. Turn the product list into a shot list
Prepare a register with each item’s name, code, colour, size and included components. Specify a main comparison image, then add a side view or close detail when it reveals useful information. This might show a closure, fabric texture or box contents. Adobe’s product-photography guidance recommends agreeing required angles and label visibility before the shoot.
In a hypothetical example, a pottery shop in Nizwa is preparing a catalogue of similar vessels with different heights and lid options. Each needs a front view, an image of the interior and a separate lid image if the lid is sold individually. Recording these differences prevents the designer from discovering that two photographs show the same item while another item is missing.
Prepare products before the appointment: clean surfaces, remove temporary price stickers and inspect defects that could appear in photographs. Keep a replacement sample for easily scratched or soiled items, and appoint someone who knows the variants to check their arrangement during the shoot rather than after it.
2. Keep the image from misleading readers about size
Choose a clear comparison rule: will products appear at their relative real-world sizes in a group, or occupy similar image areas with dimensions stated? Either can work, but the arrangement should not imply that differently sized items are equal. Record height, width and depth in a stated unit rather than expecting image size to communicate those measurements.
Keep a reference angle and product position for comparison shots, watching for edges close to the camera that appear enlarged. If a hand or cup helps explain use, also retain a clear product-only image. In the pottery example, three vessels appear together in a comparison photograph, while individual catalogue images carry written dimensions, avoiding guesses based on props or backgrounds.
3. Organise the background, lighting and colour review
A quiet background helps separate the product from the scene, but it needs testing with the actual material. A white object can lose its edges against a very bright backdrop, and a glossy surface can reflect objects outside the frame. Review an early test for edges, reflections and label detail. Keep a natural shadow when it explains shape, adjusting it when it confuses the view or suggests a defect that is not present.
White-balance correction starts with an appropriate neutral reference. Adobe explains that its tools use areas intended to be white or grey to compensate for lighting colour. Photograph the reference under the same light and repeat when conditions change. Then compare the actual product with the image under agreed review conditions, especially for closely related variants. Avoid saturation changes that create a colour unavailable for sale.
4. Test the photograph in the page before finishing the shoot
Send the photographer a rough page showing image and text placement. It may require empty space above the product for a heading, a horizontal group image or margins that protect the object when cropped. Avoid framing every image too tightly. Keep wider versions for layout flexibility, with dedicated detail photographs instead of enlarging a tiny part until it loses clarity.
Review one trial at its intended viewing size. Can the item name be read? Has the feature explaining its use disappeared? Is a lid image touching the description of a different vessel? Image processing and page layout are separate tasks, but should be reviewed together early. If texture or colour is critical to purchase, discuss an appropriate printed sample, recognising that an image cannot guarantee matching across every screen and printed output.
| Element | Review question |
|---|---|
| Item identity | Do the code, size and colour match the photographed item? |
| Scale | Are proportions clear and dimensions supplied when needed? |
| Cropping | Do important edges and details remain in frame? |
| Props | Is it clear what is included and what is only a prop? |
5. Hand over an image library that remains usable
Name files using the item code, angle and version, with a table explaining the convention. Separate selected images from tests and flag those awaiting colour or label review. This gives new staff or a new designer a reliable reference and reduces the risk of using a prototype image after a product change. Also record permission for any people, props and visible third-party branding.
Before completion, the product owner checks accuracy and the designer checks suitability for the catalogue. Combine their feedback into one list. Request the agreed photographs and versions for the intended uses, and record what will need a new shoot if packaging or components change. The result becomes an asset that can be maintained rather than a collection of attractive images that everyone must reinterpret with each new request.
Common questions
Must every background be white?
No. Choose a background that explains the product and suits comparison pages. It should not overwhelm detail or distort the impression of colour, and the selection rule should be clear across the range.
Can one photographed size represent all sizes?
It may work as a clearly labelled general illustration, but it does not replace explaining differences. Photograph sizes whose proportions or details change and provide verified dimensions for every item.
Sources and further reading
YOUR NEXT STEP
Turn the details into a clear brief.
Send the product list, initial photographs and any catalogue layout so we can discuss angles, backgrounds and required deliverables.
