Product photography: how to take product photos for your listings

What product photography is for an online seller

Product photography is the set of photos a buyer sees before deciding to buy. Online, the photos do the job a shelf does in a shop: they show the shape, size, color, texture and finish of the item.

For a small seller, product photography does not need a studio. A phone, window light, white card and something to hold the phone still cover most products. Keep the same background, light and angles across every listing, so the shop looks like one shop.

A full set of listing photos is one main image of the whole item, then supporting shots from the shot list below.

Product photo requirements on each marketplace

Each place you sell sets its own size, photo count and content rules. The table lists them as each platform's own help or policy pages state them.

Some categories add their own rules. On Amazon, the main image for footwear must show a single shoe, facing left, at a 45-degree angle, and there are separate image help pages for multipacks, assortments and clothing.

How to take product photos at home, step by step

These steps work for most small products, such as candles, jewelry, ceramics and prints. For large items, use a plain wall and floor instead of a sheet of card.

1. Set up next to a window

   Put a table beside a large window that does not get direct sun. Turn off the room lights, because mixing daylight with warm bulbs gives the photo a color cast that is hard to fix later.

2. Build a white sweep

   Tape a sheet of white card to the wall or a stack of books and let it curve down onto the table. The curve hides the line where wall meets table, so the item sits on a plain background.

3. Soften and fill the light

   If the window light is harsh, hang a thin white curtain or baking paper over it. Stand a white board on the side away from the window to bounce light back into the shadows.

4. Hold the camera still

   Use a tripod or prop the phone on something solid, and use the self-timer so pressing the button does not shake the frame. Shoot at the phone's full resolution and turn off filters and portrait blur.

5. Clean and place the item

   Wipe off dust and fingerprints, remove tags and stickers you do not want in the shot, and center the item. Leave some space around it so a platform's square crop does not cut it off.

6. Shoot the full shot list

   Take the main image first, then each side, close-ups of details and texture, a scale shot and an in-use shot. Take several frames of each and pick the sharpest later.

7. Edit lightly and export

   Crop, straighten, correct the white balance and adjust brightness. Keep the color true to the item, because a buyer who receives a different color has a reason to return it. Export at the size your marketplace asks for.

The main image: the first photo buyers see

The main image is the first photo a shopper sees. On Amazon it is shown to customers in search results, and on eBay the main photo appears next to your item’s title in search results. Amazon's main image needs a pure white background (RGB color values: 255, 255, 255), the product should fill 85% of the image, it must show the entire product within the frame of the image, and there should be no accessories or props that aren't included with the product.

Other platforms ask for less but point the same way. TikTok Shop says the main image should show the entire product, Meta recommends a white backdrop for catalog images, and on Etsy the first image of a personalized item must show a finished, customized item similar to what buyers will receive.

To get a clean white background, shoot on white card with plenty of light, then raise the background's brightness in editing until it is fully white but the product is not washed out. eBay's photo tips add that white backgrounds are generally best, but for shiny or reflective items like a piece of jewelry, a darker background may work better.

Product photography ideas: a shot list for every listing

Use the same shot list for every product. Meta, for one, recommends a mix of images that show the product from different angles, including close-ups of texture or details.

• Main image: the whole item, straight on, on a plain background, filling most of the frame.
• Angles: the back, the sides and the top or bottom, so nothing is hidden.
• Detail close-ups: stitching, texture, engraving, a clasp or a label, shot close enough to see the material.
• Scale: the item in a hand, on a person or next to a familiar object, so the size is clear without reading the description.
• In use: a candle lit on a shelf, a mug with coffee in it, a print framed on a wall.
• Flat lay: the item from directly above with a few related props, which suits clothing, stationery and gift sets.
• Variants: each color or size in its own photo, so a buyer can see the one they choose.
• Packaging: the box, wrapping or gift option as the buyer receives it.
• Contents: every piece in a set laid out together.

Keep props for the supporting shots. The main image rules above leave them out.

Equipment for product photography at home

Light and stability matter more than the camera. Start with the phone you have and spend on these first.

• A tripod or phone clamp, so every photo is framed the same way.
• White card or a roll of white paper for the background sweep.
• A white foam board to bounce light into shadows, and a black one to add an edge to white or glass items.
• A thin white curtain or diffusion sheet for harsh window light.
• A pair of matching daylight lamps if you shoot after dark, so the color stays the same between sessions.
• Putty, tape and clips to hold items upright and pin clothing into shape.

What size to shoot and export product photos

Shoot every photo at the camera's full resolution, then export one square master copy per photo at 2048 x 2048 px, the size Shopify says usually displays best for square images. That size meets Etsy's recommendation of at least 2000 pixels wide, eBay's of about 1600 x 1600 and Google's of around 1500x1500 pixels or above, and it is above Amazon's zoom threshold of 1,000+ pixels on the longest side.

File size limits differ by platform. Meta accepts JPEG or PNG format and 8 MB maximum, TikTok Shop sets a maximum file size of 10 MB, in JPG, JPEG or PNG format, and eBay files must be no larger than 12MB each. A file under Meta's limit fits every file limit in the table above. Etsy warns that files bigger than 300k may time out, especially on a slower internet connection.

Photo rules that can get a listing hidden or removed

Platforms enforce their photo rules. On eBay, actions can include removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension. Google says that if an image breaks its rules, it won't appear on Google surfaces, and Amazon says that if no main image meets its requirements, it may temporarily remove the product listing from search until a compliant main image is provided.

• Text, borders and watermarks: eBay does not allow photos with added text, artwork or marketing material, photos with added borders, or watermarks of any type, including those used for ownership attributions. Google disapproves an image that contains promotional elements or overlays and says not to use an image with a border. Meta recommends no text that overlays the product, calls to action, promo codes or watermarks.
• Stock photos: Etsy requires original photos of the actual product buyers will receive, not renderings or stock photos, meaning photos you took yourself or had someone take for you. Its exceptions cover personalized/customized items or an item made with a production partner. On eBay, you can't use a catalog or stock photo if you're listing an item as used.
• Claims: Amazon's rule for all product images is no images of customer reviews, five-star imagery or claims such as free shipping.
• AI-generated images: on Amazon, images with photorealistic AI-generated people must be tagged with the appropriate metadata before upload. Google requires images created with generative AI to carry metadata indicating that the image was AI-generated.

Where Nation fits

Questions about product photography