Best Product Photographers

What a good product photography package includes

Product photography gigs are usually priced per product or per image. Check that the package states:

• Number of products and images per product.
• Types of shots: white background, angles, details, scale, lifestyle or flat lay.
• Editing: background removal, cleanup and color correction.
• Sizes and formats for each store or marketplace.
• Props, models or locations, if lifestyle shots are included.
• Shipping and returns of your products.
• Usage rights: where and how long you may use the images.

How to brief a product photographer

1. A shot list for each product: front, back, side, details, packaging and in use.
2. Where the photos will be used, with each channel's image requirements.
3. Examples of product photos you like, from any brand.
4. Brand style: colors, mood and props that fit your brand.
5. Product details that must be visible, such as texture, labels or size.
6. Shipping plan: address, packaging, and what happens to products after the shoot.

Ship products well packed, with a list of what is inside, and keep photos of everything before sending. Include spares of small or fragile items if you can.

Compare the edited images with the real product in daylight before approving. If the color is off on the photo, customers will notice it when the parcel arrives, and returns cost far more than a revision round.

What drives the price

• number of products and images
• white-background versus styled lifestyle shots
• props, models and locations
• difficult products: reflective, transparent, very small or very large
• editing depth, retouching and background removal
• shipping, returns and rush delivery

Red flags

• No clear plan for returning or handling your products after the shoot.
• Portfolio images that look like stock photos or other brands' official images.
• Heavy editing that changes the product's color or shape.
• Unclear usage rights, especially for ads.
• No mention of the image requirements for your sales channels.

Great photos work best on a well-built store; see our Shopify developer guide. For video of your product in use, read our UGC video guide. If the packaging itself needs work, see our packaging design guide.

Start with one product before sending your whole range. It shows how the photographer handles your type of item, how accurate the colors are and how they communicate. Once you approve the style, write down the angles, lighting and background you chose, so every later product is shot the same way and your store looks consistent. This written style note also lets you use a different photographer later without the new images looking out of place.

Quick pre-order checklist

• I have a shot list and each channel's image requirements.
• Shipping and return of my products are agreed.
• The package states the number of images and editing included.
• Colors will be kept accurate to the real product.
• My usage rights are confirmed in writing.