Whether you’re a budding photographer hoping to hone your skills from the comfort of your own home, or a busy solopreneur in need of some killer imagery for your marketing strategy, your product photography skills have to start somewhere. 

Generally speaking, learning how to perfect the art of product photography isn’t necessarily the easiest or most affordable task. Between the many educational resources available at your fingertips credit card, and the endless list of tools you may or may not need, learning how to take product photos that engage and sell can feel…overwhelming, to say the least. 

Today, we’re sharing 3 key tips to help you learn how to take product photos right at home! Because if we’re honest, good product photography is good product photography - with the right set of skills and strategy, you’ll be able to achieve stunning photos without the addition of a brand new studio or fancy tools and props. 

(Think of those as nice-to-haves, but not have-to-haves, okay?)

#1 Pick your at-home shoot location with space and light as your determining factors

Space and light are the two most important factors of any successful product photoshoot. You don’t necessarily need a large, spacious area for your product shoot, but make sure you have a clearly-defined tabletop, nook, corner or small area (5’x5’ preferably) of your home that offers you adequate space for your set.

Ideally, the space you choose will offer plenty of natural light, and large windows. You’ll want to face your photography set up towards the window, so the sunlight hits your products while you’re shooting. This method is the easiest and most cost-effective method (thanks, sun), but it does come with a couple of limitations: a more rushed shoot schedule, and potentially the necessity of spreading your shoot out over multiple days, so you can achieve the same lighting. 

That said, we understand that not every home has *perfect* product photography lighting. If that’s the case, we recommend trying to shoot in your backyard, or in a closed, safe community area. 

Shooting outdoors (in a safe space, of course) is almost always a good idea. Direct, outdoor sunlight can help you achieve stunning product photos and unmatched vibrancy. As an example, here are three photos we shot outside, in direct sunlight!

Now, if you don’t have access to adequate natural lighting or a flexible shooting schedule, we recommend adding strobe lights to your arsenal.

Not only will strobe lights help you to achieve the lighting you need from anywhere in your home, but they’ll also allow you to shoot on your own schedule, without worrying about rushing through your shoot in order to chase the sun. We’ve included an example of product photography shot with strobe lights by our friend @dianewithonen, below!

Master the art of creative product photography with Diane Villadsen

We also included a shot by our dear friends @helenkoker

#2 Create your go-to product photography toolkit

There are a few tools and items that every product photographer needs in their kit. These items, while fairly inexpensive, will allow you to shoot many kinds of product photography with versatility and ease!

Things to add to your product photography toolkit:

• A table - a table can serve as a great flat surface, while keeping your products and props away from the floor. Try to aim for 3’x 4’ or larger!

• Backdrops - seamless paper, painted plywood, fabric and foam board will go a long way in your product photography journey.

  • We personally love and live by _______ seamless paper. Click here to shop!

  • For fabrics, we recommend having velvet, satin and linen on hand. Those three fabrics will get you through a multitude of shoots and seasons, and can also be draped and used as beautiful backdrops. 

• A backdrop stand - a good backdrop stand is essential in allowing you to swap out backdrops quickly and easily. If you don’t have a backdrop stand (nor the space to store one), you can always tape your backdrop paper to a wall!

• A reflector - You’ll want to use a whiteboard to bounce light from one light source, to the other. For product photography, you can use a small whiteboard from any local art supply store.

• A few key blocks and props - With the right combination of props and pieces, you’ll be able to achieve practically anything. Do your best to collect some key props and objects that you can mix and use across multiple shoots and projects!

  • For smaller products like jewelry, we recommend The Teensy Collection. 

  • For medium-sized products like candles or skincare, we recommend our Classic Collection. 

  • For larger, freestanding pieces that can also function as furniture, we recommend our Moodelier Home Collection.

• Eye-catching florals - flowers are always a good idea. Whether you choose to use fresh or artificial flowers (or both), they tend to pair best with, well, everything.

  • Read our floral styling tips for photography here! 

  • Additionally, we recommend having a good floral frog handy. This will allow you to stand your flowers up or place them precariously without worrying about them drooping, falling over, or needing to be taped. 

• Glassware and miscellaneous objects - Homeware items like dishes, glassware, vases and paper goods can translate beautifully on camera. We love shopping from Coming Soon New York, Hay Design and Poketo, but if you’re working with a limited budget, don’t be afraid to thrift. You can find some gorgeous vintage pieces that way!

• A manicure - Both for self care, and also in case you end up needing to serve as the hand model for your own shoot! You can also ask a friend, roommate or partner to stand in for you - just make sure whoever it is has gotten a manicure ahead of time, so you don’t have to apply heavy edits in post-production.

If you have a newer iPhone (12 or 13, ideally), you might not necessarily need to invest in an all new camera when you’re just getting started. Your iPhone will serve to take beautiful product photos. So, save up the cash to buy a camera when the time is right!

By styling things well with adequate lighting, props and pieces, you’ll be able to cut down on the amount of post-production editing. Take the time to accumulate the tools and props you need to build a solid photography foundation, and you’ll be a pro in no time. 

Pssst! We also put together a larger 2022 Set Styling Tips + Tools Guide. Click here to access it.

#3 Build out your shot list and design your set ahead of time 

We can’t stress the importance of coming to your shoot with a plan and designed set enough. Your shot list and set design go hand in hand - your shot list will help you to better understand what kind of set you need for your shoot, and a pre-planned set will allow you to feel more creatively free on the day of your shoot. 

So, the more you plan, the better! Just remember to always leave yourself room (and grace) for some of those inevitable accidents you might encounter. You never know - some of our favorite projects and shoots were perfected by an unexpected twist or two.

3 steps to help you design your first set:

1. First, ask yourself a question: what are you shooting? Depending on the type of product and the overall vibe of the brand or shoot, you’ll want to decide on the tone and feeling of the shoot and project. Are you going for ethereal? Funky? Vibrant? Muted? 
   
   From there, you’ll be able to determine which props, pieces and tools might be needed for the shoot and set. 

1. When designing a set, you’ll want to make sure your product is always the focal point of the picture. So, plan your shot list and set with a product-first mindset, but don’t be afraid to play with colors that compliment or contrast to make your product stand out!

1. Once you’ve prepped your set, make sure to put together a shot list so that you’re prepared to batch all of your shots in one session. In your shot list, you’ll want to make note of what kinds of shots you’ll take, and include any reference photos, mockups or inspo you find! Your shot list can be built out on something as simple as a Google doc. 

Speaking of reference photos, mockups are always helpful in creating the set of your dreams. Your mockup can be as rudimentary as a simple hand sketch, or it could include inspiration and reference photos you find on Pinterest. If you’re a photoshop pro, you could even photoshop your mockup image so you have a well-defined starting point for the day of your shoot. 

#4 Okay fine, we’ve got a bonus tip 

You know, we love a good BTS. Whether BTS footage is shared via still photography or short-form video, it can be a great way to show the before, during and after of your product photography shoots! 

So, our bonus tip? While you shoot, make sure to grab some BTS footage to share on social media, or via upcoming blogs. Your audience will thank you later. 

Your at-home product photos just became a Mood. 

Not quite ready to take our word for it? Allow us to recommend two incredible photography resources made by creators, for businesses and brands of all shapes and sizes.

Learn how to create a visual proposal, and define your shoot’s creative direction with Teresa Freitas.

Master the art of creative product photography with Diane Villadsen

Creating Hero image for brands with Color Collective