You do not need a studio or thousands of dollars in equipment to photograph products that look like they belong on a major retailer's website. With a window, a few pieces of white foam board, and some basic Photoshop knowledge, you can produce product photos that sell.
The Basic Equipment You Need
Camera: A smartphone made in the last three years is good enough. Modern phone cameras shoot 12 to 48 megapixels with excellent auto exposure.
The lighting and setup matter far more than the camera body.
Tripod: This is the one piece that makes the biggest difference. A tripod eliminates camera shake and keeps framing consistent. A phone tripod adapter costs under $15.
White background: A large sheet of white poster board or foam core works perfectly. Curve it from the surface up behind the product, creating a seamless background with no visible horizon line.
Lighting: Natural window light is free and beautiful.
Two softbox lights ($40-$80 for a pair) give you consistent, controllable light at any time.
Reflector: A white foam board opposite your light source bounces light back onto the shadow side of the product. This is the cheapest trick in product photography with dramatic results.
Setting Up Your Shooting Area
Find a table near a large window. North-facing windows provide consistent, indirect light.
Place your white backdrop on the table, taping the top edge to a wall so it curves smoothly. Position the product in the center and place a white foam board reflector on the opposite side from the window.
Camera Settings
Smartphones: Turn off flash. Use the rear camera. Tap the product on screen to lock focus and exposure. Use the 2-second timer to avoid shake.
DSLR/mirrorless: Use 50mm or longer focal length, f/8 or f/11 aperture, ISO 100.
Shoot RAW. Use a cable release or timer.
White balance: Match your light source. Daylight or Cloudy for window light. Correct white balance saves significant post-processing time.
Shooting Tips
Shoot from multiple angles: front view, 45-degree angle, top-down, and detail shots. Leave space around the product for cropping flexibility. Keep products clean with a microfiber cloth. Take 10-15 frames of each angle since the sharpest frame is often not the one you expected.
Post-Processing in Photoshop
Step 1: Correct exposure and white balance in Camera Raw.
Step 2: Make the background white using a Curves adjustment layer with the white eyedropper. Paint over gray areas with a soft white brush on Soft Light mode.
Step 3: Clean up the product with the Spot Healing Brush and Clone Stamp tool at 100% zoom.
Step 4: Sharpen by duplicating the layer, Filter > Other > High Pass at radius 1.0-2.0, set to Overlay blend mode at 50-70% opacity.
Step 5: Crop to consistent aspect ratio (typically 1:1 for e-commerce) and resize to 2000x2000 at 72 DPI.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using flash: Creates harsh, flat lighting. Always use ambient or continuous lighting instead.
Colored backgrounds: Reflect color onto the product, creating a cast that is difficult to remove.
Over-editing: Heavy saturation and contrast make products look unrealistic and lead to returns.
Inconsistent lighting: Shoot all products in the same setup. Consistency across your catalog looks professional and builds trust.
Getting Consistent Results
Document your setup: mark light positions, note camera distance, and replicate the same setup for future shoots. A full product shoot for a dozen items takes about two hours. Post-processing adds another hour or two. That investment produces images that can genuinely increase your sales.