How to take product photos with your phone
Good product photos do not need expensive gear. A recent phone, a window and a plain background are enough to make clear, honest pictures. What matters is light, a clean setup and keeping every photo in your store looking like it belongs with the others.
Use soft, natural light
Light is the biggest difference between a photo that looks professional and one that does not. Set your product near a window during the day, with the light coming from the side. Soft daylight is gentler than a lamp and shows true colors.
- Avoid direct sun. It creates hard shadows and bright patches.
- If the light is too harsh, hang a thin white curtain or a sheet of white paper over the window.
- Switch off ceiling lights and lamps. Mixed light sources give products a yellow or blue tint.
- To soften shadows on the dark side, hold a white card or a piece of foam board opposite the window to bounce light back.
Shoot at the same time of day when you can, so a whole batch of photos has matching light.
Choose a simple background
A plain background keeps attention on the product. White or light gray works for most items. A sheet of poster board, a large piece of paper or a smooth tabletop is plenty. Curve the paper up behind the product so there is no hard line where the table meets the wall.
If your products are white, use a mid-tone background so the edges show. If they are dark, a light one works better. Wipe away dust and fingerprints before you start: a phone camera shows everything.
Add one or two lifestyle photos as well, such as the mug on a kitchen table or the scarf worn outside. They help shoppers imagine owning the item, while the plain photos show the product clearly.
Get the phone steady and the angle right
Blurry photos are usually shaky photos. Rest the phone on a stack of books, use a small tripod, or lean your elbows on the table. Use the timer, so pressing the button does not move the phone.
- Clean the lens with a soft cloth first.
- Keep the phone level with the product, or at a slight angle above it. Looking up at a product makes it look odd.
- Do not use digital zoom. Move closer, or crop later.
- Turn on the grid in the camera settings, to keep lines straight.
Take more shots than you think you need. A good set for most products is the front, the back, a side or three-quarter angle, a close-up of a detail such as texture, stitching or a label, and one photo that shows scale, for example in a hand or next to a familiar object. Shoppers cannot touch the product, so each photo should answer a question.
Keep every photo consistent
A store looks more trustworthy when its photos match. Pick one background, one framing and one style, and repeat it for every product. A square shape is a common choice because it fits neatly in a grid of products. Leave the same amount of space around each item, and place it in the same part of the frame.
Consistency also saves time. Once your setup is working, you can photograph a whole range in one session without rethinking anything.
Edit simply
The editing tools built into your phone are enough. Make small changes only:
- Crop to a consistent shape and straighten any crooked lines.
- Raise the brightness a little if the photo looks dim.
- Adjust the white balance or warmth until a white background looks white.
- Check that the color on screen matches the real product. A buyer who receives a different shade than the one shown is a likely return.
Avoid heavy filters. They change colors and make the product look different from the real thing.
Adding your photos in Payly
In Payly, you add photos when you create a product. The first image is the main one, and it is also the picture used when someone shares the product link. You can upload JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF and AVIF images up to 10 MB each, and large photos are made smaller automatically before they upload, so your pages stay quick to load. Every upload is kept in your media library so you can reuse it. Write a short description for each image in the alt text, which helps people who use screen readers and search engines too. See Add images and use the media library and Add a product. Payly is free with no monthly fee or commission, so you can build a store and add products as you photograph them.
Photos are stored in your own Cloudflare account. The free plan's 500 MB covers about 1,500 photos, as described in What does Payly cost?, which is plenty for most small catalogs.
Questions
Do I need a tripod or a lightbox?
No. A tripod helps with steadiness, and a small lightbox helps with tiny items such as jewelry, but a window and a stack of books will get you started.
How many photos does each product need?
Three to five suit most products: front, back, side, a detail and one for scale. Products with options, such as colors, should show each color.
Should I use a white background?
It is a safe choice and keeps a store looking tidy, but any plain background works if you use it for every product.
