Product Photography Brief

Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the Product and Platform

1. Gather product details:

   • What is the product? (material, size, weight, color options)
   • What platform will the photos be used on? (Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, social media)
   • What are the key selling points the photos must communicate?
   • What questions do buyers typically ask? (sizing, material, how it works)
   • Does the product come in variants? (colors, sizes)

2. Check platform requirements:

   • Amazon: Main image must be pure white background, product fills 85% of frame, no text/graphics on main image, minimum 1000px on longest side, sRGB color profile
   • Shopify: Square (1:1) recommended, consistent backgrounds across catalog, minimum 2048x2048px
   • Etsy: First photo should show the product clearly, lifestyle shots encouraged, minimum 2000px on shortest side
   • Instagram: 1:1 or 4:5, lifestyle-focused, brand-consistent aesthetic

Phase 2: Build the Shot List

3. Create the core shot list (minimum 7 shots per product):

4. Add category-specific shots:
   • Apparel: Flat lay, on model, fabric close-up, care label
   • Food/Beverage: Ingredients visible, serving suggestion, pouring/plating
   • Electronics: Ports/buttons close-up, screen on, with accessories
   • Beauty/Skincare: Texture swatch, product dispensed, before/after context
   • Jewelry: On model, macro detail, clasp/closure, size comparison
   • Home goods: In room setting, multiple angles, close-up of material

Phase 3: Define Technical Direction

5. Specify lighting for each shot type:

   • White background (hero): Two softboxes at 45 degrees, reflector underneath for shadow fill, even exposure
   • Lifestyle: Natural window light (north-facing preferred), reflector for fill, golden hour for warm scenes
   • Detail/Macro: Single directional light at 30-45 degrees to reveal texture, diffused to avoid harsh highlights
   • Flat lay: Overhead light directly above, diffused, no harsh shadows

6. Specify styling notes:

   • Props (keep minimal — maximum 3 items that support the story)
   • Background surfaces (marble, wood, linen, concrete — match brand aesthetic)
   • Color palette for lifestyle shots (complement, don't compete with product)
   • Human elements (hands only, partial model, full model)

Phase 4: Format the Brief

7. Compile into a photographer-ready document:
   • Product name and SKU
   • Platform and image requirements
   • Complete shot list with descriptions
   • Lighting notes per shot type
   • Styling direction and props list
   • Reference images (links or descriptions)
   • File delivery specs (format, resolution, naming convention)

Example 1: Leather Wallet Product Photography Brief

Input: "I need product photos for a men's leather bifold wallet I'm selling on Shopify and Amazon. It's hand-stitched, comes in brown and black, retails for $89."

Output:

Product Photography Brief: Artisan Leather Bifold Wallet

Product: Hand-stitched leather bifold wallet Variants: Brown, Black Retail: $89 Platforms: Shopify (primary), Amazon (secondary)

Image Requirements

• Amazon main image: Pure white background (#FFFFFF), product fills 85%+ of frame, no text, minimum 2000x2000px, sRGB, JPEG
• Shopify gallery: 2048x2048px square crop, consistent light gray or white background
• Social/Marketing: 1:1 and 4:5 ratios, lifestyle-oriented

Shot List — Brown Variant (repeat for Black)

Styling Notes

Props (lifestyle shots only):

• Worn leather desk mat (dark brown or black)
• Vintage brass key ring with 2-3 keys
• Minimal analog watch (leather strap, not flashy)
• Matte black pen
• 2-3 real credit/debit cards (or realistic props — no obviously fake cards)
• A few real bills (not fanned out like a stock photo)

Wardrobe (pocket shot):

• Dark indigo raw denim jeans, clean, no distressing
• Simple brown leather belt visible at top of frame

Color palette for backgrounds: Warm neutrals — dark wood, slate gray, cream linen, matte black

AVOID:

• Shiny or reflective surfaces that create hot spots on leather
• Overly styled "Instagram flat lay" with scattered coffee beans and succulents
• Anything that makes a $89 wallet look like a $15 wallet (cheap surfaces, harsh flash)
• Stock photo clichés: wallet overflowing with hundred dollar bills

Deliverables

• RAW + edited JPEG for all shots
• Retouching: dust/lint removal, color correction for true-to-life leather tone, white balance consistency. No heavy color grading.
• Amazon-ready crops (white background, product fills 85%+)
• Shopify-ready crops (2048x2048 square)
• File naming: wallet-brown-01-hero-front.jpg, wallet-brown-02-angle.jpg, etc.

Example 2: Ceramic Mug Product Photography Brief

Input: "I need photos for a handmade ceramic mug I sell on Etsy and my own website. It's 12oz, speckled glaze, $34."

Output:

Product Photography Brief: Speckled Ceramic Mug

Product: Handmade 12oz ceramic mug, speckled glaze Variants: Desert Sand, Ocean Blue, Forest Moss Retail: $34 Platforms: Etsy, Squarespace website

Shot List — Desert Sand Variant (repeat for each glaze color)

Styling Notes

Props:

• Fresh black coffee (pour right before the shot — no cold coffee with dull surface)
• Linen napkin in a neutral tone
• Open hardcover book (matte cover, no glossy bestseller)
• Simple spoon (matte metal or wood, not polished silver)

Surfaces: Raw wood, butcher block, natural stone, linen cloth

Human elements: Hands only — knit sweater or rolled-up linen sleeves. No faces needed. Hands should look natural, not posed.

AVOID:

• Bright colored backgrounds that compete with the glaze
• Overly perfect styling — these are handmade, the setting should feel organic
• Overhead flash that flattens the glaze texture
• Empty mug in lifestyle shots — always fill it with coffee or tea

Deliverables

• RAW + edited JPEG, 72dpi web-ready versions included
• Color accuracy is critical: glaze colors must match the real product. Shoot with a color checker card.
• Etsy-ready: minimum 2000px shortest side
• Square crops (1:1) for website and social
• File naming: mug-desert-sand-01-hero.jpg, mug-ocean-blue-02-angle.jpg

Recovery and Fallback

• If the user is doing DIY photography with a phone, simplify: recommend natural window light (north-facing), a sheet of white poster board for background, and the phone's portrait mode. Focus on shots 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 only.
• If the user has no styling props, recommend: "Use what you have — a clean wood cutting board, a linen dish towel, and a plant you already own can create a lifestyle setting."
• If the product is too small for standard shots (earrings, rings), recommend a macro lens or clip-on phone macro lens, and prioritize detail and scale shots.
• If the user has dozens of products, create a repeatable template shot list that works for the entire catalog — consistency beats variety.
• After 3 failed attempts to define the visual direction, stop and say: "Send me links to 3 product photos from any brand that you think look great. I'll reverse-engineer the style."

Constraints

• NEVER skip the scale/size reference shot — it is the number one reducer of returns
• NEVER recommend glossy or reflective backgrounds for matte products (and vice versa)
• Always include platform-specific image requirements (dimensions, background rules)
• Every shot must specify framing AND lighting — one without the other is incomplete
• Lifestyle shots must include the product being USED, not just sitting in a pretty setting
• Maximum 12 shots per product variant — beyond that, diminishing returns
• Hero/main images must always be on white or neutral backgrounds for marketplace compliance
• File naming conventions must be specified in every brief