How to Take Better Product Photos With Your Phone

Good photos sell. Customers can't touch your products online, so the photo has to do the work. You don't need an expensive camera; your phone and a few simple tricks are enough.

1. Use natural light

Light is the most important thing.

• Shoot near a window during the day.
• Avoid harsh direct sunlight, which creates strong shadows. Soft, bright light is best.
• Turn off the flash. It makes products look flat and shiny.
• Turn off indoor lights, so you don't mix yellow bulb light with daylight.

2. Keep the background simple

A plain background makes your product stand out.

• Use a sheet of white poster board, a clean wall or a plain tablecloth.
• Bend a large sheet of white card so it curves up behind the product. This gives a clean look with no line or corner behind the product.
• Remove clutter from the shot.

3. Hold the phone steady

Blurry photos look unprofessional. Lean on a table, use both hands or prop your phone on books. A cheap phone tripod is worth buying if you take photos often.

4. Use your camera properly

• Clean the lens with a soft cloth. Fingerprints make photos hazy.
• Tap the screen on your product to focus.
• Slide down the brightness slightly if the white background looks washed out.
• Don't zoom in. Move closer instead.

5. Show different angles

Take a front view, a side view, a close-up of details and one showing the product in use or in someone's hand for size.

6. Keep it consistent

Use the same background and lighting for all your products. Your page or catalogue will look neat and professional.

7. Edit lightly

Free apps like Snapseed or your phone's built-in editor can brighten, straighten and crop. Don't overdo filters. The product should look like what the customer will actually get.

8. Remove the background if needed

Tools like remove.bg or Photoroom can cut out the background in seconds, so you can place the product on plain white for online shops.

Great product photos make your business look bigger and more trustworthy, and they're one of the cheapest upgrades you can make.