Product Photography for E-Commerce: What Sells and What Does Not

In a physical store, customers can pick up products, feel the material, check the weight, and examine the details. Online, your product photos have to do all of that work. Studies consistently show that product image quality is the single biggest factor in purchase decisions — ahead of price, reviews, and even brand recognition.

The Essential Product Photo Set

Every product listing should include at minimum:

1. Hero shot — the product on a clean white or light background, filling 80% of the frame. This is what shows in category listings and search results.
2. Detail shots — close-ups of texture, material, labels, and craftsmanship. Show what makes the product worth buying.
3. Scale reference — the product next to a common object or being used by a person. Customers cannot judge size from an isolated photo.
4. Lifestyle shot — the product in context. A watch on a wrist. A lamp on a desk. A dress being worn. These photos create desire.
5. Back and side views — show the product from multiple angles. Customers who feel they have seen the complete product are more confident buyers.

Lighting: Keep It Simple

You do not need an expensive studio. A basic setup that produces professional results:

• Two softbox lights — placed at 45-degree angles to the product. Softboxes diffuse light and eliminate harsh shadows.
• A white sweep — a large piece of white paper or fabric curved from the table to the wall. This creates a seamless background.
• Natural light alternative — shoot near a large window on an overcast day. Overcast light is naturally diffused and flattering.

Consistency matters more than perfection. Every product in your catalog should look like it belongs to the same family — same lighting style, same background, same level of quality.

Camera Settings and Equipment

A modern smartphone camera is sufficient for most e-commerce photography if used correctly:

• Use a tripod — eliminates camera shake and ensures consistent framing
• Manual mode — lock exposure and white balance so every shot is consistent
• ISO 100-400 — keep it low to avoid noise
• f/8 to f/11 — the sweet spot for product sharpness throughout the frame
• Shoot in RAW — if your camera supports it, for maximum editing flexibility

Image Optimization for PrestaShop

Beautiful photos are useless if they slow your store down. Follow these guidelines:

• Upload high resolution — PrestaShop generates thumbnails automatically from your original. Upload at least 1200×1200px
• Use JPEG for photos — quality 80-85 gives the best size-to-quality ratio. Use PNG only for products requiring transparency.
• Enable WebP — PrestaShop 8+ supports WebP generation, which is 25-35% smaller than JPEG
• Configure image sizes — in Design → Image Settings, set appropriate dimensions for each use case (cart, listing, product page, zoom)
• Regenerate thumbnails — after changing image size settings, regenerate all thumbnails via the admin panel
• Alt text — write descriptive alt text for every image. This is both an accessibility requirement and an SEO signal.

Common Mistakes

• Inconsistent backgrounds — mixing white, gray, and lifestyle backgrounds in the same category listing looks unprofessional
• Too few images — one photo per product is not enough. Aim for 4-6 minimum.
• Wrong aspect ratio — if your theme expects square images (1:1), upload square images. Cropped or stretched photos look terrible.
• No zoom capability — if your hero image is only 400px wide, customers cannot zoom in on details. Always upload high resolution.

Invest time in getting your product photography right from the start. Re-shooting hundreds of products later is painful and expensive. Set up a consistent workflow, create a simple style guide for your team, and treat every product photo as a sales tool.