Preparing Your Product for a Professional Photo Shoot

How to Prepare Your Product for a Professional Photo Shoot

The quality of your product photography starts before the camera is even switched on. How you prepare and ship your product has a direct impact on how your final images look — and how long the shoot takes. Follow this checklist to get the best results from your shoot.

Clean and Detail Your Product First

Studio lighting is unforgiving. Fingerprints, dust, lint, scuffs, and micro-scratches that are invisible in normal lighting will show up clearly on camera. Before shipping your product:

• Wipe down all surfaces with a lint-free cloth
• Remove any price stickers, residue, or temporary labels
• For fabric products: steam or press to remove wrinkles and fold marks
• For metal or glass: use a microfiber cloth to remove smudges
• For electronics: ensure screens are clean and free of reflective smears

Include All Components

If your product comes with accessories, packaging, or inserts that should appear in photos, include all of them. Ship exactly what your customer receives. If you want the packaging photographed separately, include an extra clean unit of packaging.

Create a simple shot list or reference document listing every image type you need: white background main, lifestyle, detail shots, infographic source images. Share this with the studio when you submit your product.

Packaging Your Product for Shipping

Products that arrive damaged delay your shoot and can affect image quality. To ship safely:

• Double-box fragile items with foam padding on all six sides
• For products with screens, apply a temporary screen protector before shipping
• Include a printed copy of your shot list and any brand guidelines inside the package
• Label the package with your order number or company name for quick identification

What to Communicate to Your Studio

Before the shoot, share the following with your photographer:

• Which marketplace(s) the images are for (Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, Walmart)
• Your target audience and brand tone (minimal and clean vs warm and lifestyle-focused)
• Reference images of competitors or brands whose style you admire
• Any colors, props, or backgrounds you want included or excluded

Working with Artfoxlab

When you book a shoot with Artfoxlab, you'll receive a pre-shoot checklist and a simple intake form to capture all of the above information. Our team reviews every order before shooting begins so nothing is missed.

See how the process works or get a quote for your product.