Product photos with a phone: a repeatable setup for small shops

The fastest improvement to a catalogue is not a new camera. It is product photography with a phone done the same way every time. Customers compare products inside your catalogue, so inconsistent light and backgrounds make a well-made item look worse than it is.

Light first, everything else second

Put the product near a window during daylight, with the light falling across it rather than behind it. Turn off the ceiling light, which adds a second colour and hard shadows. If the window light is harsh, tape a sheet of white paper or a thin white cloth over the window to diffuse it. Shoot in the morning if the window faces east, in the afternoon if it faces west, and avoid direct midday sun.

One background, reused

• A matte surface — a table painted white or covered with a large sheet of paper.
• A plain wall or foam board behind the product for a seamless look.
• A neutral tone that does not tint the product: white, light grey, warm cream.
• No clutter in frame — no chargers, cups, or patterned tablecloths.

The four-shot standard

For clothing, add a worn shot or a flat lay with measurements. For food, include one shot of the packaging and one of the portion. For jewellery, use a plain background and get close enough to show the clasp and finish.

Shoot square from the start

Catalogue and chat previews crop to a square, so compose for a square rather than cropping later and losing the edges. Keep the product filling roughly 70–80% of the frame with even margin. WhatsApp catalogues and most storefront grids display square images, and the recommended upload is 1080×1080 pixels — see the WhatsApp catalogue image size guide for the exact limits.

Editing without lying

1. 1Straighten the horizon and crop to a square.
2. 2Set white balance so whites look white, not blue or yellow.
3. 3Lift shadows slightly; avoid crushing blacks.
4. 4Export at high quality and check the file size before upload.
5. 5Compare the edited photo to the product in your hand.

Skip beauty filters, heavy vignettes and saturation boosts. A customer who receives a duller or different colour than the photo will ask for a return, and the photo is the evidence against you.

A simple shooting routine

Photograph ten products in one session rather than one product a day. Set up the light and background once, shoot all four angles per product, then edit as a batch. Consistent sessions produce consistent images, and consistency is what makes a small catalogue look established.

For the rest of the product page, read how to write product descriptions. For the technical upload limits, see WhatsApp catalogue image size. When the photos are ready, create your catalogue and add the first ten products.