How to Take Professional-Looking Product Photos Using Your Phone
High-quality product photos are essential for small businesses looking to attract customers online. The good news? You don’t need expensive equipment to capture professional images—your phone’s camera and a few simple editing tricks can do the job! In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to take and edit stunning product photos using just your smartphone.
1. Setting Up for the Perfect Shot
Product Photography Set Up
Use Natural Lighting
Lighting is the most important factor in photography. To achieve a bright, natural look:
Shoot near a window with plenty of indirect light.
Avoid harsh midday sun, which can create strong shadows.
If shooting in the evening, use a soft white light or a ring light to mimic natural daylight.
You can also get creative with light—shooting during golden hour (just after sunrise or before sunset) can cast beautiful golden rays over your photo, adding warmth and depth.
Choose a Clean Background
A clutter-free background helps keep the focus on your product:
Use a plain white wall, a piece of poster board, or a light fabric backdrop.
If using a textured background (e.g., wood, marble, or linen), ensure it complements your product rather than distracting from it.
Keep consistent backgrounds for a professional and cohesive look on your website and social media.
Getting the perfect shot
Stabilise Your Camera
Blurry photos can make your products look unprofessional. To keep images sharp:
Use a tripod or balance your phone on a steady surface.
If holding the phone, use both hands and keep your elbows close to your body for stability.
Use the phone’s grid feature to keep your product level in the frame.
Some phones also have a built-in levelling tool to help ensure your shots are perfectly straight.
Use the Right Camera Settings
Tap the screen to focus on your product before taking the shot.
Adjust exposure manually by sliding your finger up or down on the screen, or side to side depending on the phone.
Use Portrait Mode for close-up shots to create a soft background blur.
Avoid using the zoom function—move closer to the product instead to maintain image quality. Alternatively, crop the photo after the fact to retain better resolution and framing.
2. Capturing Your Product at the Best Angle
Flat Lay Photo
Different angles showcase different product details, so experiment with:
Eye-level shots for an accurate, front-on view.
Flat lays (shot from above) for items like clothing, food, or accessories.
Close-ups for detailed textures or small features.
Lifestyle shots featuring your product in use to add context and appeal.
3. Editing Your Photos Using Your Phone’s Camera App
Once you've taken your photos, simple edits can make them look even more professional. Most phones come with built-in editing tools, eliminating the need for third-party apps.
How to Edit Your Photos Using the Camera App:
Open the photo in your camera app and select the edit option.
Adjust brightness & exposure – Increase brightness slightly to ensure your product is well-lit.
Enhance contrast – This helps define edges and textures.
Modify warmth & white balance – If your image looks too yellow or blue, tweak the warmth slider to neutralise it. Similarly, if it's too green or pink, you can use the tint slider to balance it out.
Sharpen details – Slightly increasing sharpness can make product textures stand out.
Crop and straighten – Ensure your product is centered and remove any distracting edges.
Avoid excessive filters – Stick to natural enhancements to maintain true-to-life colours. These days, Instagram's algorithm prioritises natural looking content over heavily edited images.
4. Final Touches and Consistency
Final Touches
For a cohesive look across your product listings and social media:
Use similar lighting and editing settings for all photos.
Save edits as presets (on some apps) for quick and consistent adjustments.
Keep colours accurate—what customers see in photos should match what they receive.
5. Bonus: Quick Editing on iPhone and Android
On iPhone:
Use the Auto Enhance tool for a quick fix.
Adjust Brilliance and Exposure for brightness control.
Use Vibrance instead of Saturation to enhance colours without oversaturation.
On Android:
Use Auto Adjust to see a baseline edit.
Tweak Light and Colour settings manually.
Use Sharpen to refine details without making the image look grainy.
Conclusion
Taking professional-looking product photos with your phone is entirely possible with the right setup and simple editing tweaks. By using natural light, stabilising your shots, capturing different angles, and making subtle edits, your product images will look polished and enticing to customers.
Start practicing today, and watch your product photography—and sales—improve!