Good photos don't need a studio or an expensive camera. An ordinary phone, a window and a plain sheet are enough. This guide shows you how to take clear, honest product photos, and when it's worth taking your own at all.
First: you already have photos
Every MyKade product comes with photos and videos from the supplier, ready to share from the app. For many sellers that's all they need, and that's fine.
Your own photos help in a few situations:
- You bought the product for your own home and can show it in real use.
- You want a simple "in my hand" shot so people can see the real size.
- You make or stock your own products (see own-product online shops).
One rule above all: your photo must show the same product the customer will receive. In real Sri Lankan online shops, some parcels came back because the item was "not as expected". A pretty photo that doesn't match is a return waiting to happen.
1. Light is everything
Bad light is the main reason phone photos look cheap.
- Use daylight from a window. Put the product near the window, with the light coming from the side.
- Avoid direct midday sun. It makes hard shadows. A cloudy day or a shaded window is softer.
- Turn off the flash. It flattens the product and causes glare on shiny surfaces.
- Avoid yellow bulbs at night. They change the colour. If you must shoot at night, use a white light and stand it to one side.
2. A plain, clean background
The product should be the only thing people look at.
- A white or light bedsheet, a sheet of chart paper bent up against a wall, or a clean wooden table all work.
- Remove clutter: no plates, cables, bills or family photos in the corner.
- For kitchen or home items, a tidy real setting (a clean counter, a shelf) is also good, as long as the product is clearly the star.
3. Hold it steady and focus
- Wipe the lens with a soft cloth. Fingerprints make everything blurry.
- Hold the phone with both hands, or lean your elbows on a table.
- Tap the screen on the product to focus before you take the picture.
- Take five or six photos of each angle and keep the sharpest one.
4. The angles buyers want to see
Think about the questions a buyer would ask, and answer them with photos:
- Front view: the whole product, centred, with a little space around it.
- Side or back: shape and thickness.
- Close-up: material, buttons, stitching, the label.
- Size: the product in a hand or next to a cup, so the size is obvious.
- In use: the bottle holder in the car, the organiser on a shelf.
- What's in the box: everything the customer gets, laid out together.
For WhatsApp Status, Stories and Reels, shoot vertically. For a feed post or your shop page, a square crop works well.
5. Edit lightly, never change the truth
Your phone's own editor is enough.
- Crop and straighten.
- Raise the brightness a little if the photo is dark.
- Don't use filters that change the colour. If the bag is maroon, it must look maroon. Colour is one of the easiest things to get wrong.
- Don't add stickers or text that cover the product.
6. A 10-second video beats ten photos
Many products are easier to understand moving. Hold the phone still, show the product for two seconds, then show it working: the lid clicking shut, the light switching on, the folding stand opening. Keep it short and natural. More in short videos that sell on TikTok.
What never to do
- Don't copy photos from other websites, other shops or famous brands.
- Don't post a "customer photo" that isn't from a real customer.
- Don't show extra items in the photo that aren't included.
A quick checklist before you post
- Is it sharp and bright?
- Is the colour true?
- Is the background clean?
- Can a buyer tell the size?
- Does it show exactly what they will get?
If all five are yes, it's ready. Pair it with a good caption (see captions in three languages) and share it.
Want ready-made photos and videos for products you can start selling today? Download the MyKade app and browse the catalogue.