Catalogue MakerTaking good product photos with a phone
A catalogue lives or dies by its photos. You do not need a camera or a studio; you need daylight, a clean background and a steady hand.
Light first
Stand next to a window in daylight, not in direct sun. Soft light shows true colours and hides harsh shadows. Never use the phone flash on shiny items, because it makes glare. In the evening, use a lamp with white light and turn off the yellow lights in the room.
A clean, plain background
A white sheet, a plain cloth or a wooden table works. Remove everything from the frame that is not the product. Plain backgrounds make the product the only thing the eye sees, and they make your whole catalogue look like one shop.
Angles that sell
- Front view of the whole product, filling about two thirds of the photo.
- A close-up of the detail that matters: fabric, stitching, label, finish.
- A size reference: a hand, a coin or the product on a person.
- In use, if it helps: the cake on a table, the lamp in a room.
Steady and sharp
Lean your elbows on a table, or prop the phone on a stack of books. Tap the product on the screen to focus. Wipe the camera lens with a clean cloth; fingerprints are the commonest reason for a hazy photo.
Light editing only
Straighten the photo, crop it, and raise the brightness a little if needed. Do not change the colour to look better than the product really is: wrong colour is the top reason for returns.
Square or tall?
The catalogue maker on this site shows photos as they are and shrinks them to fit; a square crop looks tidy in a grid, and a tall photo suits clothing. Be consistent across the catalogue.
What to avoid
- Pictures copied from the internet or another seller. They can be illegal to use and show something you do not have.
- Heavy filters.
- Cluttered backgrounds, people's faces without permission, or personal items in the frame.
When you are ready, add photos in the catalogue maker. The maker shrinks each photo so the catalogue stays small.
Common questions
How big should the photo file be?
Any size from the phone is fine. The maker shrinks each photo to a few dozen kilobytes before it saves, so it stays quick to open and print.
Can I use a stock photo?
Only if you have the right to use it, and only if it is the product you sell. A photo of a different product is misleading.
Keep going
Photos stay in your own browser. The order link holds the item names, prices and descriptions but no photos, and orders go only to the shop's WhatsApp. Example items and prices are made up. No tax or food rules are stated here: check them where you live. Checked 14 November 2026.