How to Prepare Products for a Commercial Photoshoot

Clean Products Before Dispatch

Professional product teams will perform final cleaning on set, but this should be a precision check rather than the first time the item is prepared.

Remove:

• Dust and lint
• Fingerprints
• Protective films that should not appear in the final image
• Retail stickers and temporary labels
• Glue residue
• Loose packaging material

Use a cleaning method that is safe for the product. Coated metal, acrylic, leather, polished stone and printed packaging can be damaged by the wrong chemical or cloth. If the surface requires specialist care, supply instructions with the product.

Do Not Open Final Packaging Too Early

Cleaning and preserving are equally important. A perfectly cleaned item can collect dust again during storage or transport.

Place each prepared product in a clean protective bag, sleeve or compartment. Keep accessories together and prevent metal parts from rubbing against one another. If the packaging itself will be photographed, protect its corners and printed surfaces.

For sealed consumer products, confirm whether the seal must remain intact. The production team may need one unopened unit for packaging shots and a second opened unit for demonstrations or internal components.

Organise the SKU List

A structured SKU list becomes the production checklist and the basis for file naming. It is essential when the shoot includes multiple products, colours or sizes.

Include:

• SKU or internal product code
• Exact product name
• Colour and size
• Required angles
• Packaging version
• Priority level
• Notes about defects or sample differences

Use the same identifiers that appear in your ecommerce or inventory system. Renaming products after photography creates confusion during selection and upload. When the same design exists in several colours, specify whether every variation must be photographed or whether approved colour matching will be handled separately.

Prepare the Final Packaging and Accessories

Products are often delivered without all the elements that the marketing team expects to see. Check the complete retail presentation before shipping.

This may include:

• Boxes, pouches and inserts
• Cables, chargers and adapters
• Stands, caps and applicators
• Instruction cards and warranty materials
• Replacement straps or components
• Outer shipping packaging

Confirm which elements should appear together. A photographer should not have to guess whether an accessory is part of the sale, a styling option or only a shipping component.

Create a Clear Product Photography Brief

A useful brief explains the business objective and the visual rules without trying to direct every technical decision.

Include:

• Brand and campaign context
• Target audience
• Required image style
• Background and colour preferences
• Reference images
• Mandatory and prohibited elements
• Final channels and aspect ratios
• Delivery deadline
• Approval contact

References are most useful when you explain what you like about them. Is it the shadow, angle, lighting contrast, colour palette or amount of empty space? A collection of unrelated images can create conflicting expectations.

Build the Shot List Before the Shoot

The shot list should connect each product to a specific deliverable. Avoid vague instructions such as “several creative images.” Define what the team must capture.

A practical list may include:

• Main front image
• Back and side views
• Packaging
• Important detail or texture
• Scale or in-use image
• Group composition
• Horizontal and vertical advertising crops
• Short product movement or video clip

Prioritise essential shots. If the production schedule changes, the team should know which images must be completed first.

Confirm Marketplace Requirements

Marketplace rules should be checked before the lighting and composition are approved. Main listing images commonly require a clean background, an accurate representation of the product and no unsupported graphic elements. Additional images may allow lifestyle settings, details, scale and explanatory content.

Requirements can change and vary by category, so confirm the current rules for the destination platform rather than relying on an old template. Preparing the correct image mix from the beginning is more efficient than trying to convert a campaign shoot into compliant listing content later.

Prepare Reflective and Transparent Products Carefully

Metal, glass, polished plastic and glossy packaging reflect the studio, the camera and surrounding objects. Their appearance is shaped by controlled reflections rather than by simply pointing a light at them.

Inspect these products under strong light before dispatch. Micro-scratches, fingerprints and label bubbles can become prominent. Transparent bottles should be filled to the correct level and checked for particles, uneven liquid colour or marks inside the container.

For jewellery and watches, confirm the preferred time, clasp position, chain arrangement and orientation of any movable elements.

Prepare Electronics and Screens

Electronic products need both cosmetic and technical preparation.

Before the shoot:

• Charge devices fully
• Provide working cables and adapters
• Remove personal data and notifications
• Install the correct demo content
• Confirm the screen language and time
• Clean ports, keyboards and display surfaces

If screen content will be added in post-production, provide the approved interface files and confirm usage rights. Do not assume that any visible app, logo or customer information can appear in commercial content.

Confirm Styling and Props

Creative product photography may require surfaces, backgrounds, props, ingredients, flowers, textiles or set construction. Decide who is responsible for sourcing each element and who approves it.

Props should support the product rather than create an inaccurate claim. Food ingredients, for example, should not imply that a cosmetic contains something it does not. A scale reference should also be truthful.

For brand-controlled colours, provide official colour references. Screens and sample prints can display colours differently, so a recognised brand specification is more reliable than a screenshot.

Plan Product Delivery and Collection

Confirm the delivery address, contact person, arrival date and inventory process. Products should arrive early enough for inspection, but not so early that storage becomes a risk.

For large catalogues, label boxes by shoot order. Place essential accessories with the related SKU rather than in a separate unmarked container.

Agree what happens after production: collection, return courier, long-term storage or disposal of non-returnable samples. High-value items should be counted and signed in and out.

Approve a Test Image

For catalogues and repeated product types, approve a representative test image before the full production continues. The test should confirm angle, scale, background, shadow, colour and crop.

A test image is especially valuable when dozens or hundreds of SKUs must look consistent. Changing the visual rules after the entire catalogue has been photographed creates avoidable reshooting and editing.

Final Checklist

• Best samples selected and inspected
• Backup units included where practical
• Products cleaned and protected
• Final packaging and accessories included
• SKU list checked against physical items
• Shot list prioritised
• References and brand guidelines shared
• Marketplace rules confirmed
• Props and styling responsibilities assigned
• Delivery, approval and return contacts confirmed

Frequently Asked Questions

Should products arrive in retail packaging?

Yes, if the packaging will appear in any photograph or video. Also send every accessory and insert that customers receive.

How many product samples should we send?

One camera-ready sample may be enough for a robust item. Fragile, reflective, high-detail or production-sensitive products benefit from an approved backup.

Does professional retouching remove every defect?

Retouching can correct many small issues, but preparing a clean, accurate sample is faster and protects realism. Major damage or incorrect packaging should normally be replaced rather than digitally rebuilt.

Can we decide the angles during the shoot?

Minor adjustments are normal, but the required views should be agreed in advance. This protects the schedule and ensures every SKU receives the same coverage.

Can photography and product video be produced together?

Yes. Planning them together can create a consistent visual system, but motion, aspect ratios and video-specific actions must be included in the brief.

Conclusion

Good product preparation is not administrative work around the shoot; it is part of the production itself. Clean samples, accurate SKU information, final packaging, clear references and an approved shot list allow the creative team to spend more time refining light, composition and detail.

GSP Media provides commercial product photography and videography for brands, agencies and ecommerce teams in Dubai and across the UAE. We can help define the image mix, production workflow and deliverables before the shoot begins.