The Art of Studio Product Photography
There’s a lot more to great product photography than meets the eye. Behind every polished image lies careful planning, technical control and a deep understanding of how light interacts with your subject.
At Vektor, we treat product photography as both an art and a technical craft - where preparation meets precision to create images that not only showcase a product but make people want it.
Building the Shot List
Every shoot starts long before the camera’s even turned on. Defining a clear shot list helps to align creative expectations and requirements.
This list becomes the blueprint for the shoot - covering everything from key hero shots to detailed close-ups and alternate angles.
Preparing the Products
It might sound simple, but product preparation is one of the most critical steps. Before the camera rolls, every item is cleaned, polished and checked for imperfections.
The aim is to make sure the product is as flawless as possible - not only because it enhances the final result, but because it reduces time spent retouching later in Photoshop.
Studio Setup
The studio environment is where control becomes everything.
We typically work with a Sony α7R V paired with a selection of premium G Master lenses (the 50mm F1.2 GM is a firm favourite), alongside precision lighting from Nanlite Forza 500B II fixtures.
A remote monitor / MacBook is used to review shots in real-time. This gives us greater visibility on the set and makes it much easier to adjust / spot corrections before moving on.
Light Variation
Here’s a technique that separates a good shoot from a great one: shooting multiple lighting variations.
When photographing glass bottles, liquids or reflective surfaces (beer), we’ll often capture several shots under different lighting conditions - front-lit, back-lit and from various angles.
The goal is to build a library of light. Later, in post-production, these can be blended together to create a final composite image that brings out the product’s depth, clarity and glow in ways a single shot never could.
Here are some examples:
Post-Production: Lightroom & Photoshop
Once the shoot wraps, the creative process moves into Lightroom. Here, each image is fine-tuned with adjustments to exposure, contrast and colour grading that maximise the full dynamic range captured by the camera.
From there, the work continues in Photoshop , where those multiple lighting shots come together. Using masking and layering techniques, we combine the best elements from each - highlights, reflections and glows.
It’s a meticulous process, but the results speak for themselves.
Reformatting & Optimisation
Once the final images are complete, we reformat them into multiple aspect ratios for use across digital, print and social platforms.
For web use, optimisation is key. Large, uncompressed images can slow down website performance. Efficient file size ensures fast load times - which is not only good for the user experience but also for SEO.
Delivering the Final Package
At the end of a project, we provide a full photography package — including all final images in both high-resolution and web-optimised formats. That way, you have everything you need, whether for print campaigns, e-commerce, or social content.
Final Thoughts
Studio product photography is a careful balance of art, technique, and detail. From the way light hits glass to how shadows sculpt a form, every step contributes to how a product is perceived.
It’s a process we love — equal parts creativity and precision — and one that continues to evolve with every new shoot.
If you’re interested in capturing your products in their best light, we’d love to chat.