Product photography on a budget

Online, the shopper cannot pick the product up. The photo is the closest they get. Yet many Greek e-shops rely on blurry supplier images, photos lit by yellow kitchen bulbs, or ten different backgrounds within the same category.

You do not need a studio or a photographer to fix this. You need a recent phone, window light, a few things from a stationery shop and, above all, consistency.

The basic kit (under €100)

• A phone with a decent camera. Most phones from the last few years are good enough for an e-shop. Clean the lens before you start. Seriously.
• A phone tripod with a remote or timer. The single most important accessory: sharp images and the same angle every time.
• White background: card or roll paper curved from wall to table (a "sweep") so there is no visible corner.
• Reflector: a white foam board opposite the window to fill in shadows.
• Diffuser: a white curtain or tracing paper over the window if direct sun comes in.
• Optional: an LED lightbox for small items like jewellery and cosmetics.

Light: natural, from the side, diffused

Light does most of the work in a good product photo.

• Place your table beside a large window so light comes from the side.
• Avoid direct sun. Greek midday light is harsh and creates hard shadows. Mornings, or a window without direct sun, work better.
• Turn off room lights. Mixing bulbs and daylight produces odd colours.
• Put the reflector on the side opposite the window.
• If you shoot in the evening or photograph products daily, two LED lights with softboxes give consistent results regardless of the weather.

The shots every product needs

Make a shot list per category and stick to it. For example:

1. Main image: front-on, white or neutral background, product filling most of the frame.
2. Side and back views.
3. Detail: texture, stitching, zips, buttons, material label.
4. Scale: in a hand or next to a familiar object so shoppers understand size.
5. In use (lifestyle): in the setting where it will be used. Not needed for every product, but very helpful for your key ones.
6. Packaging/contents, where it matters.

A shot list keeps photos consistent and saves reshoots.

Phone settings

• No digital zoom. Move closer, or use the telephoto lens if your phone has one (2x/3x). It also distorts less.
• Lock exposure and focus by long-pressing on the product. Pull exposure down slightly if the white background blows out.
• Turn off filters and heavy in-camera "enhancement". You want accurate colour.
• Portrait/bokeh mode: not for the main image. It often blurs product edges.

Editing: light and identical for everything

• Crop to a fixed ratio (e.g. square 1:1 or 4:5) across the whole category.
• White balance so white looks white.
• Small brightness and contrast corrections.
• Background removal where needed. Plenty of tools now do this quickly, even on the phone itself.
• Do not change the product's colour. "Different colour from the photo" is one of the most common return reasons in fashion.

Save a preset (in Lightroom Mobile or whatever you use) and apply it to the whole batch.

Technical requirements: site, Skroutz, Google

• Main image: clean background, no logos, text, watermarks or "-20%" badges. Google Merchant Center and price comparison platforms can reject images with promotional overlays. Check each platform's current specifications.
• Resolution: large enough for zoom (e.g. 1500–2000 pixels on the long edge for the master file). Your site should then serve smaller versions depending on the screen.
• Format: WebP or AVIF on the site, correctly sized and lazy-loaded. See our guide to product image optimisation.
• File names and alt text that describe the product, as covered in our guide to product page SEO.

Workflow for many products

1. Set up your "station" once and mark tripod and product positions with tape.
2. Shoot in batches by category, at the same time of day.
3. Name files by SKU straight away (e.g. MAR-BR-01_1.jpg) so uploads are easy and match your feed.
4. Apply your editing preset in bulk.
5. Check on a phone before uploading. That is where most shoppers will see them.

Video: the next step

The same station works for short 10–20 second clips: the product rotating, a garment in motion, a tool being used. No editing or music needed. They help most where texture or movement matters, and you can reuse the same clips on Instagram, TikTok and in ads. If you add them to product pages, make sure they do not autoplay with sound and do not slow the page down.

When a professional is worth it

• For your 10–20 hero products and lifestyle images you will reuse in ads.
• For difficult items: shiny, transparent or very small jewellery.
• When your brand depends on aesthetics (fashion, home decor).

A good mix is a professional shoot for the key items and a DIY station for everything else, in a shared style.

Checklist

• [ ] Tripod, white background, reflector, window light
• [ ] Shot list per category
• [ ] Locked exposure, no filters or digital zoom
• [ ] Fixed crop ratio and editing preset
• [ ] Accurate colours
• [ ] Main image free of text or watermarks
• [ ] Files named by SKU, web-ready format

Good photos build trust, reduce returns and make your Skroutz and Google listings stand out. If you want help making those images load fast and flow correctly into your feeds, have a look at our performance and product feeds services.