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Symmetry in Product Photography: Why It Matters
When you’re selling products online, first impressions happen fast—and they almost always happen visually. If you’re an ecommerce brand or product photographer, you know how important it is to get every detail just right. One of the most overlooked (but critical) details? Symmetry.

Humans are wired to crave symmetry. It signals beauty, balance, and trust—exactly the feelings you want to trigger when someone lands on your product page.

When you think about symmetric photos, think ecommerce photography for apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, electronics, and anything presented in a clean, controlled environment. Symmetry matters even more in apparel photography, especially for things like ghost mannequin shots where structure, balance, and form all drive buyer confidence.

Why you need symmetric product photos

Studies show that 87% of online shoppers believe enhanced product content is helpful to them during their shopping journey. In today’s competitive landscape, delivering symmetric, polished images isn’t optional—it’s the bare minimum.

Here’s why:
- Aesthetic: Symmetry creates a polished, professional look that immediately elevates your brand.
- Easy browsing: Balanced images are easier to process visually, making it faster for customers to evaluate and compare products.
- Visual trust: Symmetry builds instant credibility and makes your brand feel more reliable.
- Emotional appeal: Symmetrical compositions feel satisfying, calm, and complete — all things that lower buying friction.
- Performance metrics: Symmetrical product photos often convert better, boosting both clicks and sales.
That’s where Path comes in. Our expert editors apply symmetry with care—enhancing your product’s natural design without making it look artificial or over-edited.

When and how to use symmetric ecommerce photos

Highly detailed products

If you sell jewelry, electronics, watches, or anything intricate, symmetry highlights the craftsmanship and premium quality you’re trying to showcase.

Highlight centerpiece items

Hero images, like your main PDP photo or homepage feature, need to feel instantly strong and balanced. Symmetry gives products that commanding presence.

Premium products and brands

Luxury brands know: symmetry is a visual shortcut to higher perceived value. It signals attention to detail, care, and sophistication.

Selling symmetrical products

When you sell mirrors, tech gadgets, skincare bottles, apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics — basically anything designed with balance in mind — your photos should mirror that symmetry. It reinforces design quality and makes browsing intuitive.

Bonus: Ghost mannequin shots especially benefit from perfect symmetry to create clean, realistic apparel displays.

Marketplace product photography

Symmetrical product photos aren’t just nice—they perform better in marketplace search results and listings, helping you stand out in crowded spaces. If you sell on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, etc., you might even be required to use symmetric product photos.

Marketing and advertising campaigns

Symmetry draws the eye and keeps viewers engaged. Whether you’re designing social media ads, web banners, or print catalogs, symmetric images create irresistible visual flow.

High-end retouching

Good symmetry editing polishes natural flaws—like a slightly crooked seam or uneven laces—without making your product look artificial. It’s subtle, invisible craftsmanship that makes a major difference.

Tips for symmetric product photography

Here’s the key to mastering symmetry without overdoing it:

✅ Keep the product’s natural shape and design intact.

✅ Center lines, balance proportions, and adjust visible angles carefully.

✅ Use symmetry to enhance authenticity—not to create a fake-looking “clone.”

🚫 Don’t force symmetry where it doesn’t naturally exist.

🚫 Avoid warping, pinching, or unnaturally stretching parts of the product.

🚫 Stay away from edits that make products feel sterile or “too perfect”—buyers can tell.

Get it perfect, every time

Symmetry isn’t just about making your photos look good—it’s about building trust and driving sales. In ecommerce, symmetry is a small investment that delivers a big payoff.

Ready to sharpen your product photos with perfect symmetry? At Path, our expert editors specialize in balancing precision with authenticity. We’ll polish your product images so they feel clean, credible, and irresistible—all with quick turnaround times, industry-leading accuracy, and deep ecommerce expertise.

Perfect your photos with symmetry
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21/05/2025
Everything You Can Get in 6 Hours
Did you know that you can use Path to do a whole lot more than just removing backgrounds and retouching imperfections? You can improve product photos with retouching and ghost mannequins, fix blurry action sports shots, and add shadows to bring images to life. You can virtually iron wrinkles out of clothing and fabric. And you can even totally change the colors in your images—in a realistic way.

Find out more about all the edits you can order from Path:

1. Remove the background for versatile photos

Background removal is probably our most popular request. Whether you’re prepping for a product launch, updating a marketplace listing, or shooting team portraits, clean background removal is essential. We can isolate any subject from your image and remove the rest so you can use that image in different contexts.

Because we do every edit by hand, there are three ways we remove backgrounds from photos:
- Clipping path: Carefully hand-drawn clipping paths for crisp, clean photos—best for simpler and more straightforward edges
- Image masking: How we remove backgrounds from hair, fur, and difficult borders—common for sports photos and headshots
Multi-clipping path: Involves complex cutouts that require lots of paths, like images with multiple subjects to cut out, bicycles, or items with lots of components.

2. Retouch imperfections for a beautiful image

Photo retouching is probably the second most common request—we see it across all types of images, including product photos, sports photography, portraits, and car photography.

We specialize in four types of retouching:
- Dust, spot and scratch removal: We can remove small dents, smudges, dust, and other imperfections from any type of photo. Our studio offers both basic and advanced dust, spot and scratch removal.
- Wrinkle on clothing: If the apparel in your shot is wrinkly enough to be distracting, we can smooth it out.
- Beauty airbrushing: Common for portraits and headshots in particular, we can touch up any distracting imperfections or blemishes while maintaining a natural-looking shot.
- Camera reflection removal: Get rid of any unwanted reflections from shoot day. Again, we offer basic or advanced reflection removal.
3. Add or fix shadows to elevate your products

We can also add, remove, or edit shadows in your images. Shadows are types of ecommerce photo edits that add dimension to boring white background shots.

You can order one of any five different types of shadow edits at Path:
- Drop shadow: A drop shadow makes your subject look like it’s hovering above the background. It’s a common technique in white background product photography.
- Existing shadow: You can also ask us to edit an existing shadow to make it appear more natural or less distracting, depending on the look you’re going for.
- Floating shadow: A floating shadow gives the impression that your product is hovering above the ground. This is another common technique in white background product photography.
- Natural shadow: It’s not always possible to get the lighting right, so this shadow edit will help achieve a more natural shot by casting a make-believe shadow on the surface the subject is resting on.
- Reflection shadow: This type of shadow edit makes your subject appear as though it’s resting on a reflective surface.
If you want to give it a go yourself, you can follow along in this shadow editing tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdGs3_LuALo

4. Create a ghost mannequin

Ghost mannequins are one of the main ways to edit apparel product photos.
Ghost mannequin photography is a style of photography that’s used to showcase clothing and apparel products. It essentially creates an invisible mannequin or model to the item of clothing, making it appear as though it’s being worn even though there’s no one featured in the image.

This photography is effective because it adds dimension to the product, rather than laying it flat on a table in an unengaging way. It allows shoppers to see how the apparel may fit and drape if they were to wear it themselves.

But capturing this photography requires a lot of editing steps. Many product photographers and brands choose to outsource this tedious, detail-oriented work to our studio—you can get them back by the end of the work day if you send them in the morning!

5. Add color variants without a reshoot

You can also order color change edits from Path. This service is especially popular for product photography—if a specific item is available in multiple colors, it’s often more cost-effective to shoot one variant and simply outsource color change edits for the rest. It also comes in handy when an athlete changes teams and needs their headshot to reflect the change.

6. Create perfectly symmetric apparel shots

Symmetry is one of the fastest ways to elevate the professionalism of your apparel product photography. Perfectly aligned sleeves, balanced hems, and centered internal details (like buttons, zippers, or logos) can make your product look more premium—without needing a reshoot. These are great edits to make to improve product photos.

Path’s new symmetry service helps you polish your images with clean, realistic edits designed for ecommerce. Whether you’re preparing for a new collection drop or updating existing product listings, symmetric edits ensure every item looks its best on your site, marketplace, or lookbook.

Here are a few of the most common symmetry fixes we provide:
- Sleeve alignment: Make sleeves even and consistent across your product images.
- Side-edge adjustments: Smooth and straighten the outer edges of garments for a neater silhouette.
- Curve reduction: Eliminate distracting bunching or warping in fabric curves.
- Detail alignment: Center and balance key details like pockets, drawstrings, zippers, or brand tags.
Wrinkle retouching is included by default with symmetry edits, so your final images don’t just look aligned—they look polished. This saves time and ensures your edits are cohesive across every SKU.

Get your edits today

With the instant pricing tool, you can submit and pay for your edits now and get them back in as little as six hours. That means you can send us your edits, go about your work day, and then receive the edits before the end of the day. It doesn’t get more convenient than that.

Ready to send your photo edits our way? Get started now—and get your edits back in as little as 6 hours.
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14/05/2025
How to Fix Blurry Sports Photos
Taking crisp action shots of sports figures can be challenging, and sometimes an otherwise perfect shot is just a little out of focus.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to fix blurry sports photos—including methods you can use to sharpen and fix out-of-focus sports photography, as well as tips to ensure your next sports photos are crisp and clear.

How to fix a completely blurry sports photo

A completely blurry sports photo is when nothing in the frame is in focus. This often happens in action shots. If this happens to you, there are several filters you can use in Photoshop to sharpen the entire image.

Using the Unsharp Mask Tool

Photoshop has a filter specifically designed to sharpen images, known as the Unsharp Mask tool. A blurry image can never truly be “sharpened,” but Unsharp Mask attempts to detect the edges of your photo by looking for side-by-side pixels that are different in color. Then, the tool allows you to adjust the contrast of those pixels and create the illusion of a sharpened image.

To use this tool, open your blurry sports photo in Photoshop. Make sure you have the layer containing the image you want to sharpen selected (in a JPEG, this would be the Background layer).

Next, choose Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask… from the dropdown menu at the top of the application window.

A dialog box with Unsharp Mask settings will appear. Within this window you can adjust the Unsharp Mask settings. These settings allow you to finely tune how much contrast Photoshop will apply to the pixels within your image.

You’ll see a portion of your image displayed within the dialog box. You can use your cursor to drag until a critical portion of your sports photo appears in that image window. In the example below, we’ve positioned the cyclist’s face in the window.

Next, you’ll see three sliders:
1. Amount: The Amount setting adjusts the increase in contrast between pixels.
2. Radius: Radius adjusts the number of pixels along an edge that will be affected by the contrast increase.
3. Threshold. Threshold tells Photoshop just how different those pixels must be from each other before they’re considered an “edge.”
Make sure Preview is checked so you can see how the image will change when you make adjustments within this dialog box.

Each image you adjust will have different settings for these three sliders, because no two images are identical. Play with the sliders until you figure out which combination of settings works best for your image without creating an overly contrasted result.

Once you’re happy with the final image, click OK.

So, it’s not perfect, but it is an improvement.

Sharpen blurry sports images using High Pass Filter

Another Photoshop tool for sharpening blurry images is the High Pass Filter. In fact, you can use High Pass Filter and Unsharp Mask together to create an even sharper image.

To use the High Pass Filter, first duplicate the layer that contains the image you want to sharpen (most likely your Background layer). You can do this by clicking on the Layers panel menu (four little horizontal lines in the upper right corner of the panel) and choosing Duplicate Layer….

With the new layer selected, choose Filter > Other > High Pass… from the dropdown menu at the top of the application window.

Your image will go completely gray. You’ll only see the outlines of your edges in the image.

In the High Pass dialog box that appears on the screen, move the Radius slider to the left to reduce detail or to the right to increase the details of the edges. Make sure “Preview” is checked so you can see the effects of moving the slider. In general, keep the radius at 7.0 Pixels or less so your end result will look natural.

Click OK.

Next, go back to your Layers Panel. Change the Blending Mode of the top layer to “Overlay.” (By default, the Blending Mode will be set to Normal.)

Your image will now appear sharper.

For an even sharper image, you could apply Unsharp Mask, and then a High Pass Filter on top of that.

You capture the action, we’ll look after the edits. Sports photo editing services start at 25¢ per image.

How to fix a specific area of a blurry sports photo

Sometimes, you want to capture motion blur and keep the visual effect, but you also want your subject’s face, or some other portion of the photo to be crisp. There are multiple ways to do this, including using selections, using layer masks, and using Photoshop’s Sharpen Tool.

How to use a selection and layer mask

Go back to the image you just sharpened using a High Pass Filter. Now, you’re going to remove the sharpened effects from every part of the image except the cyclist’s face—and then add additional effects to that area to create even more crispness.

Using the Marquee Tool in Photoshop’s Toolbar, draw an ellipse or a rectangle around the area of the photograph you want to remain crisp.

Next, choose Select > Modify > Feather… from the dropdown menu at the top of the application window.

In the dialog box that appears, type in a value between 100 and 250. This will give you the smoothest feather of your selection.

Now, go back into your Layers panel and choose the layer that contains your High Pass Filter. Click on the Mask icon at the bottom of the Panel. This icon looks like a black rectangle with a lighter circle inside of it.

Once you click on that icon, you’ll see a mask appear in your layer. It will look all black, except for the area of your selection, which will appear white.

You’ve now made it so the High Pass Filter will only appear on the area where you originally created your selection, or in the case of this example, on this cyclist’s face.

How to use the Sharpen Tool

You can sharpen the cyclist’s face even more by using Photoshop’s Sharpen Tool.

Select the Sharpen Tool from the Toolbar to the left of the application window. The Sharpen Tool may be sitting behind the Blur Tool or the Smudge Tool.

In your Layers panel, select your original laye—the layer that does not contain the High Pass Filter. Then, with your Sharpen Tool selected, “paint” over the areas of your image that you want to be a bit crisper. In the below example, we went over the cyclist’s eyes and mouth with the tool.

Like all tools in Photoshop, you have the option to adjust the strength and size of the Sharpen Tool in the Options Bar.

How to remove a blurry background from a sports photo

Sometimes a photographer will want a clear subject and a blurry background in a sports photo. However, there are times where a crisp background makes more sense. In these instances, it works best to remove the background altogether and replace it with a new image.

For the following examples, let’s use this image of a young woman holding a basketball.

Use AI to remove a background in Photoshop

The easiest way to remove a background is to use the “Remove Background” tool, which is part of Photoshop’s new AI tools. However, while fast, this tool isn’t always the best option, as you’ll see in a minute.

To use the tool, make sure the Contextual Task Bar is visible. By default, it is—however, if you don’t see it, make sure Contextual Task Bar is checked under the Window dropdown menu.

With the Contextual Task Bar visible beneath your image, you’ll see the option to Remove Background. Click on that option.

The result will be…okay. But not perfect. To really remove the background from an image, you’ll need to add a human touch.

[cta text=”Save a ton of time with pro background removal from 39¢ per image” button=”Learn more” link=”https://pathedits.com/pages/background-removal”]

Remove background using Select and Mask

Another option to quickly remove the background of your image is to use the Select and Mask feature in Photoshop. To do this, go to Select > Select and Mask… from the dropdown menu at the top of the application window.

A new window will appear. In this window, choose Select Subject. You can refine the subject by using the “Refine Hair” button and the tools on the left-hand side of the window, including the Magic Wand Tool.

Once you have your subject selected to your satisfaction, scroll to the bottom of the Properties tab at the right-hand side of the window. Change “Output to” to “Layer Mask.”

Click OK.

Back in your regular image window, you can now refine the subject more. For instance, Select and Mask didn’t do a very nice job of selecting the model’s hair, and parts of her left hand are cut off. You can fix this manually using Photoshop’s Pen Tool and Background Eraser Tool.

Refine selection using the Pen Tool

You can use the Pen Tool to refine crisp edges of your subject.

First make sure you have the mask portion of your layer selected. Then select the Pen Tool from the Toolbar at the left-hand side of the application window and draw along the edge of your subject. Create a selection from your path, then delete or add portions of your image back in to achieve the desired edge to your subject.

Use the Background Eraser Tool

Next, you can use the Background Eraser Tool to refine the hair of our subject. You can get to the Background Eraser Tool by clicking and holding down the Eraser Tool in the Toolbar.

It’s best to work in stages around the edge of the subject’s hair, so choose one side of the head to start on. Then, set your background color to the color of the background behind that portion of hair. Use the Background Eraser Tool to refine the edge of the hair and continue to change the background color as needed as you work around the entire head.

Once you’ve sufficiently removed the background from your subject, you can insert a new, crisp background into your image.

How to avoid taking blurry sports photos

While Photoshop offers many options to reduce motion blur, the best way to get a crisp photo is adjusting your camera and equipment settings for the scene you’re shooting. Take plenty of test shots before the event to get your setup close to perfect, based on subject speed and lighting conditions. Shooting in RAW instead of JPEG gives you more flexibility to rescue blurry or underexposed photos later. Even if you don’t have the time to spend on fixing photos, you can outsource photo editing to Path using your captured RAW images.

Below are some simple but effective shooting tips to make sure your next sports photos are perfectly in focus.

Fast shutter speed

When you’re trying to capture a moving subject, you will need to use a fast shutter speed if you want the subject to appear clear, or “frozen.” How fast a shutter speed you need (and can use) depends on how fast the subject is moving, how much light you have to work with, and how wide or narrow the aperture of your lens is.

For subjects that are moving at high speed, such as running athletes, cyclists, or racing cars, you will need a shutter speed at least 1/1000 sec, and probably closer to 1/4000 sec. Different cameras offer different shutter speed options, and some new mirrorless options offer shutter speeds up to 1/64,000 sec.

If you want to create a blurry background with your subject still sharp, use the panning method. Reduce the shutter speed to create a blur and move the camera in the same direction as your subject when they move past you. It takes plenty of experimentation to get your settings and hand movement right, so don’t worry if you don’t get it on the first try.

Adjust light

When you reduce your shutter speed (meaning you make it faster, such as going from 1/250 sec to 1/1000 sec), you reduce the amount of light that hits the sensor through the shutter. Therefore, in order to have a bright image, you need to compensate for the high shutter speed by raising the ISO, widening the aperture, or both.

Taking photos with plenty of light is important to ensure that the photo comes out at the correct exposure, at the zoom level you need, without the increased film grain that can occur from high ISO values in low-light. Taking photos outdoors during the day will provide a lot of light, as will using a flash. Before you use a flash at an indoor sporting event, however, check the event’s rules for flash photography. Many sporting events don’t allow flash photography from professional photographers, unless they’re the official contracted photographer.

Reduce camera shake

Camera shake happens because even when you try to stand perfectly still, your hands naturally make tiny movements that can blur images. Using your camera’s neck strap pulled tight against your neck can add a bit of extra stability when shooting handheld.

When you zoom in to your subject, you increase your focal length, and you need to increase your shutter speed to compensate, or else you risk your image blurring from shaking. For a still subject, your shutter speed needs to be at least the inverse of your focal length, so if you zoom in to 400mm, you will need to set your shutter speed to at least 1/400 sec to avoid camera shake. And then you will need to increase your shutter speed from there, depending on how fast your subject is moving and the available lighting conditions.

Most sports action shots are taken with hand-held cameras or with monopods. You’ll often see sports photographers with large lenses use monopods to support the weight of their kit, which still allows them to quickly move the camera around.

Many modern cameras and some lenses also have powerful shake reduction capabilities. Look for terms like ‘In-Body Image Stabilization’ (IBIS) in camera bodies or ‘Optical Stabilization’ (OS/IS/VR) in lenses. This technology can help you shoot at slower shutter speeds while still getting sharp images.

Let us fix your sports photos

While not every blurry photo can be saved, with the right tools and techniques, you can rescue many of them—and capture crisp, clear shots moving forward.

Shooting, organizing, and editing sports photos takes a lot of time and work. Wouldn’t it be great if you could outsource the most tedious, repetitive aspects? With Path, you can! Send us all your background removal, retouching, and image masking needs—so you can get back to the creative work that really matters.

Ready to send your photo edits our way? Get started now—and get your edits back in as little as 6 hours.

How to fix blurry sports photos FAQs

How do you make sports pictures not blurry?

To make sports photography less blurry, use a fast shutter speed—ideally 1/1000s or faster—to freeze motion. Set your camera to continuous autofocus (AI-Servo or AF-C mode) and track your subject. Good lighting, a higher ISO if needed, and steady panning techniques also help capture sharper images.

Why are my pictures blurry in sports mode?

Sports mode usually tries to select faster shutter speeds, but it can still struggle in low light or if the autofocus isn’t keeping up with the action. Your pictures might also be blurry if the camera is focusing on the wrong spot, or if there’s not enough contrast for the autofocus to lock onto the subject properly.

How do I get my sports pictures sharp?

Use a fast shutter speed, continuous autofocus, and a wide aperture (like f/2.8 or f/4) to let in more light. Track the subject carefully, and if possible, pre-focus on an area where you expect the action to happen. Shooting in burst mode can also increase your chances of getting a tack-sharp frame.

How do you take clear sports pictures?

Clear sports images start with the right camera settings: fast shutter speed, continuous autofocus, and an appropriate ISO. Also, practice good technique—like following your subject smoothly with the camera and anticipating the action. Using higher-quality lenses with image stabilization can make a big difference too.
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08/05/2025
What Is Product Photography? Types & Meaning
Product photography is always evolving, and it’s getting tougher to keep up with the latest trends. Your product images are doing more than showcasing an item—they’re selling it. High-quality product photography helps shoppers visualize, trust, and ultimately buy your products.

Below, look at the definition of product photography, as well as best practices and examples to inspire your own.

What is product photography?

Product photography is the art of capturing images of goods for sale. These images are used in ecommerce stores, ads, packaging, and catalogs to highlight product features and inspire confidence in buyers.

Also known as commercial product photography, it includes everything from simple white background shots to stylized lifestyle images. The goal is to help potential buyers understand, desire, and trust your product—visually.

While traditional product photography uses cameras, some brands also use 3D renderings that mimic real photos. These can be effective, though purists argue that only real-camera images count as true product photography.

Comprehensive Cranium Care, a brand of “hair” products for bald people, outsources its 3D renders.

Types of product photography

Product photography is a type of object photography and a type of advertising photography, but you can get even more granular:

White background

White background photos are the ones you see on ecommerce marketplaces like Amazon, AliExpress, and eBay. They may have individual product photos or white background shots that feature multiple images. This is arguably the most common product photo type you’ll see.

360-degree

360-degree photography captures a product from every angle, letting shoppers rotate and view it interactively—almost like holding it in their hands. These image sets are often stitched together with special software to create a seamless, scrollable experience on ecommerce sites.

This is what professional photographer Eric of CiReC 360° specializes in. He relies heavily on Path for outsourced photo edits because each “image” is actually a series of several images, and the edits must be perfect across all shots.

Lifestyle shots

Lifestyle shots are photos that feature people using the product in a real-world setting. These tell a story and help shoppers imagine themselves with your product.

Contextual

Contextual photos are similar to lifestyle photography, but they may not feature people. These show the product in its natural environment (e.g., barstools in a kitchen, a yoga mat in a studio).

Scale shots

Scale shots are product photos that give a frame of reference so people can envision how big the products are. While product specs and dimensions are descriptive, sometimes shoppers need an image to see how big or small it is in comparison to common objects.

Detail

Detailed product shots are close-ups that highlight materials, textures, or small design elements. They’re crucial for luxury, beauty, apparel, or any product where touch and feel are important.

Group

Group product shots feature multiple items. Typically, these products are related in some way. You might bundle them together as a promotion, or feature the same item in different products.

Flat lay

Flat lay photos are taken from a bird’s eye view. The bird’s-eye view photos show products arranged on a flat surface. These are perfect for social media and allow for creative storytelling through layout.

Packaging

Packaging product photos are the images that go on the box, bag, label, or whatever packaging holds your merchandise. These photos are important because they appeal to in-person shoppers. It’s especially important to consider this if the packaging hides the product, which you commonly see with food and beauty items.

User-generated

User-generated content (UGC) includes product photos taken by anyone other than your brand or employees. These photos are typically shared on social media, so you can repost or feature the content on your own website as a form of social proof. UGC product photography isn’t ideal as your main photo, but it’s a great complement to your product pages.

Skincare brand Topicals has a carousel of UGC photos at the bottom of its website. It shows authenticity and social proof of its products.

How do you take product photos?

While the art of product photography requires much more than a single article (there are courses listed below!), the high level process is as follows:

1. Plan the shoot

Define your shot list, goals, locations, and props. Know what you’re capturing and why.

2. Set up your space

Use natural light when possible or invest in lighting kits and reflectors. Use a white backdrop for standard product shots.

3. Stabilize your camera

Use a tripod for sharp, consistent angles—especially for ecommerce listings.

4. Shoot multiple angles

Show your product from the front, back, side, top, and bottom. Include close-ups and contextual shots where applicable.

5. Edit your photos

Adjust lighting, color balance, and crop. Remove backgrounds or retouch imperfections. If you’re not a pro editor, outsource this step.

What equipment do you need for product photography?

For product photography, all you really need is a smartphone camera. But for high-quality shots that convert shoppers, you’ll want a dSLR or mirrorless camera and 50 mm lens as the bare minimum.

Here’s a general overview:

Beginner (DIY at home):
- Smartphone with high-res camera
- Natural lighting near a window
- White poster board or sweep background
- Free editing tools (Snapseed, Lightroom Mobile)
Intermediate:
- DSLR or mirrorless camera (50mm lens recommended)
- Tripod and remote shutter
- Lightbox or softbox lighting kit
- Reflectors and diffusers
Pro-level / studio setup:
- Macro or tilt-shift lenses
- Studio lighting with modifiers
- Professional backdrops or sweep tables
- Grip gear (c-stands, clamps)
- Pro editing software (Photoshop, Capture One)
Tips and best practices for better ecommerce photos

While your product photos should reflect your unique brand and appeal to your specific target audience, there are a few universal truths and best practices:

Get the gear

While smartphone photos may work for social posts or email, you want high-quality photos for main product pages. Invest in a high-quality camera and lens or hire a professional who has their own equipment to shoot your photos for you.

Choose your background wisely

Some ecommerce marketplaces require plain white backgrounds, and if you’re shooting for other channels you have more leeway. Whatever the background, it should reflect the aesthetic you’re after while keeping the focus on the product.

Think about the context

Consider the context for your products and for your shoppers. It’s important to show the product in use, using models and contextual backgrounds and props. But it’s also important to consider the context in which your shoppers are viewing the photos. If they’re on mobile (they likely are), offer zoomed-in shots and closeups of important product features.

Maximize your investment

Shoot with repurposing in mind. Professional product photos are a significant investment, and you want to make the most of it. Think about using your product photos on more than just ecommerce pages, but also in digital marketing and ad campaigns, on social media, in emails, and for labeling or packaging.

Leverage symmetry for a premium feel

Symmetry isn’t just pleasing to the eye—it can instantly elevate the perceived value of your product. For items with naturally balanced design elements (like cosmetics, shoes, tech, or jewelry), a symmetrical composition reinforces order, precision, and quality. Center the product, align key features, and shoot head-on for maximum effect. When used intentionally, symmetry creates a polished, editorial-style aesthetic that feels high-end and trustworthy.

Remember the details

It’s always important to edit your photos afterwards, no matter how great the original shot is. You may have to fix imperfections that have the potential to distract potential buyers and negatively impact conversions.

Outsource the tedious bits

Lots of photo edits, like background removal and color changes, are so detail-oriented and time-consuming. It can take an entire day just to edit a small batch of photos. If you find your time is bogged down with post-processing, consider outsourcing the edits. Be wary of any providers that use automation and AI, as they run the risk of imperfections the human eye won’t miss.

Enjoy it

At the end of the day, it’s important to have fun. Even though you have constraints on what you can do with the images, you can still get creative with it. Use outsourcing and other ways to take some of the stress out of your day to day so you can find your passion and get back to the work you love.

Enlist your dedicated virtual photo-editing team of designers who complete every edit by hand

Enlist your dedicated virtual photo-editing team of designers who complete every edit by hand

3 product photography examples

Looking for some inspiration from real-world brands with compelling product photos that can inspire your own visuals? Here are three examples:

1. Grounded Plants

The Grounded Plants brand has such a distinct look and feel, and the product photos are a continuation of that. The backgrounds are plain so not distracting but interesting enough to fit with its overall aesthetic. Plus, variety breaks up the monotony of a single hue.

2. Otherland

Candle brand Otherland has a creative touch to its product photo backgrounds. It stages shots of its candles with fun props and backgrounds to evoke different moods for each candle.

3. SOKO

SOKO sells jewelry that was handcrafted with sustainable materials in Nairobi, Kenya, so the magic is in the details. And the details aren’t lost when it comes to its product photos. The perfect mix of white background, detailed, and lifestyle shots, SOKO’s photos are as beautiful as the designs themselves.

Product photography courses

There are tons of product photography courses out there—ranging from beginners to advanced, and many specializing in specific niches.

Here are some product photography courses worth checking out:
- Product Photography for Ecommerce, Shopify Academy (free): Learn how to take product photos to sell online, including white background shots, home studio setup, and step-by-step process to outsourcing.
- Product Photography at Home, Craftsy ($29.99): Professional photographer and small-business owner Jessica Marquez leads the course. You’ll learn how to create tabletop setups for product shoots, including lighting, backgrounds, working with models, and post-production.
- Shoot Products Like a Pro, Phil Stills (£197): 13 short modules take you through everything from lighting and studio setup to white backgrounds and cut-outs. You can try the first two modules for free.
- Mobile Product Photography Class, Weebly (free): This product photography course shows you how to capture shots with your smartphone. The course is from 2017, so while some of the tactics may be outdated, a lot of the principles still apply.
- Still Life Photography, UCLA Extension (?): Learn lighting and camera techniques, food and product photography, and basic Photoshop edits. This course is only available at certain times, so check back for enrollment information and updates.
- Rachel Kimberley, virtual: This professional photographer has various photography courses on her website, including courses for flat lays, makers, lifestyle, and product styling.
13 product photography statistics

Below are some recent product photography statistics, studies, and surveys to keep your finger on the pulse:

1. The ecommerce photography market is worth $1 billion

Globally, the ecommerce product photography market is estimated to be worth $1 billion in 2024. It’s predicted to grow to $2 billion by 2033, with an annual growth rate of about 8%.

2. People process images in just 13 milliseconds

One MIT University study found that the human brain can process images after viewing them for just 13 milliseconds. That means they can process a product image just as quickly. Your product photos play a huge role in the first impression, so it’s important they’re high-quality.

3. People can recall 2,000+ images with 90% accuracy

One 2013 study showed people 2,560 photographs for a period of just 1 second. After viewing all the images, they tested the participants’ memory recognition. The participants were able to recall more than 2,000 images with at least 90% accuracy, even after a period of three days.

4. On a scale of 1 to 10 for difficulty, marketers rate producing visual content a 7

In one survey from Venngage, marketers were given the option to rank the difficulty of consistently producing visual brand content, with 1 being the least difficult and 10 being the most difficult. On average, marketers ranked this task a 7.

5. Nearly half of marketers put 20–50% of their budget into visual content creation

In that same Venngage survey, marketers were asked about their marketing budgets. Nearly half (45.7%) said they put anywhere between 20% and 50% of their budget towards creating visual content. This is likely to increase—there was a 9.5% increase in marketers planning to put at least half of their budget towards visual content production by the end of 2024.

6. The photo printing market is worth more than $15 billion

Globally, the photo printing and merchandise market is worth more than $15 billion. It’s forecasted to grow at a CAGR of more than 5%. By 2027, it’s estimated to be worth more than $20 billion.

7. Photo prints and frames are the most popular types of photo products.

The following list shows the most-ordered printed photo products in 2023, from most to least:
- Prints
- Frames for wall decor
- Frames for table/desk
- Mugs
- Photo Cards
- Calendar
- Clock
- Albums
- Puzzle
- Notebooks
- Canvas, banners, and signs
8. 9 camera companies dominate the global market

The Global Digital Cameras Market Recent Trends, In-depth Analysis, Size and Forecast To 2027 notes nine top camera companies in the world:
- Canon
- Nikon
- Sony
- Pentax
- Olympus
- Fujifilm
- Casio
- Panasonic
- Samsung
9. 53% of businesses want to try AI image generators

AI product photography and editing is a trending topic. While the technology is far from perfect, more than half of businesses would like to experiment with using AI image generators, according to a survey from Semrush.

10. Ice Cream Castles shortened their photo-editing workflow from 7 days to 1 day

Children’s clothing brand Ice Cream Castles used to take an entire week to edit product photos before they were ready to use them. This took too much time they could’ve spent growing and improving the business—doing the things they love. They started outsourcing their edits and shortened photo edit turnaround time from 7 days to just 1 day.

11. Formkraft took 5 days to shoot photos for their new website

Photography Prodoto shot product images for Formkraft’s new website that sells a range of merchandise and consumables. The shoot took five days and shot initial concepts for 18 Master Category images and four additional website banner images. It takes time to get high-quality shots!

12. Medalia paintings convert at 17% when they feature artist photos

A/B testing tool VWO’s customer Medalia sells Cuban and Haitian art online. They ran an experiment to see if featuring artist photos as well as product photos would boost conversions. It did. Products that featured artists converted 17.2% of the time compared to 8.8% without.

13. More than half of photographers start out as hobbyists

According to one survey, slightly more than 50% of photographers get their start with photography as a hobby.

Now it’s time to edit your product photography

You don’t have to do it all yourself. Outsourcing your edits can help you launch faster, stay consistent, and focus on the big picture.

Path gives you a team of expert retouchers who complete every photo edit by hand—no AI, no cut corners. Just pixel-perfect images that convert.

Wish you could just hand this over to a pro? Surprise, you can.

Product photography FAQs

What is needed for product photography?
- Camera
- Lenses
- Lighting
- Tripod
- Background
- Reflectors and diffusers
- Editing software
- Props
What is the meaning of product photography?

Product photography is a subcategory of commercial photography that focuses on capturing high-quality images of products for marketing and promotional purposes. The images are used in advertisements, websites, catalogs, and other marketing materials to showcase the product in the best possible light.

What is the idea of product photography?

The idea of product photography is to give potential buyers a full impression of a product. In ecommerce, it essentially replaces the in-person product experience a shopper would have in-store.

What is the role of product photography?

The role of product photography is to help shoppers better understand the products they intend to purchase. It should showcase the product, build trust, enhance the brand image, boost sales, and ultimately reduce returns.

What is object photography?

Object photography is when you take a photo of an inanimate item. As such, product photography is technically a form of object photography—unless the product is living, like a succulent. In object photography, items are typically non-moving, or still.
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06/05/2025
Want the Secret to Insta-Success? Enrol in the School of Instagram

Why do some people seem to gain Instagram followers effortlessly, while others struggle to get any traction? Find the answer by enrolling in the School of Instagram. It’s completely free to join, and the lessons you learn will take your Instagram account to the next level.

Here’s a quick overview of what you can learn from the School of Instagram. (Hint: it’s just a fraction of what’s on the site itself, so you might want to dive right in and get started with your first free lesson right away!)

1. How to Stand Out on Instagram

Instagram has over a billion active users, with over 100 million photos and videos uploaded every day. How can you possibly stand out in such a crowded field?

Start by binge-reading the ten dedicated lessons in the School of Instagram’s first subject area: How to Stand Out on Instagram.

You’ll learn, among many other things, how to:

Successful Instagrammers seem to do all these things naturally, but the truth is that they’ve spent years honing their techniques and learning what works and what doesn’t. The School of Instagram helps you take a massive shortcut and begin using these tried-and-tested tactics right away.

2. How to Plan Your Instagram Content

What do you mean, you don’t plan your Instagram content?

If you’re just using Instagram to connect with friends and family, it’s fine to post off-the-cuff photos of whatever’s happening in your life from moment to moment. But if you want to use Instagram to reach a wider audience, you need to be more strategic. Learn how to do that in Part 2 of the School of Instagram’s curriculum: How to Plan Your Instagram Content.

You’ll discover time-saving apps you can use to plan your content, create better Instagram Stories, and more. Plus you’ll discover exactly how paid partnerships work and learn how you can grab a slice of the $6.5 billion influencer marketing budget, even if you don’t have a gazillion followers just yet.

Oh, and have you always wondered how to get one of those beautiful blue “Verified” checkmarks next to your name? See the verification process demystified right here.

3. Stuff They Don’t Teach You About Instagram

If you’re an Instagram old-timer, you probably think you know all there is to know about using it.

Think again.

Instagram may be a fairly simple app, but with a billion users, and with humans being the creative beings they are, Instagrammers have come up with a ton of useful hacks to do things Mark Zuckerberg never thought of. Learn all about them in Part 3: Stuff They Don’t Teach You About Instagram.

For example, do you know how to respond more quickly to comments by using the text replacement feature on your phone? How to add animated GIFs to your stories with a few taps? How to offer more poll options with the emoji slider? These are just a few of the Instagram hacks you’ll discover.

Plus Instagram is always adding new features. Learn how to get the most out of the brand-new Instagram Create Mode, launched just last month.

There’s so much more there too, from killer video trends to turning your Instagram content into a career. To see all of it, just head over to the site and start taking your free lessons.

4. Learn From the Insta-Experts

Let’s face it: there’s a ton of Instagram advice out there. But have you ever noticed that a lot of it is written by people whose own Instagram profiles are… kind of underwhelming?

If you want to succeed on Instagram, you probably want to learn from people who have tens or hundreds of thousands of followers. You want to know what they’ve done to achieve that success. What have they learned along the way? What can you do to reach the same level?

That’s where the “Asking for a Friend” interview series comes in. Watch some successful Instagram entrepreneurs talking about their biggest lessons, their best Instagram tips, how they deal with setbacks, and much more.

You can find these fun and inspiring interviews on the School of Instagram homepage. Here’s one of them, with stylist and digital influencer Kristy Wu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8JAZ0XjPUM

Create an Insta-Site With Milkshake

If you follow the lessons from the School of Instagram, you’ll soon be building a healthy and fast-growing Instagram following. But how do you translate that into sales or traffic for your other projects? After all, Instagram only lets you put one link in your profile.

The best solution is to build an “Insta website”: an eye-catching, mobile-friendly site that quickly states who you are and what you do. Forget complex web design and hosting fees: you can set up a site quickly and easily using the free Milkshake app.

With Milkshake, you can build a bespoke Insta-site on your phone in minutes, and use it to connect your followers to everything you offer.

The site is specially designed for Instagram’s mobile web browser, so your followers can swipe through your site just like Instagram Stories. Seamless!

You can update the site as often as you like. It’s free to create, and the best part is that no software or design skills are needed! What’s not to like? Download the Milkshake iOS app to get started.

And don’t forget to enrol for the School of Instagram to ensure you’re getting the most out of the platform. They’re adding more lessons and interviews all the time, so sign up to make sure you’re the first to find out about the latest Instagram tips and tricks!

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30/04/2025
20 Best Final Cut Pro Movie Trailer Templates Free & Paid (2025)

Making a film and creating an ad for that film require skill. Let one of the 20 Final Cut Pro movie trailer templates free and premium in this article help you create a great impression for your project. They’re especially helpful if you don’t know how to make a movie trailer.

Remember that you can subscribe to Envato Elements for a low monthly fee to download thousands of premium digital assets, such as the best movie trailer templates for Final Cut Pro.

Editorial Note: This article has been completely rewritten to make it more usable for the reader.

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29/04/2025
20 Top DaVinci Resolve Slideshow Templates for 2025

A successful DaVinci Resolve picture slideshow should be short, concise, and with a captivating professional design. If you’re unsure how to make a slideshow in DaVinci Resolve, look no further. Here, we went through some of the best premium DaVinci Resolve slideshow templates available on Envato Elements.

Editorial Note: This article has been completely rewritten to make it more usable for the reader.

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28/04/2025
6 Ways to Get Free Photo Edits in 2025 – 6 Ways to Get Free Photo Edits (Updated 2025)

Looking for ways to elevate your photos without breaking the bank? Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just starting out, there are plenty of ways to get the edits you need for free—or at a fraction of the cost.

At Path, we offer several ways for you to try out our services and save money while enhancing your images, because we believe quality editing should be accessible to everyone. From free trials to bonus credits, we’ve got options tailored to your needs.

Let’s explore how you can make the most of your editing workflow without compromising on quality.

1. Use the Path free trial

New Path customers can try our services for free. Everyone who creates a new Path account (it’s free to do this, by the way) automatically gets two images edited for free. This is because we believe in the quality of our services and are fully prepared to prove it to you before you invest.

You can take advantage of the Path free trial here.

2. Purchase Path credits

Path credits are our own version of currency which you can use towards any future order. You can buy Path credits in quantities of 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1,000. If you buy 25 credits, you only get 25 credits. But if you buy larger bundles, you’ll receive some bonus credits for free. If you buy 50 Path credits, for example, you’ll get 4 free credits. If you purchase 1,000 credits, you’ll get 200 free credits.

So if you know you’ll be needing lots of photo edits, purchasing a bundle of Path credits is a great way to not only save money but also speed up the checkout process each time you place an order.

3. Sign up for the Path newsletter

New Path newsletter subscribers also get rewarded with free Path credits. We give these credits to you as a thanks for signing up to our email list, and a way for you to try our services without a financial commitment. You don’t even need to give us your credit card information!

You can sign up for the Path newsletter here.

4. Download a free photo editor

If you’re keen to learn, you can also download a free photo editing tool or app and learn how to fix your images yourself. While you don’t have to pay any money, you’ll need to make a time and energy investment to learn your chosen tool.

You can also fork over some money and subscribe to Photoshop to take advantage of its suite of advanced photo editing tools. You can learn how to use it with these step-by-step Photoshop tutorials.

5. Try AI photo editing

AI has come a long way when it comes to photo editing. And though it still comes nowhere close to hand-drawn clipping paths and edits, it can handle basic needs for personal or limited professional use. There are many free AI photo editing tools that you can use. If you’re ok with subpar and less-than-perfect results, this can be a great option to get free photo edits.

6. Do a work-trade

Okay, so a work-trade may not be free per se, but you don’t need to pay any money in this arrangement. If you offer a service or product that can be of use to a professional photo editor, consider a trade. Maybe you’re a headshot photographer—you can offer a complimentary portrait session. Or if you sell reusable water bottles, offer a free water bottle in exchange for X number of edits. Get creative! And make sure it’s mutually beneficial.

Get your photos edited by your virtual photo editing studio

Great photography deserves great editing, and Path makes it easy and affordable to bring your images to life. Whether you’re taking advantage of our free trial, earning bonus credits, or exploring other budget-friendly options, we’re here to support your creative journey.

When you’re ready to skip the hassle and let the pros handle your edits, your virtual photo editing studio is just a click away—ready to deliver stunning results 24/7. Start saving time and money while taking your photos to the next level today!

Curious how much it’ll cost to outsource your edits to pro designers? Less than you might think.

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27/04/2025
The Ethics of Photo Editing: What You Need to Know in 2025
With the recent and rapid advancement of AI technology, the conversation around ethical photo editing has never been more relevant. As tools evolve and photo editing becomes more accessible, it’s crucial to approach image manipulation responsibly.

In this post, explore the ethics of photo editing, Path’s stance on the issue, and actionable tips to ensure your edits maintain a moral high ground.

Why ethical photo editing is important

Photo editing is more than just enhancing an image—it shapes how people perceive reality. When editing is done unethically, it can:
- Distort reality: Over-editing or misrepresentation can lead to misleading images, especially in advertising and journalism.
- Exploit labor: Many affordable editing services outsource work to underpaid workers in poor conditions.
- Violate rights: Improper handling of copyrighted materials or the unauthorized use of people’s likenesses can breach laws and ethical standards.
At the end of the day, ethical photo editing means treating images—and the people behind them—with respect.

How to get ethical photo edits

Work with ethical service providers

When outsourcing photo editing, it’s important to partner with providers who treat their workers with respect and fairness. Look for companies that align with the following to ensure your edits contribute to positive change:
- Fair labor practices: Work with companies that treat employees well, providing fair wages and humane working conditions.
- Transparent practices: Partner with providers that openly share their methods and values.
- Focus on quality over speed: Avoid services that rely heavily on automation or exploit cheap labor to deliver quick results.
At Path, we prioritize ethical practices, ensuring our team is supported and valued. We don’t just pay a liveable wage and comfortable working conditions—we proactively invest in our team and look for ways to invest in their learning and development as well as support their families and communities.

Maintain the integrity of the image

Editing should enhance the original photo without compromising its authenticity. Edit the image so it stays true to the subject, rather than misrepresenting it.

When it comes to photos of people, this is especially important as we become increasingly aware of image manipulation and authenticity. And in the case of product photos, authenticity can mean the difference between a returned product and a happy customer.

When editing your photos, keep the following ethical guidelines in mind:
- Limit adjustments: Focus on subtle changes like cropping, adjusting brightness and contrast, fixing unnatural imperfections, or correcting color.
- Avoid distortion: Refrain from altering key elements that misrepresent the subject. For example, don’t edit a product to appear different from how it looks in real life.
- Stay honest: Particularly in portraits or headshots, edits should respect the individual’s natural appearance rather than imposing unrealistic beauty standards.
Abide by all copyright and trademark laws

Ethical editing includes respecting the legal and moral rights of others—so you’ll want to omit certain things from your photos. Using copyrighted material without permission is both unethical and illegal, and editing such material without consent further compounds the issue. Always make sure the images you use are either your own or licensed appropriately. You don’t want to unintentionally steal someone else’s work.

Remove identities

Privacy is another key consideration. If your photos include identifiable individuals, you may want to obtain their written consent before sharing or publishing the images. In some cases, this is even legally required.

In cases where consent isn’t possible, removing or obscuring their identities is the responsible choice. Even if it’s not legally required, prioritizing privacy demonstrates respect for the people captured in your work.

Be transparent

Transparency also matters. If an image has been heavily edited, disclosing the extent of the edits is crucial, especially in contexts like journalism or advertising where the audience relies on the authenticity of the visual content.

Avoid AI edits

AI tools have made the photo editing process a lot faster and easier in many ways. But they also raise serious ethical concerns.

AI lacks the nuance and context of a human editor, often making decisions that compromise the image’s integrity or misrepresent the subject. Plus, relying on AI can lead to the devaluation of skilled human labor and diminish opportunities for professionals in the industry.

When edits are done by hand, you know they’re executed with a certain level of care, artistry, and accountability that AI can’t replicate. While AI may be tempting for its convenience, ethical editing often requires the thoughtful touch of a skilled human editor to achieve the best results.

Work with a virtual photo editing studio you can trust

Our team of 300+ editors have edited more than 8 million images for 40,000+ businesses like yours. We do every edit by hand—no AI automation here. And with prices starting at just 25¢ per edit, it’s tough to beat.

Not to mention, working with Path can make you feel good about the work you do. We donate 5% of our profits to our non-profit organization, the Anisa Foundation. The Anisa Foundation helps people in our local community access life-changing—and sometimes life-saving—care and support.

Find out how you can help us make a difference in the lives of the people in Gaibandha, Bangladesh.

Ethical photo editing FAQs

Is Photoshop ethical or unethical?

Photoshop is a tool—its ethics depend on how you use it. Avoid deceptive edits that mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.

What is the code of ethics for photo editing?

A general code includes respecting subjects, maintaining authenticity, and adhering to copyright laws.

What is ethical editing?

Ethical editing involves making truthful, respectful adjustments without misrepresenting the subject or violating laws.
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26/04/2025
How to Position Your Subject for the Best Shot – Path
Getting the hang of using a camera and photo editing is one thing, but directing subjects? Now, that’s hard! Even pro photographers can struggle with an awkward or camera-shy person in front of their lens.

How can you guide your subjects so your portrait shoots are consistent in quality, there are fewer retakes, and the result looks great? It’s a mix of technical shooting and composition skills, with plenty of soft skills, like getting your subjects to relax and smile.

Want your next portrait shoot to be a success? Check out some practical tips for how to pose any subject—from corporate execs to creative professionals and family groups.

Prepare for a successful portrait shoot

The secret to great portrait poses actually starts before your subject arrives. Here’s what experienced photographers do to prepare:

Set clear expectations

Help your clients arrive confident and prepared by sending them key information ahead of time:
- Share simple wardrobe guidelines: solid colors work best, avoid busy patterns
- Explain the location and background setup: indoor/outdoor, how many outfits to bring
- Give grooming tips: classic styling usually photographs best—and a fresh shave won’t hurt!
- Outline the session timeline: how long it will take, how many looks you’ll capture
- Send examples of poses you’ll try: helps them visualize the result
To speed this up, you can create a standard pre-shoot guide you can quickly customize for each client. Use apps like Canva or Adobe Express and export the guide as a PDF or create a shareable link.

Build trust and rapport

Most people aren’t naturally comfortable in front of a camera. Posing for headshots can be stressful even for the most successful business people, so your first job is to make them feel at ease. Try these quick tips:
- Start with a quick chat about what to expect and what you’ll shoot first
- Demonstrate poses yourself—it’s easier than explaining and helps break the ice
- Pay attention to what works for each person—a pose that looks great on one subject might feel awkward for another, so stay flexible
- The same goes for instructions in general—some people need more guidance than others
- Keep the conversation natural while you work, but keep your directions simple
- Give positive feedback when you capture great shots, and if something’s not working, smoothly guide them into a different pose instead of pointing out problems
Main posing frameworks for any portrait shoot

Let’s break down some of the best poses for professional headshots and relaxed portraits that consistently deliver great results and let your subjects shine.

Standing poses

Standing poses are a great choice for both corporate headshots and casual portraits. They offer plenty of ways to help subjects feel comfortable—from leaning against the wall to interacting with the surroundings. Standing shots also work anywhere—in a studio, office, or outdoors—and you can repurpose them to crop in for tighter headshots or waist-up portraits.

Here’s how to pose for standing shots:
- Turn feet about 45 degrees from the camera—this creates a naturally slimming angle
- Have subjects shift weight to one leg—usually the front one—to avoid looking stiff
- Ask them to lean forward slightly from the hips, with just an inch or two being enough
- Change arm positions between shots—relaxed at sides, hands in pockets, or arms crossed
- Remember “if it bends, bend it slightly” for natural-looking poses
- Keep shoulders relaxed and dropped because tension shows in photos
- Ask the subject to change the direction of their gaze slowly from one side to the other to get a wide range of angles
For corporate shots:
- Keep poses clean and professional
- Arms relaxed at sides or one hand in pocket
- Subtle lean forward to engage with the camera
- Maintain a straight posture while avoiding stiffness
- For tight headshots, still keep the body slightly angled, like on Treeconomy’s team page
For personal branding:
- Allow more dynamic movement
- Try casual leans against walls or furniture
- Experiment with crossed arms or hands on hips
- Include interaction with the environment (desk, tools of trade, products), like Liz, owner of Wild Pines, an arts and crafts store
- Allow space for naturally big smiles and laughter, too—it’ll create warm and welcoming portraits, like on Sojo’s company page
Flattering seated poses

Seated portraits can create a variety of engaging shots. Just because your subject is sitting doesn’t mean options are limited—it’s all about working with posture and leg positioning to create natural, dynamic results.

Key principles for seated portraits include:
- Guide subjects to sit at the edge of their chair or sofa instead of slumping back
- Avoid letting subjects sink into soft furniture (like in the example below of Noura Sakkijha, CEO of Mejuri)
- Keep the core engaged for good posture
- Point toes in the same direction to elongate legs
Professional settings:
- Position at a desk with a slight forward lean
- Hands clasped or resting naturally—play around with a variety of hand positions to find a flattering pose for your subject
- Encourage subjects to engage with what’s on their desk, such as their laptop or notebook
- Cross ankles rather than legs for a polished look
- Keep shoulders level and relaxed
- Walk around the subject to capture different angles—from camera-facing to slightly angled to full-on side profile
Casual settings:
- Allow more relaxed postures while maintaining good form
- Create asymmetry by shifting weight to one hip
- Use arms for support when sitting on floors
- Avoid both legs pointing directly at the camera—instead, either extend one leg towards the camera or angle them both slightly away from the camera
Creating dynamic duo shots:
- Use seating to create interesting height variations
- Try one person seated while the other stands
- For co-founder shots, have one person sit in a chair while the other perches or leans on the armrest, like in the example below of ettitude’s co-founders
- Vary the height of chairs or use different seating positions to add visual interest
- Keep subjects at different heights but maintain connection through body language or eye contact
Relaxed group portraits

Whether you’re photographing a corporate team or a family, group photos present unique challenges.

Basic principles for group shots:
- Create depth by avoiding straight lines of people—unless you’re shooting a sports team photo that traditionally requires one or two straight lines of players
- Stagger heights naturally using stairs, chairs, or standing/sitting combinations
- Keep heads at different levels but close enough to feel connected
- Position taller people towards the back or center
- Arrange people in a slight arc to ensure everyone’s visible, like in Ora’s team photo below with the two people on both sides slightly turned inward
- For large team shots, shooting from an elevated position, such as another floor, can help include everyone, but you could also use a drone
- Shoot more photos than you think you’ll need—there’ll always be someone blinking so it’s best to have more images to pick from
For professional teams:
- Keep poses consistent but not identical
- Use the rule of thirds to arrange larger groups
- Break bigger teams into smaller clusters
- Maintain equal spacing between subjects
- Ensure everyone’s shoulders are angled slightly rather than square to the camera—or, if facing the camera directly, ask the subject to shift weight from one leg to the other
For family portrait poses:
- Create natural connections through gentle touching (hand on shoulder, arms linked)
- Position children in front or held by parents
- Use props or furniture to create natural groupings
- Let small kids move around and play between shots to stay engaged
- Capture both formal and candid interactions—experiment with both seated and standing poses
- Switch between some or all subjects looking at the camera to fully candid shots
Common posing challenges and tips to solve them

Even experienced photographers run into tricky posing situations. Maybe you’ve got a group with significant height differences, someone nervous about being photographed, or the shoot ran late so now you’re rushing to cover all your bases. So, what are some common challenges you might run into?

Height differences

If you have subjects with drastically different heights, it can make for an awkward portrait. Position taller people slightly behind or sitting. Seated poses work the best to tackle this, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid standing poses altogether. You can use elements like stairs or slopes to minimize extreme height gaps.

You can also create diagonal arrangements instead of straight lines. Avoid placing the tallest and shortest people next to each other—unless they’re standing behind each other.

Confidence issues

If your subjects are camera-shy, start with simple poses to build trust. Give specific compliments about what’s working well, and show them the preview shots when you capture something great.

It’s a good idea to have a few go-to safety poses that work for most people. Some might also feel more relaxed if there’s music playing in the background, especially if you’re shooting in a studio.

Your own confidence and body language as the photographer make a difference too—stay positive or even a little goofy if appropriate. Make sure to edit your portraits and headshots to show your subjects in the most flattering way while keeping their appearance natural

Photographing glasses and reflections

If shooting something reflective in the frame, slightly tilt the head down to avoid glare. You can also ask subjects to push their glasses slightly up their nose. Position lights at angles that don’t create reflections. If the reflection doesn’t cover the subject’s eye in full, you can always fix it with retouching.

Rushing through poses

Prepare a shot list ready but be flexible—you can have the shot list on your phone or even photograph it so you can flick through your camera during the shoot without stopping the session.

Start with your most reliable poses first. Give clear, concise directions, and keep subjects engaged by showing progress.

Are you ready to direct your next portrait shoot?

Working with people can be unpredictable because everyone’s unique—but that’s exactly what makes portrait photography so rewarding. The trick is to adapt your approach for each subject while keeping your photo quality consistent. With these posing guidelines, you’ll be better equipped to direct any portrait session confidently, from corporate headshots to family gatherings.

And if you need help getting those portraits polished and ready to share, our team of expert editors at Path can handle the retouching while you focus on capturing more great shots.

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Portrait poses FAQs

How do you pose for a professional headshot?

Start by turning your body 45 degrees from the camera, then face back toward it. If you’re standing, shift your weight to your front leg, keep your shoulders relaxed, and lean forward slightly from the hips. Small adjustments make a big difference—change arm positions between shots and keep movements subtle. Allow yourself to smile and laugh, too!

How do you look professional in a headshot?
- Maintain good posture without looking stiff
- Keep shoulders back but relaxed
- Sit at the edge of your chair for seated shots
- Cross ankles instead of legs
- Let hands rest naturally
What are the best poses for group photos?

Avoid straight lines of people. Instead, create depth by staggering heights using stairs or chairs, and arrange people in a slight arc. For professional teams, keep poses consistent but not identical. With families, encourage natural connections through gentle touching like hands on shoulders.

What are common mistakes to avoid when posing subjects?

Common portrait mistakes include forcing unnatural smiles, rushing through poses without direction, and not adapting poses to fit different subjects. Stay engaged with your subject throughout by having a conversation and provide positive feedback. If something doesn’t work, simply switch to the next pose.

How to pose different body types?

Work with your subject’s natural body language instead of forcing uncomfortable poses. The 45-degree angle works well for most people, as does shifting weight to one leg. For seated poses:
- Focus on good posture
- Create asymmetry through slight head tilts
- Adjust your camera position rather than making subjects twist
- Make sure subjects feel confident in their pose
- Don’t let the subject sink back into a soft chair or sofa
How do you pose someone who is camera shy?

Start with simple poses and build trust gradually. Show them preview shots when you capture something great, keep the conversation going, and guide them into different poses smoothly. Playing background music can help relax in studio settings.
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25/04/2025