Lighting Setup for Product Photos at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

Light is half of every product photo

When two photos are taken with the same product, camera and background, the difference between them is usually the light. Hard, undirected light creates harsh shadows, glare and colour shifts. Soft, controlled light reveals the product's shape, texture and true colour.

In this guide we describe simple setups you can build at home. If you haven't read about the general principles yet, we recommend starting with product photography basics for e-commerce.

Starting with natural light

The easiest way to start without a budget is window light. A bright window without direct sun, facing north or on an overcast day, is ideal. Position the product close to the window so the light falls on it from the side.

• If there is direct sunlight, hang a thin white curtain or tracing paper over the window to soften it.
• Place a white foam board opposite the window to fill the shadow side.
• Light changes in colour and direction during the day, so shoot a product group within the same time window.
• Switch off other lamps in the room so light sources with different colour temperatures don't mix.

The biggest drawback of natural light is inconsistency. If you shoot many products or work in the evening, switching to artificial light makes sense.

A clean one-light setup

Starting with a continuous LED panel or softbox lets you see the result before you press the shutter. The basic one-light setup looks like this:

1. Place the product on a table with a curved (seamless) paper backdrop behind it.
2. Position the light in front of the product to the left or right, at about 45 degrees and slightly above.
3. Put a diffuser in front of the light or use a softbox.
4. Place a white reflector on the opposite side to soften the shadows.
5. Fix the camera on a tripod and adjust the light distance with a few test shots.

The closer the light is to the product, the softer it looks; the farther away, the harder it gets. The size of the source relative to the product is one of the main factors that shapes the character of the light.

Two-light setup and lighting the background

If you want the background to look completely even and shadow-free, add a second light. The key light illuminates the product while the second light illuminates the backdrop and reduces grey shadows behind the product.

Don't overexpose the backdrop; an overly bright background can spill onto the product's edges and wipe out fine details. After shooting, check the histogram to make sure the background is white while the product keeps its detail.

Shiny and reflective products: jewellery, glass and metal

Jewellery, watches, glass bottles and metal surfaces reflect everything around them. With these products the goal is not to control the light source but the reflections.

• Surround the product with white foam boards to create clean, even reflections.
• Use pieces of black card to add controlled dark lines along metal edges and define the shape.
• For products with stones, try a small, hard second light to bring out the sparkle.
• Place the camera at a slight angle instead of straight on so your own reflection doesn't appear.
• Fingerprints are very visible on these products; handle them with gloves and wipe them just before shooting.

Use shadows as a tool, not an enemy

The goal in product photography is not to remove shadows completely. A soft, natural shadow under the product shows that it sits on a surface and adds depth. A product with no shadow at all can look artificial, as if it were floating.

Shadow hardness depends on the size and distance of the light source: a large, close source creates soft transitions, a small, distant source creates hard edges. Keeping the shadow direction the same across a product group makes your store's images look consistent.

Budget-friendly equipment alternatives

Before buying a professional lighting kit, you can experiment with things you already have at home:

• Instead of a diffuser: a white net curtain, tracing paper or baking paper
• Instead of a reflector: white foam board, card or a board covered in aluminium foil
• Instead of a seamless backdrop: a single sheet of thick paper taped to the wall and table
• For small products: a foldable light tent
• Instead of a tripod: a stable stack of books and your phone's self-timer

White balance and colour consistency

Automatic white balance can make small changes with every shot, so the same product can look different in two photos. Set the white balance manually for your light. Taking a test shot with a grey or white reference card in the frame makes it easier to get the colour right when editing.

It is also important that all your light sources have the same colour temperature. Don't mix daylight-balanced LEDs with yellowish household bulbs.

Pre-shoot checklist

• Is the product clean, pressed and are the labels straight?
• Do all light sources have the same colour temperature?
• Is the camera stable and the white balance set manually?
• Is the backdrop crease-free and does it fill the frame?
• Are shadows and reflections under control in the test shot?

Conclusion and next step

Even with a simple window or a single LED panel you can take consistent, clean product photos. A well-lit source photo also directly determines the quality of every editing step that follows.

To replace the background of your photos with an exact HEX colour or to create model and lifestyle images, read our article on AI-powered product photo editing or get in touch with us with your questions.