Product Styling and Photography: The Complete 2024 Guide

Product styling and photography go hand in hand, especially when it comes to shining the best light on your merchandise. Find out how to style product photos to sell.

Cruz Arias

Assistant Category Manager

September 17, 2024

Product styling is an essential aspect of product photography. It’s important whether you’re shooting content for product description pages, social media campaigns, or both! The way a product is presented to the public has a significant impact on how it’s perceived by potential customers. You need a product that stands out from the crowd, and product styling can help achieve this.

There’s a reason product styling is a whole profession in and of itself. Stylists are professionals who work behind the scenes to create visually appealing and cohesive looks for various industries. From fashion to food, stylists play a crucial role in ensuring that products and images are presented in the best possible light.

Not a product stylist yourself? Check out this post to find out how to style your shots to engage more shoppers—and how to enlist the help of pro styling services from a studio like soona.

What is product styling in photography?

Product styling is all about making a product look its best. You use lighting, props, and other tools to create an image that highlights the product’s features and benefits. This can be especially important for online sales, where the product image is the only thing the customer sees before making a purchase.

The role of styling in product photography

Styling is an art that requires creativity, attention to detail, and an understanding of the target audience. Styling can transform an ordinary product into something that stands out and catches the eye of potential customers. It can create a look that’s both appealing and relevant to the target market. When looking for a stylist, make sure to take a look at their portfolio of past work.

Product styling happens in shoots for advertising and marketing, creating images and videos that showcase products in the best possible light. It requires collaborating with photographers, videographers, and graphic designers to create visually appealing content that highlights the product’s features and benefits. You need an understanding of the target audience to be able to create images that resonate with them.

How to style product photos

You can tap into a range of techniques to create eye-catching visuals that sell, strategically arranging and presenting the product, props, and backgrounds to enhance visual appeal and highlight unique features. Pay close attention to color, texture, and composition to create an image that’s both aesthetically pleasing and informative.

1. Get to know your audience

Styling involves a lot of preparation, planning, and attention to detail. Spend a significant amount of time researching and understanding the brand, product, or concept. Analyze the target audience and the message that needs to be conveyed through the visuals.

2. Select your products

The product is the star of the shot, so it's important to identify which product(s) you need to showcase so you can build everything else around it.

3. Know the story you’re going to tell

Product styling can help create a narrative around the product, conveying a lifestyle or a specific use case that appeals to the target audience. This kind of storytelling helps a customer envision themselves with the product and can ultimately lead to a sale.

Keep the following in mind when determining the story you’re telling:

Highlight key features

Effective product styling can draw attention to the most important aspects of the product, showcasing its unique design elements, functionality, and benefits.

Create emotional connections

Styling can evoke emotions and create a connection between the product and the audience. By using appropriate colors, textures, and settings, the product can resonate with potential buyers on a deeper level.

Set the right mood

The styling choices, such as lighting and background, can set the mood of the photo or video. For example, a bright and airy setup might work well for a fresh and youthful product, while a darker and moody setup may suit a luxurious or sophisticated item.

4. Choose a background

Your product photography background might be a mandatory white if you’re shooting for a marketplace listing on Amazon, but if you want to use the photos elsewhere, you can get more creative here. Regardless, use a product photography background that supports your vision, highlights the product, and complements the styling.

5. Find props that complement your vision

Now you can begin the process of selecting the appropriate props, accessories, and clothing. Work closely with photographers and art directors to ensure everything fits together seamlessly.

6. Arrange the shot

Use techniques such as layering, grouping, and repetition to create a sense of depth and interest. Ultimately, the goal is to create an image that not only looks great but also communicates the value of the product to potential customers. Pay attention to the lighting too.

7. Shoot the photos

Once you’re happy with the frame, the background, the props, the styling, and the lighting, you’re ready to shoot your shot.

8. Edit your photos

While you can do as much as you can to make the shot perfect while on set, there’s still likely to be some post-production editing needs. You can do this yourself or outsource it to a skilled team of professionals who already know Photoshop and marketplace specs.

9. Repurpose your product content

There’s no reason to shoot product photos, post them in one place, and call it a day. The real ROI of product content comes into play when you optimize and repurpose your assets for other uses.

Tips and best practices for product styling

Keep the following tips and best practices in mind when styling your product photos:

Be consistent and on-brand

A well-executed styling strategy ensures consistency in how the products are presented, aligning them with your brand identity and values across social media platforms and storefronts.

Showcase product scale and size

Styling can help provide a sense of scale, making it easier for customers to understand the product’s size and dimensions.

Aim for versatility and adaptability

Skillful product styling allows for flexibility in how the product is presented, making it suitable for various marketing channels, including social media, websites, print materials, and more.

Eliminate distractions

Styling helps remove any distractions that could divert attention away from the product, ensuring that it remains the primary focus.

Encourage engagement

Unique and visually appealing product photos and videos are more likely to be shared and engaged with on social media, extending the product’s reach and visibility.

Industry- and niche-specific product photography styling

Food styling

Food styling requires an understanding of food preparation and presentation to be able to create images that make the viewer’s mouth water.

Food styling requires creativity and a keen eye for detail. A food stylist must be able to choose the right ingredients, props, and lighting to create a visually appealing dish that looks as good as it tastes.

Some common tasks for food styling include:

• Choosing and preparing ingredients: Select fresh and high-quality ingredients that look good on camera.
• Plating and arranging food: Arrange the food on the plate in a visually appealing way, using techniques like stacking or garnishing.
• Selecting props and backgrounds: Choose the right props that complement the food.

Fashion styling

Fashion styling involves assisting brands, models, and photographers on fashion shoots by selecting clothing and accessories.

This also includes selecting clothing and accessories that complement the model’s body type and skin tone, as well as the overall theme of the shoot.

Beauty styling

Beauty styling involves creating images that showcase the texture, consistency, color, and benefits of beauty products. Beauty stylists collaborate with photographers to create visually appealing campaigns.

Product photography styling FAQs

What qualifications do you need to become a fashion stylist?

To become a fashion stylist, a degree in fashion design or merchandising can be beneficial, along with experience in the fashion industry.

What are the essential tools for a fashion stylist?

Some essential tools for a fashion stylist include a well-stocked wardrobe, styling tools, and a good camera.

What is the cost to hire a stylist?

Depending on the industry, the cost can range significantly, starting at $149 per hour at soona.

How do I know if I need a stylist?

Hiring a stylist can help bring your content vision to life, especially during complex shoots.

Can a stylist select my props?

Yes! Stylists can select props specifically for your project and ensure they are photo-ready.