TOO YOUNG
TOO SIMPLE

eCom photography became essential when on-line shops started becoming more and more popular. Brands have to present a visual representation of their product on-line, instead of the actual products in a physical store. The same way that in a physical store brands will hire stylists and set designers to design the display of the products in a way that looks more appealing, in on-line shops they hire a team to design the best way to represent their products visually. There are various ways to do eCom photography, from simple product shots against white background to shots on models and lifestyle shots. This is a guide to help you decide what is the best type of eCom photography for your products.

There are loads of different types of eCom photography, depending on what the product is and the image of the brand. It can be on a model or as a product shot but the first distinction I want to make is between traditional eCom photography and lifestyle eCom photography. Traditional eCom photography is often against a white backdrop with very flat, even lighting, showing as much detail of the product as possible. On the other hand, lifestyle eCom photography shows the products in a content, which is consistent with the brand’s aesthetics and character. More and more brands introduce this kind of character to their e-comm presence. That is probably because of the rise of sales happening through social media, which use more narrative based than descriptive content.

Let me give you some examples based on different brands. In this section, I will only use examples, which I think are good but demonstrate the difference between narrative based and descriptive content.

Margaret Howell’s eCom photography is in my opinion a great example of traditional eCom photography. Consistent shots - 45 degrees and back - flat lighting and white background.

Yrmos’s eCom photography gives you an idea about how to add a bit of character to your eCom photography. The colour and the atmosphere are still consistent but there are props, colour and different types of lighting, all of which give a character to the pictures and the brand.

Examples of lifestyle product shots from Margaret Howell.

Examples of traditional flat product shots from YRMOS.

Examples of ghost mannequin by too young too simple studio for Tommy Zhong.

Ghost mannequin is a traditional form of eCom product shots, which is falling out of fashion on brands’ websites. However, they are still requested by magazines for styling pages and by buyers of bigger stores.

Examples of traditional eCom on model by Swarovski.

Examples of creative eCom on model by Too Young Too Simple Studio for Minwu.

Traditional product shots by too young too simple studio for I'MMANY. Product placed against plain white background.

Example of lifestyle product shots by Too Young Too Simple Studio for Van Peterson Designs.

Examples of beauty products displayed on model by Ordinary.

Images that show the consistency of the product by ordinary.

Creative images with the packaging of the products and abstract narratives.

I could provide countless examples of different products and types of eComrce photography, but the key takeaway is understanding your target audience and what visuals will make them trust your product. While it’s easy to assume that eComrce photography is just about showing what the product looks like, in reality, it’s a form of storytelling. Done right, it can elevate your brand to another level.