It’s 2025 and you’re ready to get serious about product photography for your product-based brand. Working with a pro can feel overwhelming, but this step-by-step guide will help you prepare to make it smooth sailing for both you and your photographer.

How to Prep for a Brand Shoot

Step 1: Define Your Goals

This seems obvious, but before you book a photographer or start gathering props, you need to get crystal clear on why you’re doing the shoot. Having specific goals helps shape everything from the type of shots you need to how you style the products.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Is this shoot for a new product launch, a website refresh, social media content, or something else entirely?
Will these images be used for e-commerce product listing pages, lifestyle marketing, or ads?
Do you need a mix of product-only shots and lifestyle imagery?

Pro Tip: Make a simple shot list to share with prospective photographers.

For example:

5 product shots for your website
3 flat lays for Instagram
2 lifestyle photos for email marketing

Step 2: Curate the Right Products

You might not need every product in your inventory for a single shoot. Choose products that align with the goals you identified in step one.

Tips for Selection:

Focus on bestsellers or new arrivals
Make sure the packaging is pristine and free from any smudges or damage
If you’re showcasing different variants (e.g., colorways), consider showing them in group shots
Create collections or themes with similar or complementary products

Pro Tip: Bring extras of everything in case of accidents or blemishes in transit or during the shoot

Step 3: Plan Visual Direction

Consistency is key when creating a visual identity for your brand. Before the shoot, map out the creative direction to ensure the images reflect your brand’s aesthetic. Your photographer can help you with this.

Create a Mood Board:

Use Pinterest or Canva to consolidate your inspiration.
Include color palettes, lighting styles, props, and types of compositions you love.

Communicate with Your Photographer:

Share the mood board and shot list ahead of time
Discuss must-have shots, angles, and any special requests
If your photographer is creating any of this for you, make sure you thoroughly review and approve any creative direction ahead of time so you can get right to work on shoot day.

Step 4: Styling and Props

Props can elevate your shoot, but less is often more. Choose items that enhance the product without stealing the spotlight.

Ideas for props:

Vinyl backgrounds (check out Club Backdrops), seamless paper, or cloth
Natural elements like greenery or flowers
Blocks and risers to add depth and dimension

Pro Tip: Make room in your budget for a professional stylist. This lets your photographer focus on making sure your photos are fantastic from a technical perspective and gets you off the hook for trying to figure out what props look good and where.

Step 5: Prep Your Products

Make sure everything is photo-ready. Small imperfections show up in high-resolution photos (and make the retouching process a lot longer), so attention to detail is crucial.

Checklist:

Wipe down all products to remove fingerprints and dust
Remove any stickers and labels that aren’t part of the design
If boxes are in any photos, ensure the lids are secure (you can stick down warping flaps with double-sided tape)
Pack products securely to avoid damage during transport

Step 6: Finalize Your Shot List

Your photographer probably has a template that you can use. At Poppy, we have a shared Google Sheet where we can collaboratively keep track of all our shots. Make sure to add description when needed, such as information on the background, the angle, or if any detail or group shots are needed.

Step 7: Have a Great Shoot!

Every photographer will have their own unique post-shoot workflow, so now you can expect to review selects for retouching, request any revisions, and then wait for the final files!

The process of planning a photoshoot can feel stressful, but with the right photographer and creative team behind you (hint: maybe it’s us at Poppy!), your next session will be a breeze!

How to Prep for a Brand Shoot