Building a Product Photography Shot List for an Online Catalogue
A catalogue shoot becomes easier to manage when each required image has a defined purpose. A shot list turns a general request for product photographs into a checklist that the business and photographer can review together. It also helps avoid discovering missing views after the products have been packed away.
Connect every photograph to a product
Assign an identifier to each product and list the variants that need separate photographs. Confirm whether different colours, sizes or packaging versions must be shown. Prepare the items in the condition intended for customers, and separate samples that should not be photographed. Keep the product list with the team on shoot day so that completed images can be checked against the actual catalogue.
Define the required views
Agree on the main listing image, detail views and any context photographs. A material texture, closure or printed label may require a close-up, while a size-related feature may need an agreed reference. Avoid including props that suggest an accessory is part of the product when it is not. Decide which images need a consistent background and which can use a styled setting.
Plan formats around the destination
Discuss the catalogue platform’s image proportions and delivery requirements before the session. Explain whether the same photographs will also be used in banners or social posts, where extra space around the product may be needed. Ask the photographer to test a representative item first. Review focus, colour, reflections and cropping, then agree on the approach for the remaining products.
Make review and delivery traceable
Name files using the product identifier and view, and agree how edited versions will be separated from working files. Review the set for missing variants and consistent framing rather than approving images individually without a list. Confirm usage rights and the scope of retouching in the quotation. Keep the final files, shot list and approval record together so that future catalogue additions can follow the same approach.
Discuss your project requirements
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