How To Edit Product Photos With These 15 Tips & 9 Tools To Use

Color grading wheels in photo editing software on a monitor

If you run an online store, you know how important good product photos are for attracting customers and driving sales. Even if you take great images of your products, editing can help make them look even better. Product photography editing can help remove imperfections, enhance details, and allow your photos to shine in their best light. This blog will teach you how to edit product photos to make your ecommerce photography stand out.

Caspa’s AI product photography platform can help you streamline your product photography and get you the desired results faster. Our solution lets you take professional-quality product photos that require little to no editing.

Table of Contents

  1. What is Product Photography?
  2. How To Edit Product Photos With These 15 Tips
  3. 9 Best Tools For Editing Product Photography
  4. Benefits Of Product Photography For Your Brand
  5. Get AI Product Photos that Increase Your Sales Today

What is Product Photography?

Screenshot of Caspa showing an AI-made infographic for a skincare serum

Product photography creates high-quality visual content that showcases products in the best possible light. It involves taking well-composed, aesthetically pleasing images that accurately represent the product. These images are then used on ecommerce websites, social media, advertisements, and marketing materials to attract and convert customers.

To master product photography, it’s helpful first to get familiar with a few fundamental concepts:

What Sets Product Photography Apart From Other Photography Styles?  

Creating high-quality product photos is no simple feat. Professional product photography is the commercial form of still-life photography. Learning to style products, set up lighting, and composite different exposures takes time. 

• How to Take the Best Product Photos
• Use AI for Product Photography

How To Edit Product Photos With These 15 Tips

Phone on a wooden table showing a sneaker product photo in an editing app

1. Create a Consistent Photography Style to Boost Sales

Creating consistently styled product images can help boost sales by making your items more visually appealing to potential buyers. Imagine you are stepping into a huge store filled with thousands of products. You are pretty sure your product is fantastic, but how do you tell people you are coming with the good stuff? You use clear and consistent photos that make your products stand out in a very noisy store. But what's cool about that is that when people see your stuff, which looks the same every time, they trust it more. They begin to buy your stuff when they trust it, and therefore, having a consistent style for your product photos is not just about making things look pretty; it's an intelligent way to get more sales and stand out from the crowd. 

Establishing a Cohesive Visual Brand Identity Through Product Photography

Here are some brief ideas for building consistency into your product photography: 

2. Background Removal and White Background

Think about it. You are online shopping, and there are two pictures of a product: one with a hectic background and the other on a plain white background. Which one pops out? It's probably the one on the white background. Why? Because it makes it easier for the product to stand out. Think of this: the moment you remove the background with a clipping path and replace it with white, all the focus goes on the product; it becomes easily visible, and indeed, it appears professionally done. Using the same white background for all your products also makes your brand look more consistent and trustworthy. 

Leveraging White Backgrounds to Enhance Product Appeal and Drive Engagement

While this may sound like a tiny thing, changing the background to white during editing can help sell more products because white instantly makes them look clean and professional to customers.

All right, with that out of the way, here are a few short and to-the-point pointers on how you can boost sales with photo background removal and a white background: 

3. Using Different Colored Backgrounds to Sell Products

Colored backgrounds are a simple edit that can boost sales. You might think product photos are all about the product. That's what you're selling, right? But a colored background has a lot of power. It's not just about making things look pretty; it instantly sets a different vibe for any brand. A bright yellow background works whimsically for a toy, while a sleek black backdrop might add that bit of class to a luxurious watch. A colored background tells the story of your photos; it places your product in a certain mood or environment. It's like mounting a mini stage that speaks directly to the desires of your ideal customer. It pushes them emotionally to see themselves using and enjoying your product. 

Enhancing Product Appeal with Color Psychology and Background Selection

That's the magic formula to increase sales. So here are a few quickies that will help you increase sales with images of your products against differently colored backgrounds: 

4. Color Correction and Enhancement

Product photo editing is not complete without color correction and enhancement. It can boost sales by making products appealing and eye-catching to potential customers. Good product images show accurate color and stand out in busy online marketplaces, which keeps shoppers focused on the product. Rich, accurate colors and details also give your audience a feeling of trust. When customers can clearly see a product’s features, they have the confidence to make the right purchase decision. 

Customizing Color Correction for Different Product Types to Boost Visual Appeal

Professional images speak to quality and how serious you are about your brand. They set you apart from less professional brands and make yours a brand people trust. 

Here are some quick ideas for correcting and enhancing color by product type: 

5. Removing Unwanted Objects

Clean, clutter-free images allow customers to concentrate on the product. This enables them to grasp the features and benefits more effortlessly, raising their chances of purchasing. In addition, removing unwanted objects will give your brand a more professional and credible touch. It shows that you care about how you present your products, which can win customers’ trust. Investing in quality product photo editing also shows that your business is dedicated to delivering the best, which can lift sales and help your brand stand out. 

Compelling Object Removal Techniques for Cleaner, More Appealing Product Images

Here are some proven methods for removing unwanted objects from product images:

6. Cropping and Resizing for Different Platforms

In ecommerce, your product photos are your day-in, day-out silent salesperson. They can:

But just throwing any old photo on the internet won't do the trick; you need to carefully resize and crop images for each platform. No two platforms are the same, and photo requirements vary by platform. By resizing photos to match each platform, you make sure every image looks professional. 

Maximizing Product Image Appeal with Cropping and Resizing for Platform Optimization

Cropping tightly around your product means no cluttered background distracts your customers. This one-two punch of cropping and resizing makes your photos look polished and lets them shine on any platform, leading to more sales.

Below are expert pieces of advice on how to make your product images sell more across various online platforms: 

7. Using Shadows in Product Photos

Using shadows in product pictures is magic. Your products will instantly gain depth and realism, which is much more attractive to any consumer, whether it is: 

But here is the trick: You want shadows to look natural, as if they belong exactly where they are. That’s why it often pays to keep the product’s original shadow. Keeping its shadows gives a photo a natural, truthful and authentic feel. 

Mastering Shadows in Product Photography for Enhanced Visual Appeal and Sales

Let's talk about light now. One of the most essential parts when working with shadows is the direction of the light. You can get soft or hard shadows by changing the angle and intensity of light. Consider it sculpting, only with light and shadow, to emphasize your product's best features. 

Here are some ways to use shadows in your product photos:

So, next time you photograph your online shop products, don't forget the power of shadows; they might be the secret to better ecommerce product photos and better sales. 

8. Retouching and Cleaning Up Images

When you tidy up and retouch product photos, it's like giving them a makeover for the internet. People like to see things looking nice and clear. It helps them understand what they're buying. Just like you want to shop when the store is clean, you want to buy when the pictures are clean. This shows your product in the best light so everyone sees its greatness. Cleaning up pictures isn't just about making them pretty; it's a way of storytelling. You are showing people what your product can do for them; it is painting a picture with pixels, not with paint. And when people see a clean, polished image, they trust what they see. 

Here is a general view of ordinary photo retouching techniques: 

9. Enhancing Product Details with Focus Stacking

Think of capturing several photographs of the same scene, each focusing on a different element. This is where focus stacking comes in handy: several images of the same subject are merged to form a final image where everything is clear and focused. The result is a super image with much more depth of focus. Before we get into the technique, remember that focus stacking relies on a series of shots taken at slightly different focus points. 

Here are some critical things to remember when you use focus stacking to enhance product details:

10. Optimizing Images for SEO

Product photos don’t just need to look good; they can also help shoppers find you. Optimizing them is more than resizing and compressing: it means using the right file names, writing good alt text, and sometimes adding captions to optimize them for SEO. Descriptive image text helps search engines understand your images, which can bring more traffic to your product pages.

Optimizing Product Images for SEO: Boosting Visibility and Sales Across Platforms

It isn't just aesthetic; it's about visibility. Search engines rely heavily on the text around and attached to an image to understand it. Compress images for fast load times and use descriptive file names to make your site more attractive to search engines. 

Here are some essential tips about making your product images sell across multiple online platforms by image optimization for SEO: 

11. Color Change for Mood and Atmosphere

You scroll through an ecommerce website, look at lots of cool stuff, and then something captures your attention out of nowhere. But wait: what's that? It's not just a product; it has some vibe, some mood that it's giving. That's the magic of color change. See, different colors can make us feel all sorts of things. Warm tones might give off cozy vibes, while cool ones can feel refreshing. It's like color therapy for your eyes! Just think about it: mood lighting isn’t just for setting the ambiance in a spa or a fancy restaurant. It is excellent for shopping online, too! With just a touch of artistic play in the chromatic atmosphere of your product photos, mood lighting could transport the customer into a world of shopping bliss. 

Using Color Psychology and Lighting Effects to Create Emotional Connections and Drive Sales

Here are some tips for using color to boost sales:

So there you go. You are not selling products; you are selling experiences with this color and light play. Whether you strive to create an invigorating workspace or a relaxing spa atmosphere, a mere pop of color can go a long way to making those sales soar! 

12. Adjusting Brightness and Contrast When Editing

A small edit can make a big difference: by adjusting brightness and contrast, images look more vivid and attractive. It highlights details and colors, which makes the products more appealing and catches the buyer’s eye. These adjustments go a long way toward presenting your products in the best light. Photos should never be so dark that customers can easily overlook the product. Changing the brightness and contrast brings out the images and makes them appealing and convincing. 

Enhancing Product Images with Brightness and Contrast Adjustments for Better Sales

Improved visual appeal will not only make customers trust the photos but also improve the level of confidence in the quality of the product. Good-quality images mean a lot for sales. Here are some brightness and contrast tips:

13. Remove the Mannequin for the Dress Display

You wouldn't believe the difference a ghost mannequin removal can make. Many stores shoot dresses draped lifelessly on plastic mannequins for years. The photos look okay, but they feel cold and distant. The dresses don’t come alive, and the mannequin in the shot doesn’t create a connection with the customer. Flat lays and spins are okay, but they aren’t the best option either. Then, the magic trick: the invisible model. Photograph the dress with a form inside, then poof! Erase it in editing. Suddenly, the dress seems to stand on its own, showing its flow and fit. It isn't just clothes on a plastic body anymore. 

Creating Storytelling Product Images with Ghost Mannequin Techniques

It becomes a possibility, a story waiting to be written by the customer's imagination. And that’s the kind of photo that sells. Here are some tips on removing a mannequin for a dress display:

14. Incorporating Text and Graphics

Of course, you want your product to stand out, right? One trick is incorporating text. Think of catchy phrases, product features, or your brand's name. Adding a little text can push your customers over the edge to buy. Now, let's chat about incorporating graphics. Graphics are like the cherry on top of your photo sundae. They can be anything from logos to icons to cool design elements that complement your product. Graphics add visual interest and make your photo pop, grabbing your customers' attention in a snap! Next, don't forget about your template design. This is the frame of your masterpiece. 

Enhancing Product Photos with Customized Templates for a Professional Look

To make your product photo look polished and professional, choose a customized template that can tie everything together. 

Below are some tips you may consider: 

15. Avoid Over-Editing

Shoppers are savvy. They want honest product descriptions and pictures. Ditch the over-editing! Perfectly smooth leather on a purse or a wrinkle-free shirt looks great, but it can set unrealistic expectations. When a consumer gets a product that looks different from the photo, disappointment kicks in, and sales suffer. Instead, focus on presenting your product in the best possible light, literally. Natural light is perfect, but even bright artificial light can be a treat. Avoid harsh shadows and uneven lighting that hide details. When editing, remember to aim for clarity rather than perfection. 

Striking the Balance: Minimal Editing and Concise Descriptions for Effective Product Photos

Here are a few tips for not overdoing the product images while editing and making your descriptions to the point: 

Revolutionizing Ecommerce Product Photography with Caspa's All-in-One AI Solution

Many of the edits above, from background removal to object removal and upscaling, can be done in one place with Caspa, which can also turn a single product photo into new AI product photography with human models. You will find it first in the list of tools below.

• Types of Product Photography
• DIY Product Photography Setup
• Product Photography Examples
• Lifestyle Product Photography

9 Best Tools For Editing Product Photography

1. Caspa

Screenshot of the Caspa AI homepage

Caspa helps ecommerce brands create stunning product photography with AI, eliminating the need for multiple editing tools, photographers, and models.

From creating ultra-realistic product shots with human models to editing existing photos, Caspa's all-in-one AI product photography platform handles everything from background removal to upscaling, letting brands produce professional marketing visuals in seconds. Whether you need custom product photos or complete studio editing capabilities, Caspa streamlines the entire product visualization workflow into a single, cost-effective solution. Get AI product photos that increase your sales today!

2. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)

Screenshot of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) homepage

GIMP has been around for many years and is a favorite among anyone looking for a free, powerful alternative to Photoshop. It is one of the most feature-rich free graphics programs and works on multiple operating systems, including:

It's open source and highly customizable through a vast options menu, third-party plugins, and even direct changes to the program itself. In short, you can do almost anything with GIMP. GIMP does have a learning curve, but there are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube explaining everything from the simplest to the most advanced techniques.

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a very popular free photo editor for Windows that’s less powerful but much easier to use than GIMP. And don’t write it off just because we’ve described it as “less powerful”: the fact is that for product photo editing, you may not need the tons of features GIMP includes. 

Paint.NET has all the capabilities you need for product photo editing, including: 

4. Adobe Photoshop Express

Screenshot of the Adobe Photoshop Express homepage

Photoshop Express is a free mobile app, with optional paid features, that combines some of the most-used features of the full Photoshop software. It works excellently for retouching, fixing odd perspective problems, color correction, and more. Photoshop Express also has a collage feature that lets you combine images into an artistic arrangement, which is perfect for creating banners. It is one of the easiest ways to adjust these from almost any phone or tablet:

5. Pixlr

Screenshot of the Pixlr homepage

Pixlr is a very popular photo editor that works well for ecommerce photos. You can make all the necessary changes right from your browser window, including: 

You can also download an app for use on various devices. Pixlr also offers paid plans for those willing to pay for additional functionality.

6. Photo Pos Pro

Screenshot of the Photo Pos Pro homepage

Photo Pos Pro is another robust photo editor for Windows that’s easier to use than GIMP but more powerful than most other free editors. You can choose between a beginner or expert interface, and it’s overall more intuitive than GIMP. The program still takes time to learn, but the tools are excellent and work well for product photos. Check its website for the current free and paid options.

7. Adobe Photoshop

Screenshot of the Adobe Photoshop homepage

Adobe Photoshop is the most famous photo editing software available today. It has a massive feature set, including everything you need for product photography and additional tools for doing anything you can imagine. Of course, this means a substantial learning curve, and you’re not likely to need all these tools. Still, Photoshop is powerful software, and you can use it for much more than just product photos. The pricing structure for Photoshop can be confusing to the uninitiated. Most Adobe software is paid for via subscription, with plans for individual and multiple apps. The full version of Photoshop is sold through Adobe Creative Cloud, a paid service that gives you access to your chosen apps and multiple benefits, such as the ability to synchronize your settings across multiple devices so you can work on photos anywhere. Cloud storage is also available. 

Choosing the Right Photoshop Plan for Your Product Photography Needs

To get Photoshop, you’d sign up for a Creative Cloud “Single App” subscription, giving you access to Photoshop and the Creative Cloud benefits. Alternatively, you could sign up for a Creative Cloud plan that includes all apps. There’s also a Photography plan, which gives you Photoshop and Lightroom together. You get less cloud storage, but it is the most affordable way to get both highly recommended programs. There’s also Photoshop Elements, which somewhat strips down the Photoshop feature set but adds some excellent organizational capabilities. Photoshop Elements has all the functionality needed to correct and edit product photos and is sold as a three-year license rather than a subscription.

8. Clipping Magic

Screenshot of the Clipping Magic homepage

Clipping Magic is an affordable online tool with editing features for ecommerce and other commercial graphic design. It uses an innovative tool for quick and accurate background removal and has easy-to-use color correction and drop shadow/reflection tools. It also has various other tools perfect for product photos, including precision edge finding and bulk editing. It’s pretty specialized, so if you don’t want to be distracted by the hundreds of features in a program like Photoshop, Clipping Magic could be precisely what you need.

9. PicMonkey

Screenshot of the PicMonkey homepage

PicMonkey is a multipurpose photo editor that works in your desktop browser, or you can download an app for Android and iOS. It has an extensive suite of editing and retouching tools perfect for ecommerce. PicMonkey also offers numerous special effects, filters, and a collage feature for combining images into banners. Its paid plans are listed on its pricing page.

Benefits Of Product Photography For Your Brand

Photographer shooting a model jumping in a white studio

Good Presentation: How Product Photography Improves Your Brand’s First Impression

Customers who land on your ecommerce site want to find what they want quickly. If they see a product image that captures their attention, they will click on it to learn more. A high-quality image suggests that your product is of the highest quality and creates a good first impression of your brand. That’s why the shot needs to be professional, whether it comes from a product photographer or an AI tool like Caspa. 

Establish Your Brand Identity with Product Photography

Product photographs are the best way to establish your brand identity. Renowned brands worldwide focus on attracting customers through: 

Consistent, high-quality product photos build your brand identity and help customers feel more confident about buying your products.

Better Sales: How Product Photography Boosts Ecommerce Revenue

Selling your product is the main objective of ecommerce marketing. To do so, you have to focus on the quality of the pictures. If your product photos catch customers’ attention, sales are likely to follow. 

Enhance Credibility and Reputation with Product Photography

Product photography is one of the best ways to build credibility and reputation if you are just starting your ecommerce business in this tough-as-nails market. People find it easier to trust a website that shows genuine photographs. It also looks inviting, as your customers will look for photographs first, then go for the relevant details later. 

Customer Satisfaction: The Key to Ecommerce Success

Customer satisfaction is one of the most powerful drivers of your business, and accurate photos give you a much better chance of achieving it. When customers are satisfied with your product and find it the same as shown in the photos on your website, it protects your reputation and brings them back to shop with you again.   

• Best Lens for Product Photography
• Product Photography Pricing
• Use AI for Product Photography
• Product Photography Tools
• Soona Alternatives
• AI Product Image Generator
• AI Photoshoot

Get AI Product Photos that Increase Your Sales Today

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Ecommerce brands must prioritize product photography to make sales. If you want to maximize your conversions, you need to showcase your products in a way that tells your customers exactly what they are. To do this, you need high-quality product images that show your products from every angle, including detailed up-close shots and contextual photos that illustrate how your products fit into everyday life. 

How Caspa's AI-Powered Platform Reduces Costs and Enhances Ecommerce Visuals

Caspa replaces separate editing tools, studio shoots and model bookings with one AI product photography platform, so you can create on-model shots, lifestyle scenes and clean white-background images from the photos you already have.

Do these edits in one place: Caspa removes backgrounds, erases unwanted objects, upscales up to 4K and places your product in new scenes. Every new account gets 10 free credits, no credit card required.

Edit a product photo