Selling your crafts online means making sure your products look just as amazing online as they do in person.
And the first step to getting the attention customers is to properly light your product photos.
Great lighting can make your crafts look super appealing to customers. But not everyone has access to beautifully lit workspaces.
If you’re dealing with less-than-perfect lighting, that’s okay. There are plenty of ways to work around this, without breaking the bank.
We’ll talk about the best lighting for product photography and how to improve your current lighting conditions.
We’ll also explore options for studio lighting and how your lighting can totally transform your craft photos. With the right tips, you’ll find out how to make your products get noticed and sold online.
Better lighting leads to more sales
Good lighting isn’t just about getting pretty photos of your craft products. Your photos are a powerful tool to market your crafts and increase your sales online.
Draws Attention: Crisp, clear product photos grab customers when scrolling online, making them stop to check out what you have to offer.
Builds Trust: When customers see high-quality images, they’re more likely to see the quality of your craftsmanship and feel confident buying from you.
Boosts Sales: The right lighting can highlight your crafts' best features, reducing doubts, and leading more customers to make a purchase.
Powers Marketing: Great photos do more than make your crafts look good - they amplify your marketing strategies. From newsletters to social media posts, they draw in viewers and turn them into customers.
Spending time improving the lighting in your product photos is an investment in your craft business’s visual appeal and growth.
So let’s get into how you can improve your lighting so you can see results in your sales and marketing.
Product photo taken with natural light
Getting the best lighting conditions
So what’s the ideal lighting for product photography? Well, it depends on what type of product you’re shooting, however, using diffused or indirect natural light is a great starting point for capturing beautiful photos of your craft products.
Natural light is great for achieving this especially if you're new to photographing your work.
However, if you don't get adequate natural light, purchasing lights is a great alternative which we'll talk more about in a bit.
First, let's talk about how to figure out what the best lighting is to photograph your work.
Old product photos from my Etsy seller days
Observing Light Exercise
When I was selling on Etsy, I didn't know much about how to properly light my products which results it not so good photos.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized that while my north-facing windows weren’t great for some of my houseplants, they were ideal for taking product photos.
So if you haven’t observed the lighting in your home or studio space before, I’d recommend you try out these lighting exercises.
Through these exercises, you may discover you do have adequate light to photograph your products, just like I did. Granted it may not be at the time you want, but you probably have some options to work with.
You may need to get creative like moving furniture around, but knowing you may have a space that is good for taking photos may be all you need for your photography setup.
Using natural light to photograph your crafts
Natural light product photography is personally my favorite.
It’s free and creates beautiful, soft lighting that can be difficult to achieve with artificial or studio lights. But that’s not to say it doesn’t come without challenges.
Pros of using natural light
Soft Lighting: Natural light can create beautiful even lighting that will flatter any product you photograph.
Cost Effective: If you're on a budget, natural light is a great option since you don't need to purchase lights.
Easily Accessible: No need to lug any lights since you can access it anywhere you are.
Cons of using natural light
It’s Unpredictable: Cloudy days, sunny days, time of day and seasonal changes can make it challenging to work with.
Less Control: You can't control the brightness and the angle of the light like you can with studio lighting.
Limited Hours: You're limited by daylight hours which may not always worth with your schedule.
Open doors for more light
Photographing your products next to a window or glass sliding door is ideal since, you know, the weather happens. However, this doesn’t mean it’s your only option if you’re having a hard time finding natural light in your home.
The next best option is to prop open a door in your home or even your garage door if you have access.
Oftentimes, front doors of homes have a slight roof overhang so it makes for an ideal spot since it will give you some great indirect light that’s great for product photos.
Yes, you may have to deal with the wind or other weather changes, but this gives you an alternative if your home is dark or the spaces where you get natural light are not easily accessible.
Just be sure to be mindful of the weather and anything that may mess up your workspace.
Take it outdoors
The next solution is taking your product photos outdoors. If you have outdoor space where you live, this is ideal since you don’t have to transport your setup or products too far.
But if that's not an option, it means you will need to go to another location to take photos.
Taking your photos outside can be a challenging because you’re not only open to the elements like wind, dirt, and bugs, but the weather can change on you too.
Controlling the lighting can be an issue, but it’s not impossible if you use diffusers or find a shady spot to take photos.
If you do take this route, make sure you tape and secure things before you start taking photos in case the wind picks up.
Showing the comparison of what lighting looks like diffused and not diffused.
Tip for using natural light for product photography
Diffuse harsh sunlight: Find ways to soften the lighting, especially on a sunny day.
Seek out shade: Photographing under a roof overhang, an umbrella or even on a cloudy day is ideal.
Be consistent with your lighting: Shoot under the same lighting conditions for consistent product photos.
Get in close: Make sure you’re close to your light source, whether you’re set up next to a window or your front door. This will fill your shot with gorgeous lighting.
When natural light isn’t enough
Being able to photograph your work at any time is a big advantage for a lot of craft sellers.
Whether you want to photograph your work at 9pm or your workspace is in the windowless basement of your home, investing in studio lights is an ideal solution.
If you’re not sure whether it’s for you, here’s a breakdown of some things you should consider before making a purchase.
Pros to using studio lighting
Control: You get to adjust the angle, brightness and color of your light source.
Available 24/7: No need to wait till the sun comes up, take photos any time of day.
Consistency: Get the same results every time, no matter the weather or time of year.
Cons to using studio lighting
Cost: You’ll need to factor in the initial cost of purchasing lighting equipment.
Learning curve: Mastering your lighting setup takes a bit of patience and practice to figure out the best results.
Space Requirement: Studio lights take up valuable space which may be an issue if you have a smaller work area.
May Look Unnatural: If not setup correctly, studio lighting can make your photos look unnatural and fake instead of naturally lit.
Best studio light options
Lighting comes in all shapes sizes, and budgets.
Here are a few options I’d suggest craft sellers consider when buying lighting to photograph their work:
Softboxes: This is a great option as it’s easy to work with and creates natural, soft lighting.
LED Panels: You’ll get a lot more control and flexibility from being able to adjust the brightness and color temperature.
Why light boxes don’t make the cut
Light boxes and lights tents are super popular with online sellers due to being an instant pop-up photo studio. However, in my personal experience and from other online sellers these products don’t always work.
The biggest issue is they are a one-size-fits-all approach to photographing products. But in reality, there isn’t one setup that will work for every single product out there. I talk more in-depth about this in a video in this blog post and also how to create click-worthy product photos of your crafts.
You’re also limited by the size of the box, where you can place your camera and what direction the light is coming from.
Personally, I’d suggest using your money towards something that gives you more flexibility and may very well cost you less.
To learn more about what equipment I recommend craft sellers use, check out this post where I talk about what budget-friendly tools you need to take product photos.
Photo taken with studio lighting
Tips for photographing with studio lights
Play with Angles: Move your light around and experiment with different angles. Don’t forget to try my lighting exercises to help you better understand where to place your light that will create flattering light.
Use Diffusers: Soft your light with diffusion materials if you’re not using a soft box to get soft, natural light. Check out my budget-friendly tools for other ideas.
Choose Daylight: Before you buy any lights, make sure your lights have a daylight option or are balanced for daylight. This will give you the most natural-looking light and ensure your product colors are accurate.
Get Close: Don’t forget to place your light close to your setup to brighten up your shots.
Using studio lights to shoot your products can be a bit tricky and challenging, but it gives you a lot more control and flexibility than with natural light.
There’s a wide range of lighting options to choose from, so be sure to consider your budget, and space, and don’t forget to read reviews before making a purchase.
FAQ
What’s the best light setup to photograph my crafts?
The answer is, it depends. There’s no one-size-fits-all setup that will work for everyone. That’s why it’s important to experiment with your setup, especially your lighting placement to see what makes your product look better or worse.
If you want more insight into how lighting can dramatically improve the look and feel of your photos, check out this detailed post and video. I'll walk you through how I transformed a product photo that looked basic to stunning.
What’s the best lighting for product photography?
If you’re new to product photography, I’d suggest keeping it simple by using natural light.
Not only is it free and easily accessible, but it creates flattering light that will complement any product.
If this isn’t an option, using a soft box is a great alternative because it’s a large light source that can mimic natural light well.
Do you need natural light for product photography?
Nope! Natural light is great because it’s free and fairly easy to use, but as we talked about earlier, has its drawbacks.
A lot of makers and craft sellers opt for studio lighting for a number of reasons.
You can get really great product photos no matter if you use natural or studio lighting. The key is understanding how to manipulate it and play with it.
What tools do I need to take product photos?
You might think you need a lot of fancy stuff to take product photos, but the truth is, you don’t.
In fact, I wrote all about my favorite product photography tools and spoiler alert: a lot are super cheap and budget-friendly. Read all about it here.
What if I’m struggling with other lighting issues?
So many problems I see makers struggling with are due to lighting. That’s why I wrote this post to address some of the common issues you may run into when taking photos of your crafts and how to solve them.
From how to fix the colors in your photos to how to deal with unwanted glare, I talk about how to troubleshoot these issues.
Photo taken with natural light
Final Thoughts
Nailing your lighting is more than just a technical skill - it’s you saying “yes” to presenting your work in the best possible light to customers.
Each photo you take is an opportunity to share your passion and art with the world. With the right light, you can highlight the care and craftsmanship you pour into each work of art that will attract potential customers.
So don’t stress over lighting too much. Experiment and practice some of the tips discussed here to see what works best for you.
You may not figure it all out right away, so keep practicing. The more you do, the more you’ll be able to dial in on what light setup is best for your work.
What’s the one tip you’re going to implement the next time you go to photograph your crafts? Drop it in the comments below and let’s chat!