Etsy Insights: Streamlining product photography | Etsy Success

TheCozyBungalowShop · 2025-05-20T16:46:29.384000Z

Hi there, my name is Paige Everson, and I'm the owner of TheCozyBungalowShop. For the past two and a half years, I've been selling vintage and antique home decor. This venture began after I decided to leave my career as a wedding photographer to spend more time with my family. Being an Etsy seller has allowed me to blend what I consider my two greatest strengths, my 14 years of experience in the retail industry with my 15 years pursuing my creative passion in photography. My goal was to create a shop with beautifully curated items that are also visually appealing. Drawing on my photography background, I've learned that time is valuable, especially when it comes to photographing products. To work smarter, not harder, I photograph my items in an assembly line fashion. This makes things go quickly and efficiently, but also allows me to easily photograph items together in order to cross-promote and reduce the number of images required. In the image above, I line up all the products I plan to list and photograph each one in 10 different ways. This includes: 1 styled with another item 2 solo shots 1 close-up 2-3 photos of each angle or side 1-2 showing any defects or damage 1 of the maker’s mark 1 photo of me holding the item or placing it beside a recognizable object to illustrate its scale. One of my most effective time-saving techniques is styling 2-3 pieces together in at least one shot as shown in the photo below. Customers appreciate seeing how an item can be used. Instead of using random props, I style the item with other pieces that I will be listing separately. This allows me to reuse some of the same images in multiple listings (just be sure to use a different cover image for each). Here I’m selling a 1920’s English Bovril cup. I’ve styled it with several other items I will be listing separately. Another advantage of styling your products together is the opportunity for cross-promotion. Within a listing, you can include a phrase like, "basket not included, but listed separately here," along with a link to the other item. This encourages potential buyers to explore more of yourshop and increase the possibility of selling both items. Below is another listing photo where I photograph the same binoculars I used when styling the Bovril cup. I can use the cup image in one of the listing images for the binoculars. I’m also styling the binoculars with a french gratuity plate. I can use this image for both the binoculars listing and the gratuity plate listing. I will also link the other items in my product description. Improving your product photography isn’t just about taking good photos—it’s about creating a process that supports your creativity (and efficiency!). By following this process for each photoshoot, I can create listing images that are visually compelling, spark interest, and hopefully help boost sales. Do you have a tip or process that works well for you when photographing your items? Let me know in the comments!

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