How do I photograph products on a solid-colored background?

Asked 8/8/2015

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I want to create product photos where the item is shot against a clean, solid color background, similar to studio catalog images. Is it better to photograph the product on white and replace the background later in Photoshop, or to shoot it in front of a colored backdrop/sheet in-camera? What approach is usually best?

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Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

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As a rule of thumb if you can do it in-camera then you should. If nothing else, getting that kind of mask right in post processing can be time consuming and fiddly. It all adds time to your workflow that you don't really need to spend.

Do it with a backdrop and a coloured sheet - it'll be slightly more difficult to set up initially but once it's done once then it's done for all the products.

Originally by user14028. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user14028

11y ago

AI Answer

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For this look, the best approach is usually to do it in-camera with a colored backdrop or sheet.

That saves you from having to make precise masks and cutouts later, which can be slow and fiddly—especially around detailed edges. A good physical background may take a little more effort to set up at first, but once your setup is working, it makes shooting multiple products faster and more consistent.

Replacing the background in Photoshop can work, but it adds unnecessary post-processing if you can achieve the result during the shoot.

So the practical choice for repeated product work is: use a solid colored background behind the product, light it cleanly, and capture the final look as much as possible in camera.

How do I photograph products on a solid-colored background?

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