Ecommerce Product Photography for Amazon, Target Plus, & Walmart

8 min readAug 9, 2021

We all look at one thing first when we land of the Amazon search results page: the photos. When scrolling through a website or SERP, the images on screen naturally catch our eye. Because of this instinctual draw, it is extremely important to create ecommerce product photography that catches the eye and incites interest.

Why Ecommerce Product Photography Matters

It Boosts Conversion Rates

The media gallery plays a huge role in the success of your product sales online. Etsy found that on their marketplace, photo quality increased consumer likelihood to convert by 90%. Etsy is a marketplace, like Amazon, so it is a safe assumption that photo quality is of similar importance for shoppers on the Amazon marketplace too. This rather unsurprising stat reinforces the importance of making a good first impression.

It Mitigates Product Returns and Negative Reviews

Additionally, photo and video content are easier for shoppers to process at a glance than text is. A quick look helps shoppers understand the color, material, size, functionality, etc. before even reading the copy. Showing, rather than just telling, gives you the opportunity to build trust and confidence with consumers. Before receiving their package, shoppers know exactly what to expect when their product arrives.

Let’s face it, we have all been excited to get a package in the mail only to receive something other than what we expected. This adverse experience is a common cause of product returns and negative customer reviews. Through quality photos and videos, we can mitigate some of these unnecessary and unappreciated consumer surprises.

Check out our post, “5 Ways to get Reviews on Amazon.”

Creating Product Photography for Ecommerce

When shooting new content for your website or marketplace listing, there a few avenues you can take to accomplish your goal. This includes doing it yourself, hiring a freelancer, or going through an agency.

Do it Yourself

Have a nice camera, a controllable (and well lit) shooting location, and editing software? The DIY option may be the right fit!

Before you begin this process, it is important that you understand what you are getting yourself into. Proper planning before you start the photoshoot will help to alleviate unnecessarily wasted time and money. Prior to shooting your own content, make sure you:

Have a bright, clean background with professional lighting to ensure your products are captured clearly
Have a basic understanding of principles of photography and the rule of thirds
Use a high-quality camera so your products are displayed in the best way possible

By taking these few extra steps, you will better prepare yourself to take quality photos that highlight your products rather than just showing them.

Hire a Freelancer

If doing it yourself does not sound feasible, hiring a freelancer may be a better option. Freelancers can shoot quality photography based on your specified needs. There are various platforms you can go to find these freelancers, but it is extremely important you do your research before hiring one. Some important questions to keep in mind before hiring one are:

Does this person specialize in product photography?
How many photos do they provide?
What type of equipment do they use?
Is their style cohesive with company branding?
Will they meet marketplace requirements?

While these are only a few of the questions you need to ask prior to booking this photographer, they are a good starting place to ensure you are paying for the right service for your needs.

Hire an Amazon Agency or Third-Party Seller

Agencies and third-party sellers are a great route to go if you currently or plan on selling on ecommerce marketplaces, as they have extensive knowledge on different requirements and best practices for success. If you already partner with an Amazon agency or third-party seller, ask them if they provide photography and videography as a service. This type of one-stop shop can prove to be extremely beneficial and timesaving for your business.

Here at Kaspien, we have a variety of resources for our partners to choose from. Our creative services team has extensive knowledge and expertise on the best ways to highlight your products.

Requirements for Ecommerce Product Photography

Each marketplace has a variety of regulations and requirements for the products listed on their site. Below, we have highlighted the various product photography requirements for Amazon, Walmart, and Target+.

Amazon Image Requirements

Technical Requirements

TIFF (.tif/.tiff), JPEG (.jpeg/.jpg), GIF (.gif) and PNG (.png) format
Minimum: 500px on longest size (1000 preferred)
Recommended: 2000x2000
Maximum file size: 10mb per side
CMYK or SRGB color mode
File name must have a product identifier (Amazon ASIN, EAN, UPC, or 13-digit ISBN)
File name cannot include any additional characters, dashes or spaces

Main image requirements

Pure white background
Image must be clear, focused, realistic, and professional; no drawings or blurry images allowed
Books, Music, and Video/DVD images should be the front cover art, and fill 100% of the image frame. Jewel cases, promotional stickers, and cellophane are not allowed.
All other products should fill 85% or more of the image frame.
Must not include additional graphics, texts, logos or inset images
Product featured must not be cropped
Offensive images and pornography is not allowed

Alternate Image Requirements

Image must pertain to the featured product
Image must be clear, focused, realistic, and professional with realistic color and smooth edges
Other products used to demonstrate the use and/or scale of product are allowed
85% or more of the image frame must be used
Cropped or close-up images are allowed.
Non-white backgrounds are allowed
Text and demonstrative graphics are allowed
Pornographic and offensive materials are not allowed

Walmart Marketplace Image Requirements

Technical Requirements

Minimum image sizes:
1000 x 1000 for most images
1500 x 2000 for fashion category
100 x 100 for swatch images
Recommended size: 2000 x 2000 or larger
Aspect ratios:
(1:1) square requirement for most categories
(3:4) portrait requirement for fashion category
PPI:
300ppi for most images
72ppi for swatch images
Maximum file size: 5MB
Acceptable formats:
JPEG (.JPEG/.JPG)
PNG (.png)
BMP
RGB color mode
Most Amazon image URLs will be accepted if they meet guidelines and are publicly accessible

Base Image Requirements

White background recommended with professional, clear lighting
Show frontal view of item with centered products
Images should be cropped with a 5% buffer from end of the product image to the nearest border
No more than 50% white space around product
For fashion category:
One model per image is allowed
Simple poses with models facing front
Products must not be in packages, except for hosiery, socks, undershirts, and underwear
No additional graphics, logos, illustrations, text, watermarks or overlays
Only show products that are included in sale

Alternate Image Requirements

Relevant backgrounds, models and props are allowed
Informational graphics are allowed
Additional product angles recommended
For fashion category: Mannequins should only be visible for close photos of jewelry, watches and some accessories

Swatch Image Requirements

Show different color variations of base image
Must have 100x100px swatch images for every variant group with different colors
Must be uploaded as color tiles, not product images

Target Plus (Target+)+ Image Requirements

White background with directional lighting coming from left
Product details, size, shape, etc should be highlighted in image
Must be JPG
Images must be RGB
Minimum size: 1200x1200px
Recommended size: 2400x2400px
No watermarks, promotional language, or graphic content
Filler images not allowed

Best Practices for Ecommerce Product Photography

As you likely noticed, there are quite a few similarities between marketplace requirements. Likewise, best practices for one marketplace also readily transfer to another. Here are some of the best practices we recommend:

General Tips

Shoot content in a consistent manner

Photos should have the same theme, lighting, feeling, etc.

Have clear, bright, and professional photo lighting

Be simplistic in your approach

Only capture images highlighting the product and its uses
Do not include other unnecessary items that do not provide more information about the product

Be transparent and authentic

Show the actual product and its uses, not an attractively exaggerated version of the product

Provide multiple angles so consumers can holistically view the product

Studio Images Tips

Provide zoomable images

Zoomable images allow shoppers to get an increased look at a product, which will allow for increased trust in your products as they are more informed on their purchasing decision

Components

If your product comes with a few different elements, a quality studio image is a great way to show them off. This way consumers are clearly able to see the entirety of a product and what they are getting with their purchase.

Highlight special features

If one of your product’s main differentiators is its special features, show them off! Capturing the best parts of your product in the studio allows you to capitalize on them

Lifestyle Images Tips

Show emotions

Lifestyle images are all about showing the product in a real-life scene. The image used within your product’s listing should show a story, one that shows the people within the photo in good spirits enjoying the product

Show features in use

If your product has various uses, highlight this within the lifestyle photos. Doing so will allow consumers to place themselves within the photos, imagining how they would use your product

Whichever route you choose to capture your products, these tips & tricks will allow you to best highlight your products!

For more information about Kaspien’s creative services, contact us!

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