Choosing backgrounds for product photography

Backgrounds influence how customers perceive a product as much as the lighting does.

White

Clean, required by marketplaces and perfect for catalogs. It keeps focus entirely on the product.

Black

Dramatic and luxurious, ideal for jewelry, watches, spirits and tech.

Solid colors

Colored paper backgrounds create bold, playful images for social media. Choose colors from the brand palette or complementary colors to the product.

Textures

Wood, marble, concrete, linen and stone add warmth and context without distraction. Vinyl backdrops are cheap and easy to clean.

Environmental

Real locations, such as a kitchen, bathroom, beach or hacienda, tell a lifestyle story. Blur the background with a wide aperture to keep the product dominant.

Practical tips

• Keep the product away from the background to control shadows and blur.
• Iron or replace wrinkled paper backgrounds.
• Make sure background colors do not reflect onto the product.

Build a small library

Collect a few versatile surfaces and papers so you can shoot many styles with the same lights.