Should you use a lightbox for product photography?

We've heard it many times before: "We were using a lightbox to take photos of our products before we hired you."

Many clients have told us this with trepidation in their voices, afraid we might judge them. But let us tell you a little secret: it is actually music to our ears. 

Should you use a lightbox for product photography?

Here's why we think it is a good idea to use lightboxes for product photography before you are ready to hire a professional product photographer.

Lightboxes can be a great way for small businesses to take photos of their product at the beginning. Lightboxes are a very affordable alternative to hiring a professional product photographer. As business owners, we all know that budgets can be tight when we first open a business and launch a product. Most of our money is spent on product development, patents, sourcing, etc. By the time we get to images, there isn't much of a budget left.

Lightboxes are great resources to use when we find ourselves in this position. They are user friendly, can be used conveniently and on your own time, and will gives you consistent images. We always recommend them when a business owner decides that working with us may be out of their price range. The entire experience of using a lightbox also gives you a general idea of what it is like to photograph products.

With that being said, there are some downsides to using a lightbox for product photography.

Because of their fixed size, lightboxes do not fit all products. If you have a product that is very large, you likely will not be able to use a lightbox. And even though the use of a lightbox is more affordable, the cost of purchasing a camera is always an added expense and can be overwhelming (since there are so many camera brands and models out there). With the cost of buying a camera also comes investing the time in learning how to use that camera. And then you may find yourself wondering how you ended up becoming a photographer in addition to so many of the other hats you are wearing in that business of yours...

...see how it can become very overwhelming, fast? 

That is why many of our clients end up hiring us later down the road. Using a lightbox for product photography can be a great substitute for product photos in the beginning of your business, but it is not a long-term sustainable strategy. Once businesses find themselves in a position where their brand is growing and they have a larger budget, they are able to allocate tasks (including product photography) to other professionals so that they can scale and grow.

So if you find yourself in the beginning stages of building your brand and don't have the budget to hire a professional product photographer, use a lightbox! And when you are at a stage where it's finally time to hire a professional product photographer, we will be right here waiting for you. 

No pressure or anything ;)


Michelle Fiorello