If you’ve ever sold anything online, you know precisely how important Amazon product photography can be. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is especially true in an industry where shoppers have the opportunity to comb through multiple listings before they land on yours. If you’re not showing your product off with beautiful, crystal-clear photography, you risk losing many of those consumers and missing out on sales that you could have made otherwise.

Fortunately, it’s easy to find the right fit for your Amazon product photography. In this post, we’re going to walk you through the ins and outs of Amazon product photography, and how to find the professional photographer you need to get the job done.

First Things First: What is Amazon Product Photography?

Amazon product photography is exactly what it sounds like: Product photography that works to sell goods on the Amazon website. Unlike other forms of editorial or commercial photography, Amazon product photography showcases the details, features, and unique functions of an item.

Great Amazon product photography can help you create new possibilities on product listings, drive more sales, and boost your conversion rate on the Amazon platform. Among other things, great Amazon product photography can also do the following:

• Generate trust with your customers
• Drive interest
• Boost sales
• Optimize your selling experience
• Help you find the right suppliers

As you can see, Amazon product photography is incredibly important to your online sales, and investing in the right professional for the job is one of the best ways to ensure a great outcome.

Amazon’s Technical Image Requirements

Any product on Amazon, regardless of type, must adhere to the following Amazon-issued requirements:

For images named by product identifier without a variant code or named with the MAIN variant

This also holds for images that display as the main image on the product detail page. For these visuals, Amazon maintains the following site product image standards:

• The image must be the cover art or a professional photograph of the product being sold. Amazon does not allow drawings or illustrations of the product.
• The image must not contain gratuitous or confusing additional objects.
• The image must be in focus, professionally lit and photographed or scanned, with realistic color, and smooth edges.
• Books, music, and Video/DVD images should be the front cover art, and fill 100% of the image frame. Amazon does not allow jewel cases, promotional stickers, and cellophane. 
• All other products should fill 85% or more of the image frame.
• The full product must be in frame.
• Backgrounds must be pure white (RGB 255,255,255).
• The image must not contain additional text, graphics, or inset images.
• Amazon does not allow pornographic and offensive materials.

For additional other view images:

• The image must portray the product being sold.
• The image must be in focus, professionally lit and photographed or scanned, with realistic color, and smooth edges.
• Other products or objects are allowed to help demonstrate the use or scale of the product.
• The product and props should fill 85% or more of the image frame.
• Amazon allows cropped or close-up images.
• Amazon allows backgrounds and environments.
• The Amazon platform allows the inclusion of text and demonstrative graphics.
• Pornographic and offensive materials are not allowed.

Furthermore, each image submitted must meet the following technical requirements:

TIFF (.tif/.tiff), JPEG (.jpeg/.jpg), GIF (.gif) and PNG (.png) format

• Image pixel dimensions of at least 1000 or larger in either height or width preferred
• sRGB or CMYK color mode
• File names must consist of the product identifier (Amazon ASIN, 13-digit ISBN, EAN, JAN, or UPC) followed by a period and the appropriate file extension (Example: B000123456.jpg or 0237425673485.tif)

Note: Spaces, dashes, or additional characters in the filename will prevent your image from going online.

If that all looks like another language to you, don’t worry. Ensuring your images meet Amazon’s technical and editorial standards is one of the best reasons to hire a skilled Amazon product photography specialist.

The Various Types of Amazon Product Photography

As you may have guessed from the specifications above, an image is not just an image when it comes to Amazon. In fact, you’ll need several different types of images to list your product on the website. Here’s a breakdown of each:

1. The Main Image 

This image is one of the most important. It’s the visual your customer sees first, and the one that appears in the search results when someone looks for products under your keyword. To perform well, this image has to be inviting, detailed, and compelling enough to grab a customer’s attention.

2. Child SKU Images

If your product comes in different colors, sizes, or variations, you’ll need images known as “child variations.” These are the images that comprise the thumbnails on the right-hand side of the listing:

These are important because, in addition to giving your customers more information about your products, Amazon actually does not allow you to sell variations of your product without child SKUs. The good news is that these images are easier to create and upload than the main photos. As long as they meet the minimum technical specs, you’ll be good to go.

3. Alternate Product Images 

Alternate product images are the ones that embed directly beneath your main product image.  These images provide your customers with more information about the product and to sell your listing. They may offer detail shots, close-ups of patterns or texture, or images of the product in use in its natural environment. 

Although you don’t need dozens of images to sell your product, listings do better when they have multiple high-quality images working for them.

4. Optional: Product Listing Video

If you’re selling a product designed to be worn or used in a specific way, you might choose to create a product listing video as well. These videos generally show a product in action and can help a user gain additional information about the size and function of the item. Although Amazon doesn’t require these videos, they are useful for items like shoes, clothing, tools, and anything else you want to showcase for your product.

If you do choose to create a product listing video for your item, be sure to hire a skilled editorial videographer to do it for you. It’s not enough to just create a video – you have to create a video that knocks your viewers’ socks off. 

Choosing the Right Professional for Amazon Product Photography

Now that you know how critical Amazon product photography is, it’s easy to understand why choosing the right photography professional is so essential. If you’ve never worked with an Amazon product photographer before, the best way to choose a great one is to head to a marketplace that can connect you with many of them. 

Here at The H Hub, we connect customers with professional, freelance photographers who specialize in editorial and product photography. Ready to find your perfect fit? Browse our marketplace and select the photographer whose style and vision matches your own. Ready to learn more? Start browsing now.