Five Must-Have Product Photos for Your Candle or Soap Business Wondering what photos you need to market your candles online? These are the essential shots to take and where to use them.
Attractive and enticing product photos draw in shoppers, reveal the unique details of your goods, and help convert browsers into buyers.
In this guide, we’ll share the five must-have product photos that every candle and soap maker should have, along with three “nice-to-have” shots. Whether you’re taking the photos yourself or working with a professional photographer, these photos will help you create a complete visual presence across your website, social media accounts, email marketing, and wholesale materials.
1. Primary Product Photo
The primary product photo is the main image displayed on a product’s page. It’s a clear, clean shot that showcases a single candle or soap in all its glory.
When composing the primary product photo, use a simple, uncluttered background that aligns with your brand’s aesthetic. This allows the focus to remain squarely on the product itself.
Primary product photos are typically shot straight-on, or from slightly above at a 10°-15° angle, and offer an appealing view of the product.
Where to use: Primary product photos are the cornerstone of your product imagery so they’re the first photo on a product page. They’re also useful for social media posts and in email marketing.
2. Product Detail Photo
Capture the beautiful features of your scented creations with at least one product detail photo. This type of photo zooms in on the colors, textures, and other notable features of your candles or soaps. These close-up images allow customers to get a better appreciation for details like mica shimmer in a soap bar, or embeds in a candle.
Where to use: Detail photos are found on product pages, usually as the second or third photo. They’re also great to include in social media posts—whether as a stand-alone image or as part of a carousel.
3. White Background Shot
The white background shot is similar to the primary product photo in that it’s meant to showcase a single product. While primary product photos may involve a colored background, this photo is taken against a white backdrop and is entirely minimalist.
Where to use: The white background shot is most often used for business-to-business situations like in wholesale line sheets and for wholesale online marketplaces like Faire.
4. Lifestyle Photo
Lifestyle photos are the place to really flex your creativity! They capture your candles, soaps, and other products in a real-world setting, often styled with complementary props like flowers, fabrics, and home decor accents. These photos help customers imagine the product in their space and spark an emotional connection.
Because setting up lifestyle photos is a more involved process, you can create multiple versions within the same shot. For example, after taking a lid-on photo of a candle, remove the lid and light the wick. Then subtly rearrange the props to create a different composition and continue shooting.
Where to use: Lifestyle photos have many uses across your website, particularly as a hero image on the homepage, and on product pages. They’re also very appealing components in marketing emails and on social media, and make excellent cover page images for your wholesale linesheet.
5. Group Photo
Highlight the breadth of your product line or seasonal collections with a group shot. This photo type shows shoppers the variety of candles, soaps, and other items you offer—and how they complement one another.
Where to use: A versatile image to have, group photos are useful once more for email marketing and social media. If you blog, they’re excellent for a blog post’s main image, or hero images on your website’s home page.
Nice-to-Have Product Photos
While the five essential product photos outlined above should be your main focus, here are three more helpful image types to consider adding when you have time.
Process Shot
Process shots show your candles and soaps being made and demonstrate the craftsmanship that goes into their creation. Giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at how you make your soaps or candles can be a powerful way to build trust and connection.
Of the nice-to-have photo ideas, this is usually the most important one to include in your repertoire after getting the essential shots.
Where to use: Well suited for social media posts, process shots are also fantastic to include on your about page, in blog posts, and as a supporting photo on the product page.
Scale Shot
Pairing your product with a commonly recognized object or a hand can help customers understand the true size of your candles or soaps. While product dimensions should always be listed on a product page, visual size references are helpful to include in case shoppers miss the written information.
Where to use: Scale shots are primarily used on product pages. But if you style them attractively, they can also be used for social media posts and in emails!
Packaging Photo
If your candles and soaps are packaged in a box, tube, or other container, providing an image of the full packaging is another useful photo for customers. Packaging photos let people see exactly how they’ll receive the product and can be especially helpful for gift buyers. Highlighting your packaging also emphasizes the care you put into your products through their presentation.
Where to use: Packaging photos work well on product pages, in social media posts, and for any wholesale marketing materials.
While this guide is focused on essential product photography, short product videos are also a growing trend in ecommerce. And they’re an excellent asset to have if you post Reels or other video content on social platforms. These dynamic visuals can effectively:
- Demonstrate a product’s scale, features, and use
- Provide shoppers with a clearer, more engaging view of the item
- Complement your core set of photos
The Big Picture of Product Photography
By nailing these five must-have product photos—the primary, detail, white background, lifestyle, and group photos—you’ll create a robust base of images to use in your sales and marketing channels.
You can always build on this foundation by shooting additional photos like process shots, scale photos, packaging images, and any other ideas you have later. But starting with the five photo types covered here will let you more effectively showcase your handmade goods—and inspire shoppers to buy!
Explore our other DIY product photography resources:
- Natural light photography
- Focusing and composing your shot
- Using backdrops and surfaces
- How to shoot shiny or reflective containers
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Candle photography challenge: product styling and branding
For more guidance on growing your brand, curating a product line, pricing effectively, and choosing the right sales platforms, explore our Business Guides.