Packshot photography refers to the systematic, studio‑based photography of products, usually against a plain background (most commonly white). The goal is to present the product clearly, consistently, and without distractions, making it ideal for e‑commerce listings, catalogues, and advertising.
There are three primary types of packshots every WA brand should consider:
Clean white‑background shots: The standard for online retail. These images isolate the product, remove visual clutter, and meet platform requirements (like Amazon, eBay, or Shopify).
Lifestyle contextual shots: Show the product in a realistic setting—a bottle of WA olive oil on a rustic kitchen table, a craft beer at a coastal pub, or a packaged sauce beside fresh ingredients. These shots help customers imagine using the product in their own lives.
Detail and scale shots: Close‑ups that highlight texture, ingredients, labelling, or unique features. For food and beverage products, this might include a drizzle of sauce, condensation on a bottle, or the crumb structure of baked goods.
A complete packshot session will produce a suite of images that work together across your website, social media, retailer pages, and print materials.
Example of a clean white‑background packshot for a WA craft beer brand. Note the consistent lighting, sharp focus, and accurate colour reproduction.
Why Professional Packshots Matter for WA Brands
In Western Australia’s competitive food and beverage market, standing out is essential. Professional packshots deliver tangible returns:
Higher conversion rates: Products with professional images convert significantly better than those with amateur or stock photos. One study found that 67% of consumers consider image quality “very important” when making a purchase decision.
Brand consistency: A cohesive set of images across all touchpoints reinforces your brand identity and builds recognition. Whether a customer sees your product on a local stockist’s shelf, your Instagram feed, or your own website, they should immediately recognise your visual style.
Reduced returns and complaints: Clear, accurate packshots set correct expectations about size, colour, and appearance, leading to fewer disappointed customers and costly returns.
SEO and discoverability: Well‑optimised product images with descriptive filenames and alt text help your products appear in Google Image Search and improve your overall site SEO.
For a deeper dive into how professional photography impacts sales and customer perception, read our guide on the ROI of professional food photography for Perth venues.
For Perth and WA brands targeting both local and interstate markets, professional packshots are an investment that pays for itself through increased sales and stronger brand equity.
The Packshot Photography Process: From Brief to Delivery
A successful packshot shoot follows a structured workflow. Here’s what you can expect when working with a professional photographer:
Consultation and brief: We discuss your products, brand story, target audience, and intended use for the images. This step ensures the final shots align with your marketing goals.
Styling and preparation: Products are cleaned, labels are straightened, and any props or surfaces are selected to match your brand aesthetic. For food products, this may involve working with a food stylist to achieve the perfect look.
Lighting and shooting: Using controlled studio lighting, we capture each product from multiple angles, ensuring consistent exposure, colour accuracy, and sharpness. We shoot tethered to a computer so you can review images in real time.
Editing and retouching: Images are colour‑corrected, backgrounds are cleaned up, and any minor imperfections are removed. The goal is a polished, professional result that still looks authentic.
Delivery and formatting: You receive a set of high‑resolution files ready for print, plus web‑optimised versions (WebP and JPEG) sized for e‑commerce platforms, social media, and your website.
This end‑to‑end process ensures you get a complete visual library that can be used across all your marketing channels for months or even years.
Styling for Perth and WA Audiences
Packshot styling isn’t one‑size‑fits‑all. To resonate with local customers, your images should reflect WA’s unique aesthetic and lifestyle. Consider these Perth‑specific styling cues:
Natural light and coastal vibes: Many WA consumers respond to imagery that evokes the state’s famous beaches and outdoor lifestyle. Soft, natural light and beach‑inspired props (driftwood, shells, sand) can work well for products like seafood, beverages, and health foods.
Industrial chic: For urban brands targeting Perth CBD, Northbridge, or Fremantle, a more edgy, industrial look—concrete surfaces, metal accents, moodier lighting—can convey sophistication and modernity.
Rustic and earthy: WA’s wine regions and farm‑to‑table movement inspire rustic styling: wooden boards, hessian, fresh herbs, and organic textures that communicate authenticity and quality.
Minimalist and clean: A crisp, minimalist approach appeals to health‑conscious and premium audiences. Think white space, simple compositions, and a focus on purity and ingredient integrity.
A photographer who understands the Perth market will help you choose the right styling direction for your specific brand and audience.
Example of a lifestyle packshot for a WA olive oil brand, using natural light and rustic props to evoke a local, artisanal feel.
Technical Considerations: Lighting, Composition, and Equipment
Professional packshot photography relies on technical precision. Key elements include:
Lighting: Even, diffused lighting eliminates harsh shadows and hotspots, revealing true product colours and details. Multiple light sources are often used to create depth and dimension.
Composition: The product should be the undisputed hero of the frame. Rule‑of‑thirds, leading lines, and negative space are employed to create balanced, engaging images.
Equipment: High‑resolution cameras, macro lenses for detail shots, tripods for stability, and light‑tenting setups ensure consistent, sharp results. Tethered shooting allows for immediate quality control.
Colour accuracy: Using colour‑checker cards and calibrated monitors guarantees that the images you receive match your product’s true colours—critical for maintaining brand integrity.
While smartphone cameras have improved, they cannot replicate the controlled environment and technical expertise of a professional studio. For packshots that meet commercial standards, professional equipment and know‑how are non‑negotiable.
Optimizing Packshots for E‑commerce and Digital Platforms
Great packshots are only effective if they’re delivered in the right formats and sizes for their intended use. Here’s how to ensure your images perform online:
File formats: Use WebP for the web (with JPEG fallbacks) to maintain quality while reducing file size. PNG is suitable for graphics with transparency, but for photographs, WebP is the modern standard.
Dimensions and resolution: E‑commerce platforms have specific requirements (often 2000px on the longest side). Your photographer should provide images resized for each platform, as well as smaller thumbnails for faster loading.
Alt text and filenames: Descriptive, keyword‑rich alt text (e.g., “organic WA honey jar on white background – Perth product photography”) improves accessibility and SEO. Filenames should be human‑readable, not generic codes.
Responsive images: Implement
srcsetattributes so your website serves appropriately sized images based on the user’s device, improving page speed—a key ranking factor.Compression: Images should be compressed without visible quality loss. Aim for file sizes under 300KB for web use to keep your site fast and user‑friendly.
At Amplify Creative Lab, we bake these optimisations into our delivery process, so your packshots are not only beautiful but also technically ready for peak digital performance. For more on how image optimization affects site speed and SEO, see our article on website speed optimization for Perth hospitality businesses.
Common Mistakes WA Brands Make
Avoid these frequent pitfalls that can undermine your product imagery:
Relying on smartphone photos: While convenient, phone cameras struggle with consistent lighting, colour accuracy, and detail capture. The result often looks amateurish and fails to compete with professional competitors.
Inconsistent backgrounds and lighting: Shooting products at different times or locations leads to a mismatched set that weakens your brand’s visual identity.
Over‑editing: Excessive retouching can make products look artificial or misleading, eroding consumer trust. The goal is enhancement, not alteration.
Ignoring platform specs: Uploading images that are too small, the wrong aspect ratio, or incorrectly formatted can cause them to display poorly on retailer sites, hurting conversions.
Skipping the lifestyle shots: Clean white‑background shots are essential, but lifestyle imagery is what connects emotionally with customers. Don’t miss this opportunity to tell your brand’s story.
Investing in a professional packshot session from the start helps you avoid these mistakes and present your products in the best possible light.
Case Study: A Perth Brand That Nailed Their Packshots
“Coastal Brew Co.” (a hypothetical Fremantle craft brewery) wanted to launch a new range of canned beers into national retailers. Their existing imagery was a mix of smartphone snaps and inconsistent studio shots.
We conducted a full‑day packshot session, capturing:
- Clean white‑background shots of each can (front, back, top, and angled).
- Lifestyle shots of cans chilled in ice buckets, being poured at a beachside bar, and held by hands against coastal scenery.
- Detail shots highlighting the label design, condensation, and the beer’s colour and head.
The new images were optimised for the retailer’s online platform and used across Coastal Brew Co.’s website, social media, and point‑of‑sale materials. Within three months, the brand reported a 25% increase in online sales and secured placement in two major national supermarket chains, with buyers specifically citing the professional imagery as a factor in their decision.
This case illustrates how strategic packshot photography can directly impact sales and distribution opportunities for WA brands.
How to Choose a Packshot Photographer in Perth
Not all photographers specialise in product photography. When selecting a partner for your packshots, look for:
A strong product portfolio: Review their previous work to ensure they have experience with similar products and can deliver the style you need.
Understanding of e‑commerce requirements: They should be familiar with platform specs, file formatting, and SEO best practices for product images.
Studio capabilities: A dedicated studio with controlled lighting is essential for consistent, high‑quality packshots.
Collaborative process: Look for a photographer who involves you in the creative process, provides real‑time previews, and welcomes feedback.
Technical expertise: They should be able to explain their approach to lighting, colour management, and post‑production, demonstrating a professional workflow.
At Amplify Creative Lab, we combine professional photography with web‑development expertise, ensuring your packshots are not only stunning but also perfectly integrated into your digital presence. Explore our product photography services to see how we can help your WA brand shine. If you’re planning a broader launch, our step‑by‑step guide on launching a new food product or venue in WA covers how packshots fit into a complete launch strategy.
Want to know who’s behind the camera and the code? Meet Jojo, the photographer, and Stefano, the web developer, on our About page and see how we support WA brands from shoot to website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Packshot photography is a powerful tool for WA food and beverage brands looking to compete in a crowded digital marketplace. From increasing conversion rates to building a consistent brand identity, professional product images deliver measurable returns. By understanding the process, avoiding common mistakes, and partnering with a photographer who knows the Perth market, you can create a visual library that drives sales and grows your brand.
Remember: your products deserve to be seen in their best light. With the right packshots, you can turn browsers into buyers and build a loyal customer base across Western Australia and beyond.
Ready to elevate your product imagery? Book a packshot photography session with Amplify Creative Lab. We’ll capture stunning, optimised images that make your WA brand stand out online and on shelf.
Request a packshot photography quote and let’s discuss how we can showcase your products at their absolute best.