What to know before a product photography project

Start with the product or SKU list, variants, quantities, and the final views required for each item. Include the intended sales channels, aspect ratios, file dimensions, references, product dimensions and weight, preparation needs, deadline, shipping plan, and any special handling or retouching. The more complete the brief is, the more accurate the estimate can be.

Coconut provides white-background and catalog product photography, clothing photography, Amazon listing image sets, 360 product photography, and lifestyle product photography. A project can combine services when the shot list calls for more than one type of image.

A dedicated product workflow helps control lighting, camera angle, scale, crop, background, color, retouching, and naming across a full set. That consistency can save time when images are added to a catalog and can make it easier for a shopper to compare products. Photography alone cannot guarantee sales or search performance, so the goal is accurate, useful, well-organized visual content rather than a promised business result.

Products should arrive complete, clean, functional, and ready to photograph unless preparation is included in the estimate. Assemble parts when practical, remove retail stickers that should not appear, protect fragile surfaces, and identify the correct label or display side. For apparel, confirm steaming, lint removal, tags, pinning, stuffing, and styling responsibilities. Include written handling instructions for fragile, reflective, perishable, valuable, regulated, or unusual items.

Often, yes, but those products need a case-by-case review. Send dimensions, weight, material, surface finish, handling needs, and reference photos before shipping. The studio may request a custom setup, added preparation time, a different background, or a local production plan.

Yes. Clients throughout the United States can ship products after the scope, schedule, receiving details, and return plan are confirmed. Do not send products before the studio accepts the project and provides shipping instructions.

Local drop-off may be arranged by appointment in the Lynnwood area. The website does not publish a street address. Confirm the date, time, packaging, contact person, and return or pickup plan before arriving.

Unless the written proposal says otherwise, the client is responsible for inbound shipping and for providing a prepaid return label when products should be mailed back. Products without a confirmed return plan may be held temporarily, donated, recycled, or disposed of according to the written agreement after reasonable notice.

Timing depends on the number of products and views, preparation, styling, retouching, approvals, shipping, and current studio schedule. The estimate will include a proposed production window after the complete brief is reviewed. A deadline is not guaranteed until it is accepted in writing. Rush work may be available when the schedule allows and may include an additional fee.

Standard retouching generally covers routine dust and lint cleanup, minor surface cleanup, color balancing, crop, and the background treatment described in the estimate. Advanced compositing, major product reconstruction, label replacement, extensive reflection work, shape changes, heavy wrinkle repair, added or removed parts, and new creative directions are additional scope unless they are specifically listed in the proposal.

Proofs are shared through Lenso when enabled for the project. The client reviews the images, leaves asset-specific comments, and submits consolidated feedback. The number of revision rounds and the difference between a correction, revision, and reshoot are defined in the proposal. A changed shot list, new angle, new product condition, or new creative direction may require a revised estimate.

Approved files are released through the delivery method listed in the proposal, usually the Lenso client portal. Lenso can provide individual downloads, a packaged delivery, or a delivery manifest when enabled. Final downloads may depend on approval and payment terms for the project.

File specifications are confirmed before production. Typical delivery may include high-resolution JPEG files, PNG files when transparency is required, and web-ready variants in the agreed pixel dimensions, aspect ratios, color profile, and naming convention. The studio does not deliver RTF image files. Raw camera files and layered working files are not included unless the proposal says they are.

The output must be scoped for the client's platform. A project may include a frame sequence, poster image, GIF or video preview, or a viewer-ready folder structure when compatible requirements are supplied. Website integration, viewer licensing, hosting, and custom development are separate from photography unless the proposal includes them.

Coconut can plan and photograph source images around the current requirements supplied for the listing, but marketplace rules and category requirements can change. The seller is responsible for reviewing the final listing and confirming compliance before upload. Coconut is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon.

Unless a written agreement says otherwise, Coconut retains copyright in the photographs and grants the client a nonexclusive commercial license to use the approved final images for the uses stated in the proposal. A copyright transfer, exclusive license, broad third-party resale right, or unusual usage arrangement must be agreed in writing.

No, not by default. The standard deliverable is the approved final image set. Raw camera files, layered working files, test frames, setup images, unused frames, and intermediate exports remain studio working materials unless they are specifically included in the proposal.

Coconut may display approved final work for portfolio and promotional purposes unless the client and studio agree in writing to confidentiality, an embargo, or a portfolio opt-out before production. Product launch dates and unreleased information should be identified in the brief.

Payment timing, deposits, due dates, cancellation terms, and refunds are stated in the proposal and invoice. When Lenso invoicing is enabled, the payment link opens a Stripe-hosted invoice page. Lenso does not store card details or hold client funds. Payment methods depend on the studio's Stripe settings.

Tax treatment depends on the services, deliverables, client location, and current law. Lenso supports manual tax rates but does not calculate the correct destination rate, monitor tax obligations, file returns, or remit taxes for the studio. The studio is responsible for configuring and reviewing tax with an accountant or official revenue guidance.

The studio will document a visible issue and contact the client when practical. Production may pause until the client decides whether to replace the product, approve photography in its current condition, or revise the scope. The client is responsible for accurate packing, insurance, and product condition unless the written agreement says otherwise.

State the confidentiality requirement in the project request and complete any agreed nondisclosure document before sharing restricted information or shipping unreleased products. Do not send passwords, payment-card data, health information, government identifiers, or other unnecessary sensitive information through the project brief.