Home Lighting Product Photography

The client sells lighting across 3 categories and asked AIMI Visual Media in Guangzhou, China to cover the catalog for listings. We shot 8 images in our Guangzhou studio: 3 bulb sizes in one comparison frame, a recessed downlight, a modular LED street light head standing full height, and 4 vintage table lamps with beaded fringe shades, 2 of them photographed switched on, all under a full commercial license.

Photography Challenges

1. Sizes must compare, not just appear. A 5W and a 12W bulb photographed separately look identical. We line 3 sizes up in one frame with the same camera height and the same floor line, so the size ladder reads at a glance: this is how buyers pick wattage.

2. A street light is a meter tall. The modular street head dwarfs the table products. We shoot it upright at a distance with a longer focal length to kill perspective distortion, so the 5 stacked LED modules stay parallel and the pole socket reads at the base.

3. A lit lamp needs 2 exposures in one frame. The shade glows while the ornate base sits in relative dark. We balance the lamp's own tungsten output against the studio softboxes at roughly 1:2, so the shade glows without clipping and the bronze scrollwork keeps its detail: one frame, both truths.

4. Fringe and beads punish sloppy light. Beaded tassels against white either sparkle or smear. We backlight the shade edge lightly, so each bead carries a rim highlight and the fringe reads as individual strands, not a beige curtain.

Our Approach

The Comparison Frame

The 3 bulb sizes stand in a row, screw bases angled to camera, same floor line, same light: the frame that turns a spec table into a picture.

Fixture Frames

The downlight and the street head get the catalog treatment: centered, upright, soft shadow, every module and clip readable. The street light gets the long-lens treatment to keep its stacked engines parallel.

Lamp Frames, Unlit and Lit

The vintage lamps shoot twice: unlit for the materials, cream fabric and rust embroidery against the bronze bases; then switched on, the tungsten glow graded against studio fill so shade and scrollwork hold together. The lit frames are the ones that sell the mood.

Retouching

All 8 frames keep the hardware honest: whites at 245-252, glow gradients smooth without banding, bead fringe separated, and bases detailed. Files went out at 2000x2000px sRGB in JPEG (quality 90) and WebP, ready for Amazon main-image slots.

"A lighting catalog needs 3 kinds of frames: comparison for size, catalog for fixtures, and lit shots for mood. Each has its own light logic." — June, Product Photography Team Lead

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an 8-image set like this cost?

This set came to about $96 at $12 per white-background packshot. Styled scenes run $35 each, and 10 or more items get 10% off the whole order.

How long does the shoot take?

These 8 images were delivered in 5 business days. Catalog frames, the street light, and the lit lamps run in one session; only the light recipe changes between them.

Are these ready for Amazon main images?

Yes. Each product stands alone on pure white at 2000x2000px, above the 1000px zoom minimum. Lit lamp shots go to the secondary slots and A+ Content.

How do you photograph a lamp that is switched on?

By balancing its own tungsten output against the studio softboxes at roughly 1:2. The shade glows without clipping, and the ornate base keeps its detail: one frame, both truths.

Why shoot 3 bulb sizes in one frame?

Because separately photographed sizes look identical. One comparison frame with a shared floor line turns a spec table into a picture buyers can shop from.

Can you add more fixtures later?

Yes. The sweep and the light recipes stay in the studio, so new fixtures and lamps match this set exactly, at the standard $12 packshot rate.

Related cases: LED downlight photography · Colored LED bulb photography · Sunset projection lamp photography