11 examples of creative product photography for DTC brands

The moment is here: you’re gearing up for your next campaign and want your product images to shine. 

If you’re experienced in product photography, you might be looking for fresh inspiration or examples to spark your creativity. If you’re new to the field, maybe you’re looking for guidance to inform your approach or direct a professional photographer.

Either way, you’re in the right place. This article will cover the different types of creative product photography (which is a specific type of commercial photography) and show you some examples from DTC brands.

Should you hire a photographer or do it yourself? 

Before we get to the examples, let’s discuss your product photography options. 

Depending on your budget, it might be worth hiring a professional photographer. They’ll have the experience and expertise to help you create unique and eye-catching shots for your brand.

Alternatively, you could do it yourself. If you have an eye for photography, some great examples for inspiration, and a decent camera (sometimes even a phone will do), you can capture some incredible shots.

Let’s look at some pros and cons of each option to help you decide what’s right for you.

Pros and cons of DIY product photography

Pros

• Cost-effective: Save money by not hiring a professional photographer.
• Creative control: Have complete freedom to style and shoot how you want.
• Flexible: Take great photos on your own schedule.
• Skill-building: Develop valuable photography and editing skills.

Cons

• Time-consuming: Learning techniques and editing photos can take a while.
• Steeper learning curve: If you’re unfamiliar with photography basics, you may not get professional-quality results.
• Equipment investment: While DIY is budget-friendly, purchasing lighting, backdrops, or photo editing software can add up.
• Limited expertise: Without professional experience, capturing specific styles or looks might be challenging.

Pros and cons of hiring a professional photographer

Pros

• High-quality results: Professionals help with lighting, composition, and editing.
• Time-saving: You can focus on other aspects of your business while they shoot.
• Access to advanced equipment: They have specialised cameras, lenses, and lighting.
• Creative expertise: They can bring fresh ideas and perspectives.
• Consistency: Professionals capture a cohesive look across all your product photos.

Cons

• Cost: Professional photography can be expensive.
• Less control: You have to align your creative vision with someone else’s.
• Scheduling constraints: Coordinating sessions might delay the process compared to DIY.
• Revision limitations: Post-shoot adjustments may come with extra charges.

Different types of creative product photography 

As part of the research process, you’ll want to know what types of creative product photography the DTC pros use. Here’s a quick look into the techniques and types of creative product photography ideas you could choose from. And, bear in mind that it’s good practice to use a variety of different styles and shoots on your pages to give your audience a full picture of your products. 

• Still life: Snap pics of your product surrounded by carefully chosen props.‍
• Floating products: Use clever editing to make your product appear suspended in the air.‍
• Model photography: Showcase a model for a professional edge to your photography ‍
• Influencer photography: Work with influencer to boost trust and credibility‍
• Everyday activities: Show your product in relatable, real-life situations.‍
• Packaging show-off: Highlight unique or aesthetically pleasing packaging.‍
• Hand-in-shot: Add a human touch by featuring hands holding, pouring, or using your product.‍
• Content pour-out: Squeeze out the contents of your product for added intrigue.‍
• Lifestyle shots: Show your product in real-world use to create a relatable connection.‍
• User-generated content (UGC): Highlight real-life photos from your customers and influencers.‍
• Stock photography: Professionally created, pre-licensed images used in marketing or branding materials.‍
• Flat lays: Arrange your product and related items in an overhead layout for a clean composition.

11 examples of creative product photography from DTC brands

Now that you’re familiar with the options at your fingertips, let’s look at specific examples from DTC brands. We’ll see what kind of product photography and styles they’re using on their websites to give you inspiration for your own brand. 

1. Batch London: Model Photography 

Model photography is a traditional and popular way of showcasing products. It’s particularly useful for fashion brands who need to show what clothes look like on a person. Models are professionals: they have experience working with products and brands to help achieve a certain look.  

Batch London uses models in its product shots to show off its suits. 

Tips for creating winning model photography:

• Align with your audience: Choose models that reflect your brand’s target audience to build trust. Consider what industries they’ve modeled for before and whether they suit your products. 
• Embrace soft lighting: Use natural or diffused light to highlight the model’s features and create a polished aesthetic.
• Direct with intent: Guide the model to use poses and expressions that convey the lifestyle or emotion your brand represents.

Key takeaway

Model photography works well (especially for beauty and fashion brands). It shows your product in action and helps the viewer visualise how the product would fit into their life. 

2. Rhode Skin: Influencer photography 

82% of brands say they get better quality leads from influencer marketing campaigns. So using influencers to showcase your products is not only a great way to get creative with your product photography—it’s proven to increase sales. 

Rhode Skin recently partnered with Matilda Djerf who is an influencer and the co-founder of Djerf Avenue. This brand partnership perfectly aligns with Rhode’s target audience, and helps shoppers visualise how the products could fit into their lifestyle. Here are some tips for good influencer photography:

• Build relationships with influencers in your industry: Start by finding influencers who align with your brand and audience. Use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to see what types of influencers are available to work with. Use influencer tools to manage relationships and download our free influencer marketing pack to help you brief content creators and plan your influencer campaigns.  ‍

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• Make your influencers feel like VIPs: Once you start working with influencers, you want to make sure you’re maintaining a good relationship with them. You want to make them feel like true VIPs - which means not using their work without credit or permission. To help with this, Dash (that’s us 👋) allows you to collect content using guest uploads. And you can keep track of your influencer’s content by adding expiry dates and usage rights to images and videos. Check out how the haircare brand, RevAir, uses Dash to honour their influencer relationships. 

Learn more about the benefits of influencer marketing. Key takeawayInfluencers provide some serious return on investment, so using them in your product photography will help your campaigns go further. Bear in mind that you’re working with people that have a reputation with your industry, so maintaining good relationships and ensuring you’re doing their work justice is the key to succeeding.

If you’re thinking of branching out into influencer marketing, you’ll need a good digital asset management (DAM) tool to help you manage all that content and ensure you’re keeping track of usage rights. Learn why ecommerce brands need a DAM like Dash. Or, grab a free trial of Dash and try it for yourself. 

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3. Lemme: Floating products

Floating product photography makes products appear suspended in mid-air, often surrounded by dynamic elements or props. This technique highlights the product in an eye-catching, almost magical way, drawing the viewer's attention while creating intrigue.

In these Lemme images, the supplements appear to defy gravity and create a striking visual effect. Swirling liquid, cinnamon sticks, and bitter melon slices add vibrancy and provide context, hinting at the ingredients in the supplements.

Tips for capturing floating product photography:

• Use transparent props: Fishing wire, acrylic rods, or other clear supports can be edited out later to create the floating illusion.
• Add movement: Incorporate dynamic elements like splashes, swirls, or scattered props to make the shot feel alive.
• Experiment with angles: To improve the floating effect, capture the product from unconventional perspectives.
• Consider your lighting: Use even lighting to eliminate harsh shadows and make the product stand out.
• Master post-production: Invest time in editing to refine the "floating" illusion and blend props with the background.

Key takeaway

Floating product photography is a striking way to make your product stand out. It adds elegance and motion to your visuals. This style works exceptionally well for supplements, cosmetics, and lifestyle products, especially on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, where bold, creative imagery captures attention and drives engagement. 

4. Neighbourhood Botanicals: Hand-in-shot

Hand-in-shot photography is a product being held, poured, or used by a hand. This shows the product in action and adds a human element to the composition. It also creates a more intimate and relatable feel.

In the first shot from Neighbourhood Botanicals, a hand pours liquid into a sleek bottle. This emphasises the product’s use and eco-friendly appeal. The second shows the product at scale so you know how big it is.

Tips for creating hand-in-shot photography:

• Focus on the action: Show the product in use, whether it’s being poured, opened, or applied.
• Use clean hands and nails: Make sure the model’s hands are well-groomed (in this case the nails have been painted with a colour that compliments the product).
• Keep the background simple: Choose neutral or minimalistic backgrounds to keep the focus on the product.
• Play with angles: Experiment with close-ups and unique perspectives for dynamic visuals.
• Use natural lighting: Settle on soft and even lighting to draw attention to the hand.

Key takeaway:

This style demonstrates how the product fits into real-life scenarios. It helps potential customers imagine themselves placing it in their own hands. It’s particularly impactful for lifestyle and skincare brands.

5. Calla: Still life

Still life photography captures stationary products, either on their own or paired with thoughtfully chosen props. This style emphasises creating a visually appealing arrangement that highlights the product’s key features and design.

Calla uses still life photography in the photos above to feature their Mary Jane Black Patent Leather shoes. The clean, minimal arrangement emphasises the shoe's elegant design and high-quality finish.

Tips for still life product photography:

• Choose complementary props: Choose props that highlight the product’s style and align with your brand's aesthetic. Avoid anything that distracts from the main product.
• Focus on textures and materials: Use close-up shots or angled lighting to show the product’s key features.
• Play with composition: Experiment with symmetry and balance to make the arrangement visually engaging.
• Keep it clean: Use negative space and a neutral background to keep the product front and centre.

Key takeaway

Still life photography is perfect for creating a refined, high-end look that shows your products’ craftsmanship and details. This style works especially well for fashion, jewellery, and home goods brands, offering versatile imagery for ecommerce websites, social media, and marketing campaigns.

6. UN:IK Clothing: Everyday activities

Everyday activities photography presents products in real settings. It shows how products fit into the daily lives of customers.

In this example, UN:IK Clothing features their Vice 84 Vintage Washed Joggers in a basketball setting. With one glance, you see the joggers are comfy and a great fit for something like a casual basketball game.

Tips for everyday activity photography

• Show the product in use: Capture real-life scenarios, like walking, standing or lounging.
• Focus on authenticity: Avoid overly staged or polished shots to maintain a relatability.
• Highlight versatility: Choose settings and activities that reflect the product in different situations. 
• Use dynamic poses: Incorporate movement or action shots to make the product come alive.
• Include diverse models: Represent different demographics to appeal to a broader audience.

Key takeaway

Everyday activities photography gives customers a visual cue as to how the product fits into their lives. This style is ideal for apparel, fitness, and lifestyle brands.

7. Parch: Monochromatic

Monochromatic is a style of product photography that uses a single colour palette to create a cohesive composition. This style emphasises simplicity and helps the product stand out within a harmonious colour scheme. 

Parch uses a monochromatic colour palette to draw attention to its beverage collection. The consistent colour scheme creates a clean aesthetic that aligns with their branding.

Tips for monochromatic product photography:

• Choose a dominant colour: Select a colour that complements your product.
• Use tonal variations: Use lighter and darker shades of the chosen colour to add depth and dimension.
• Maintain consistency: Match the background, props, and product packaging to the colour palette.
• Focus on lighting: Soft lighting brings out the details of the product without creating harsh contrasts.

Key takeaway

Monochromatic photography creates a striking visual impact, transforming your product into a focal point while maintaining a sleek, modern aesthetic. This style is a favourite for photography for food, drink, and wellness brands.

8. Hello Sunday: Content pour-out

Content pour-out photography focuses on the texture, consistency, or flow of a product by pouring or squeezing out its contents. This style emphasises the product’s features, such as its smoothness, thickness, or unique texture.

Hello Sunday captures their SPF product in action with a simple squeeze. The images draw attention to its lightweight, glossy texture and give viewers a good idea of what the product looks like. If you’ve used an SPF with this look and texture, you know exactly how smooth it feels on your face.

Tips for content pour-out product photography

• Focus on the product texture: Use close-up shots to showcase details like smoothness, thickness, or flow.
• Use controlled pours: Pour a precise amount of product to avoid a messy look.
• Choose complementary backgrounds: Use neutral tones or colours that align with your branding to make the product pop.
• Highlight application: Include hands or tools in the shot to demonstrate how the product is used.

Key takeaway

Content pour-out photography captures what a product looks like out of the packaging. For good pour-out content, focus on the texture and application so customers can visualise themselves using it. This style is perfect for brands in the beauty or food space, where sensory appeal plays a big role.

9. United Sodas: Pop of colour

Pop of colour product is another style of photography thatuses bold, vibrant hues to immediately grab attention. It strategically contrasts bright colours with neutral or minimalist backgrounds so the product remains the focal point.

United Sodas nails this approach by featuring their vividly coloured cans against clean, white packaging and subtle backdrops. Every flavour stands out.

Tips for pop of colour product photography

• Play with complementary colours: Use bold hues that contrast or harmonise with each other.
• Use gradients: Incorporate gradient backgrounds or lighting to add depth and dimension to your image.
• Highlight the product's palette: Let the colours of the product itself dictate the overall tone of the image.
• Frame with whitespace: Add negative space to balance out bright colours.
• Incorporate reflective surfaces: Use glossy or mirrored surfaces to make colours pop even more.

Key takeaway

Pop of colour photography is all about making your product impossible to miss. It’s bold, it’s playful, and it’s perfect for brands like United Sodas that want to convey energy, variety and fun. This style shines on ecommerce websites and social media platforms.

10. Whimsy + Row: Location photography

Location photography places products or models in visually stunning environments that transport the viewer. This style integrates natural light, beautiful settings, and harmonious backdrops to connect the product with a lifestyle or mood. 

In these Whimsy + Row images, earthy tones, cosy outdoor scenes, and natural elements create a warm, inviting vibe that aligns with the brand’s sustainable and chic ethos.

Tips for floating product photography

• Blend colours naturally: Match the tones of the product or clothing with the surrounding environment to create visual harmony.
• Use depth of field: Blur the background slightly to make the product or model stand out.
• Incorporate movement: Capture natural actions like walking, holding a prop, or interacting with the space to bring life to the image.
• Shoot at golden hour: Maximise the natural glow of sunrise or sunset for softer light.

Key takeaway

Sometimes, the best way to sell a product is to sell a lifestyle. If you can capture an image that the viewer identifies with, you create a connection on a deeper level. Whimsy + Row perfectly demonstrates how thoughtfully chosen locations and natural lighting can elevate brand storytelling.

11. My Way Up: User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is any photo, video, or review customers create that showcases your product in real-life scenarios. This content is often real, relatable and raw. It helps potential buyers trust your brand and see genuine results. 

In this example, My Way Up uses before-and-after photos submitted by customers to highlight the effectiveness of their products.

Tips for choosing user-generated content:

• Select relatable stories: Look for content that aligns with your target audience’s lifestyle or common challenges.
• Prioritise quality: While UGC is typically less polished, make sure images and videos are clear enough to present your product effectively.
• Focus on results: Use content that showcases noticeable transformations, benefits or success stories.
• Add diversity: Feature a wide range of customers to make your brand feel inclusive.
• Include testimonials: Pair images with customer quotes or reviews to add social proof.

Key takeaway

Not all product photography needs to be professional. Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate how well your products work is to show off images that your customers are creating. It’s authentic. It’s unique. And it sells. 💸

Easily manage your product photography with Dash

If you’ve launched a product campaign recently, you know how many visual assets it takes to bring it all together. Not to mention, how many stakeholders have a say in which visual assets you use.

With Dash, you have one central location to manage all your visuals—including user-generated content, product photography, and branded assets like logos and banners. 
But that’s not all—Dash also allows you to leave feedback for your creators which is perfect if you’re working with photographers and want to cut down all the back and forth over email. 

Check out these articles to learn more about digital asset management: 

• 12 digital asset management features to make your life easier 
• The benefits of digital asset management 
• Your guide to digital asset management for small business
• What’s the ROI of DAM? 

If you’re ready to start your next product campaign and looking for the perfect tool to stay organised, try Dash free for 14 days.