Image Generation / Product Photography
Identify photography conventions by product category — benchmark against industry standards.
Why This Prompt Exists
Every product category has established photography conventions. Customers expect certain angles, lighting, and backgrounds. Break them thoughtfully, not accidentally.
You get:
- jewelry shot like furniture (wrong scale, wrong detail level)
- food shot like electronics (no warmth, unappetizing)
- apparel shot like cosmetics (fit invisible, texture lost)
- products that look out of category (confuses customers)
- images that fail platform requirements (Amazon rejects)
But conventions can be learned:
- jewelry: macro shots, soft light, white or black background, scale reference
- apparel: full front/back, fabric detail, natural light, on-model or flat lay
- electronics: white background, screen visible, port close-ups, multiple angles
- food: 45-degree angle, warm light, overhead for flat lays, steam visible
- furniture: three-quarter angle, scale reference, room context, multiple shots
Without conventions, products look amateurish.
This prompt documents category-specific photography standards.
The Prompt
Assume the role of an e-commerce photography standards specialist. Your task is to document photography conventions by product category. Generate: 1. CATEGORY CONVENTION REFERENCE | Category | Background | Lighting | Primary Angle | Required Details | |----------|------------|----------|---------------|------------------| | Jewelry | White or black | Soft diffused | Macro (close-up) | Clasp, stone, scale (coin/finger) | | Apparel | White or lifestyle | Soft natural | Full front | Fit, texture, tag, back view | | Electronics | White seamless | Soft even | 45-degree | Screen on, ports, thickness | | Food | White or lifestyle | Warm natural | 45-degree | Texture, layers, steam/heat | | Furniture | Room context | Soft directional | Three-quarter | Scale (person/object), cushions | | Shoes | White | 45-degree soft | 45-degree side | Sole, toe, heel, laces, side | | Cosmetics | White or marble | Soft diffused | 45-degree | Texture, packaging, ingredients | | Books | White or lifestyle | Soft even | Cover front | Spine, back, page thickness | | Home goods | Lifestyle or white | Soft natural | In-context | Scale, texture, multiple angles | 2. AMAZON REQUIREMENTS BY CATEGORY | Category | Minimum Images | Required Angles | Prohibited Elements | |----------|---------------|-----------------|---------------------| | Apparel | 3 | Front, back, detail (fabric) | Mannequins (use model or flat lay) | | Shoes | 4 | Side, top, sole, 45-degree | No feet inside shoes | | Electronics | 5 | Front, back, sides, screen on, ports | Reflections on screen | | Jewelry | 4 | Front, back, clasp, scale reference | No fake stones as primary | | Furniture | 3 | Front, side, detail (material) | Must show scale reference | 3. CONVENTION ADHERENCE VS. DIFFERENTIATION | Category | Follows Convention | Differentiates | Risk | |----------|-------------------|----------------|------| | Jewelry | White background, macro shots | Colored background, artistic lighting | Medium (can look less professional) | | Apparel | Full front view | Movement shot, outdoor setting | Low (lifestyle acceptable) | | Electronics | White background | Lifestyle setting | Medium (may hide features) | | Food | 45-degree angle | Overhead flat lay | Low (both acceptable) | 4. CATEGORY-SPECIFIC PROMPT TEMPLATES **Jewelry (conventional):** `[Product description] macro product photography, soft diffused studio lighting, white background, showing [clasp/stone detail], with a [coin/finger] for scale, e-commerce ready` **Apparel (conventional):** `[Product description] full front view, soft natural light, white background, showing fit and fabric texture, e-commerce product photography` **Electronics (conventional):** `[Product description] on white seamless background, soft even lighting, screen showing [display content], 45-degree angle showing thickness and ports` **Food (conventional):** `[Product description] at 45-degree angle, warm natural window light, fresh ingredients, appetizing food photography` 5. CATEGORY-SPECIFIC MISTAKES TO AVOID | Category | Common Mistake | Correct Approach | |----------|----------------|------------------| | Jewelry | No scale reference | Include coin or finger for size | | Apparel | Flat mannequin only | Add flat lay or on-model | | Electronics | Screen off or reflective | Screen on, diffused light | | Food | Cold, flat lighting | Warm, directional natural light | | Shoes | No sole visible | Always include sole shot | | Furniture | No scale reference | Include person or common object | 6. QUALITY CHECKLIST BY CATEGORY **Jewelry:** - [ ] Macro detail visible (stones, clasps) - [ ] Scale reference present - [ ] No harsh reflections - [ ] White or black background **Apparel:** - [ ] Full garment visible - [ ] Fabric texture visible - [ ] Back view included - [ ] Size tag visible (if relevant) **Electronics:** - [ ] Screen visible and legible - [ ] Ports and buttons visible - [ ] No glare or reflections - [ ] Thickness shown in side view INPUTS: Product category: [E.G., "Jewelry", "Apparel", "Electronics", "Food"] Platform: [AMAZON / SHOPIFY / WEBSITE / MARKETPLACE] Differentiation goal: [FOLLOW CONVENTIONS / MODERNIZE / BREAK CONVENTIONS] Reference image (optional): [PASTE URL OR DESCRIPTION] RULES: - Jewelry requires scale reference (customers cannot judge size otherwise) - Apparel needs fabric texture visible (quality signals) - Electronics need screens visible and readable (product must look functional) - Food needs warm, appetizing light (cool light looks unappealing) - Shoes need sole visible (critical for shoe shoppers) - Furniture needs scale reference (customer cannot judge size otherwise) - Follow conventions for marketplaces, differentiate for brand sites
How To Use It
- Jewelry requires scale reference — customers cannot judge size otherwise.
- Apparel needs fabric texture visible — signals quality and feel.
- Electronics need screens visible and readable — product must look functional.
- Food needs warm, appetizing light — cool light looks unappealing, clinical.
- Shoes need sole visible — critical for shoe shoppers (tread, construction).
- Furniture needs scale reference — customer cannot judge size otherwise.
- Follow conventions for marketplaces, differentiate for brand sites.
Example Input
Product category:
“Jewelry — diamond engagement ring”
Platform:
“AMAZON”
Differentiation goal:
“FOLLOW CONVENTIONS (Amazon requires specific standards)”
Why It Works
Most sellers don’t know category-specific conventions — leading to product images that look out of place and fail to convert.
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- category convention identification (what does the category expect?)
- platform requirement mapping (Amazon vs. Shopify vs. brand site)
- prompt template generation (ready-to-use category-specific prompts)
- mistake prevention (common category-specific errors)
- quality checklist (pre-flight for each product shoot)
Failure modes this prevents:
- Jewelry without scale reference (customer can’t judge size)
- Apparel on mannequins only (Amazon rejects, looks cheap)
- Electronics with glare on screen (looks broken, unprofessional)
- Shoes without sole visible (shoe shoppers expect to see sole)
This improves on: One-style-fits-all product photography. Category-specific conventions meet customer expectations.
Related to: PP-01 (Lighting), PP-02 (Angle), PP-03 (Background) for category-specific execution.
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