The phone already in your pocket is more than enough. Mid-range phones from the last few years take good enough photos for an online shop. In return, they need good light and a phone that stays still. Find a bright window and rest the phone on something steady, such as a stack of books or a small tripod.
Why the photo has to do the counter's job
Why does it matter so much? Someone buying from home can't touch the product, try it on or look at it up close. In a shop in Gijón, that person would pick it up from the counter and turn it over. On the website, the photo has to do that job.
One background and one method for the whole catalogue
The first thing people notice is how the photos look together. If one mug is shot on the kitchen table and the next on a bedsheet, the catalogue looks pieced together. Choose one background and stick with it. White is the most common choice because it puts all the focus on the product and keeps the page tidy. Keep the distance, the height of the phone and the light the same too. So you don't forget, jot down the measurements for each shot on a sheet of paper and keep a sample photo beside it showing how it should look. That's all you need, with no complicated paperwork.
Clear file names from day one
Name your files from day one, using the product reference and the variant. Something like 'wool-scarf-blue'. When it's time to upload them, you'll find each photo in seconds, and the blue photo won't end up on the red variant.
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A final check before you publish
Before publishing, go over each photo. Check that it's straight and sharp, and that the colour looks like the real thing. The truer the image, the fewer surprises reach the customer's door.
Supplier photos
And what about the photos the supplier sends? They save work, but every shop that sells that product uses the same ones. They say nothing about your business or about the fact that you're in Asturias.
Atmosphere shots and short videos
Make the most of each session to take a few vertical photos with more atmosphere, for example the product on a wooden table or in someone's hand. You can use them on social media, on the shop's home page and for seasonal campaigns without setting up another session. If the product moves, opens or folds, a short video of ten or fifteen seconds with no sound explains it better than any photo. That way people can see how a jumper hangs or how a box opens.
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How to get started
Start small. Pick a few products you sell often and spend a morning photographing them by the window. Put together the sheet with the measurements and the sample photo as you work. Then put the photos side by side on your computer screen. If they look alike, you have the method for the rest of the catalogue.
If you'd rather hand it over
Would you rather someone else took care of the photography and video? Evan & Natalia Simon work from Gijón with brands and businesses all over Asturias, as well as with a few couples on their wedding day. Tell them what you sell and what your shop is like, and you can talk it through together, with no rush.
