How to Do Faire Product Photography That Sells: A Definitive Guide
Product photography is one thing we’ve found that consistently holds back fantastic brands on Faire wholesale marketplace. You know the kind: a single image, maybe shot in bad lighting on a kitchen bench. Worse still, a couple of blurry, off-centre photos with no context.
The number one error we see in B2B e-commerce is inadequate or missing photography. The good news? It's something incredibly fixable. In fact, you likely already have much of the right content sitting on your phone or tucked away in Dropbox or Google Drive. You just need to understand what retailers are actually looking for and present your photos with purpose.
This is a complete guide on Faire product photography and why you need it. Read on to discover the buyer psychology behind this photography and the types of photos to take to boost your Faire sales.
Why You Need to Focus on Great Photography
You need to focus on great photography because a good photo doesn't just show your product; it tells a story. It helps the buyer visualize your product on their shelves, in their customers’ hands, and seamlessly integrated into the lifestyle their own store promotes.
There’s a reason your best photo on Instagram gets the most likes, and your most compelling lifestyle product shot drives the most sales. Humans are visual creatures. We process images 60,000 times faster than text.
In the blink of an eye, a potential stockist makes a call about your brand, whether it’s premium, playful, sustainable, affordable, or confusing, purely based on your images. On Faire marketplace, buyers often scroll through dozens of options at once. Therefore, great photography is your first and best shot at standing out.
Buyer Psychology: What They’re Really Looking For
Let’s zoom in on the psychology of a Faire buyer. They are busy and are most probably skimming quickly through hundreds of Faire products in one sitting. Your photos need to make them pause, look and trust your brand.
Faire buyers are asking themselves:
- “Would this look great in my store?”
- “Will it sell?”
- “Is this a brand I can feel proud stocking?”
Great images answer those questions instantly and without a single word of text. You’re not just selling your product; you’re selling their success with your product.
How to Take Product Photos for Faire: The Essential Photo Checklist for Faire Success
You don’t necessarily need a full-scale studio shoot unless you’re a big brand. However, you do need a variety of images that answer key questions for your customer before they even think to ask them. Let’s look at the breakdown of essential shots your Faire brand needs.
1. A Clean, Front-Facing Product Photo
This front-facing product image helps retailers to see exactly what they’re buying at a glance. It is meant to serve as your thumbnail, search image, and first impression.
Why It Matters: This is your hero shot. It drives search results and shapes brand perception. Your product should be on a clean, preferably white, background, professionally lit, and free of distractions. It should show the entire product clearly – front-on, centred, and easy to crop. This image type will be repeated across Faire’s search algorithm and your shop page.
Top Tip: If your brand page is already getting lots of views, optimise your primary product image for what it will look like to retailers purchasing your product. The example below is from our bamboo socks brand. We’ve taken the photos on a white background for clear visibility.
If your page isn’t getting many views, optimise to make your photography pop when people are searching for it on Faire.
2. A Zoomed-In Detail Shot
Take a zoomed-in picture that displays the subtle details of your products. This photo is meant to communicate quality, value, and craftsmanship.
Why It Matters: This builds buyer confidence and helps justify your price point. Show the texture of the material, intricate stitching patterns, packaging detail, or any feature that highlights the details of your Faire products. This type of photo will help answer the question: “Is this actually worth $X?” Strive to help the retailer visualise the product as if it were in their hand.
Go Further: Be sure to highlight premium materials, soft-touch finishes, or precise stitching that signals quality. For example, think of a close-up that reveals the fine weave of a bamboo sock, or the intricate details of an animal design.
3. A Photo Showing the Back of the Product
A photo of the back of the product is meant to clearly display ingredients, certifications and more. This is intended to build buyer trust in your brand.
Why It Matters: Don’t skip this shot! The back of your product is where crucial information about the product exists. This is your chance to show ingredients, materials, care instructions, or eco-credentials in plain sight. Retailers need to know what their customers will see when they pick your product off the shelf.
Ensure that the photo is well-lit, straight-on, and easy to read. Steer clear of weird angles and shadows. If your back packaging includes storytelling, certifications, or highlights social impact like donations, showcase that proudly. This image answers unspoken questions and helps seal the sale.
Go Further: Make any impact story or sustainability claims readable and front-and-centre, potentially using infographics.
4. A Lifestyle Photo
Lifestyle photography is a winner because it helps buyers imagine how their customers will experience your product.
Why It Matters: These photos build emotion and aspiration. You can take it to show your product in use in a real-life setting. For instance, if you sell homewares, style the products on a table or in a cozy home environment. For apparel or accessories, show them being worn naturally. The goal is to help the buyer visualise how their customers will fall in love with it.
Go Further: Use real people, diverse settings, and environments that evoke an emotional connection. There's no upper limit to compelling lifestyle photography. As long as it's relevant to your brand and product, give it a go!
5. An Unboxing & Lifecycle Photos (Optional)
An unboxing photo will create an emotional hook with the customer, show product delight, quality, and ease of use.
Why It Matters: This creates emotional engagement and demonstrates perceived value for the retailer.
- Unboxing: Show the full journey: how it arrives, what’s inside, and how beautifully everything is presented. Start with the packaged product, then show it opened, and finally all its components laid out. This builds perceived value, especially for giftable items or bundles. It answers key questions like, “Does it feel premium?” “Would this make a great present?” and “Is it retail-ready?” Capture the moment of delight and make it easy for buyers to imagine that smile on their customer’s face.
- Lifecycle in Use: Don’t just show what it is – show how it’s used. This type of photo brings your product to life. Whether it’s someone lighting a candle, using a tea towel or infusing tea, showing your product in action helps retailers to picture how their customers will interact with it. These shots build emotional connection and trust, conveying, “This fits into real life,” which is exactly what a busy buyer wants to see. Keep it natural, well-lit, and authentic; bonus points for real hands, genuine settings, and true moments of use.
6. Infographics to Show Off Your USPs
Use infographics to quickly explain product value to your customers on Faire wholesale marketplace. This eliminated the need for them to read a whole paragraph holding these details.
Why It Matters: Infographics make product benefits easy to understand in 3 seconds or less for busy retailers. This is especially powerful for products with unique features or ingredients. A pro tip is to use simple overlays and icons to communicate benefits. For example, “100% bamboo,” “Made in the USA,” “Machine washable,” “Vegan friendly.” A smart infographic can convey information quicker than a paragraph of text.
Go Further: Use branded iconography that’s designed by an experienced graphic designer. Also, maintain a consistent visual style across all products.
7. In Situ On A Retailer’s Display
Showing your products in situ on a retailer’s display helps buyers visualise the display and shelf experience in their own store.
Why It Matters: This answers questions that the retailer might not even know to ask yet. How do other successful retailers display this? What could they do to improve how they sell your products? Is it hangable, or does it sit on a shelf? Seeing it "in the wild" provides practical merchandising ideas.
Go Further: Include examples with hang tags, baskets, shelving setups, or pegboard displays. Showcase any way you anticipate your product can be displayed in a retail environment.
8. Point of Sale (POS) Options
A photo of your point of sales options serves to clearly communicate that you support sell-through and merchandising.
Why It Matters: Makes life easier for stockists and dramatically improves shelf presence. Be transparent about your POS options: what you have, at what price customers can get them for free, and how much they cost retailers to purchase.
POS displays also show retailers how other successful businesses are selling your product. We recommend offering everything from countertop displays to standalone units. Consider selling your POS stands at cost; it's essentially free marketing for your brand.
Go Further: Clearly show what POS items are free, customizable, or purchasable.
9. Objection Handling and FAQs
Including an image showing FAQs will help reduce buyer friction and prevent drop-off or abandoned carts.
Why It Matters: Saves retailers time, reduces cart abandonment, and builds confidence. For every direct message you receive asking about your product, there are likely ten or more questions that go unasked because a busy retailer simply moved on to a clearer competitor.
When considering stocking a brand, a retailer is thinking about making an investment, even if the individual product is inexpensive. They will likely buy a significant quantity, so ensure you support their purchase decision with answers to any common questions.
Side Note for Fashion Businesses: For clothing, an in-depth size guide is absolutely essential.
The Ultimate Faire Photography Strategy: Going Beyond the Photos List
Now that you’ve got your photos list sorted, let’s look at what takes your photos from good to truly great.
1. Consistency
Use the same background, lighting style, and image size across your entire product range. This consistency creates a professional, cohesive look that instils confidence in retailers. If your business photos vary wildly in angle, lighting, and colour tone, it looks amateur, even if the product itself is brilliant.
2. Repeatability
As your product range expands, your new photos should seamlessly match your existing ones. This ensures your entire storefront looks unified, which is exactly what a retailer wants on their shelves, too.
This is where investing in a simple, standardized photo setup or working with a consistent photographer pays off significantly over time.
3. UGC & Social Proof as Photography
Sometimes the best product photos aren’t taken by you at all; they’re created by your loyal customers. Encourage user-generated content, especially if it shows your product in a real-life setting or within a retail environment.
Feature these, with permission from the original owner, on your Faire profile. A shot of your candle in someone’s actual living room or your socks in a happy customer’s story adds undeniable trust and relatability. These photos prove your product isn’t just beautiful, but it’s also loved and used.
4. DIY Photography Tips
(i). For Small Brands: You don’t need to drop a fortune on a professional shoot. Here’s how to create great photos yourself:
- Lighting: Always use natural daylight near a window. Don’t use harsh overhead or yellow indoor lights because they will alter the overall product look.
- Background: Opt for a clean white foam board or a simple, neutral surface for your Faire photography background.
- Stability: Use a tripod or simply lean your phone against a stack of books for a steady shot.
- Editing: Utilise free apps like Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile to brighten, colour correct and enhance the tones of your photos.
- Framing: Keep your product clean and centre aligned. Additionally, shoot in square or vertical formats for versatile platform use.
Remember, good enough beats perfect. Start with what you have and upgrade later.
(ii) Pro Photography Systems (For Medium Brands): You’re growing, with more SKUs, more orders, and more eyes on your brand. It’s time to step up your photography, not just to impress, but to scale consistently. At this stage, you need a repeatable, professional-looking process.
- Hire a Freelance Product Photographer: Look for someone with e-commerce experience. They’ll understand white backgrounds, Faire wholesale specifications, and optimal product angles.
- Build a Reusable Shoot Brief: Create a detailed brief that includes your shot list (product, lifestyle, in situ, etc.), brand tone, desired lighting style, and file naming structure. This makes outsourcing efficient and keeps your brand visually consistent across shoots.
- Batch Your Shoots: Group new products into monthly or quarterly shoots. This saves time, keeps your content fresh, and reduces logistical friction.
- Use Models and Stylists: For apparel, skincare, accessories, or food brands, models and stylists add a human element and build trust by showing products in context.
- Create Reusable Set-ups: If you shoot in-house, invest in versatile backdrops, softbox lights, and a DSLR or high-end smartphone setup. Designate a corner of your warehouse or office as your dedicated “studio.” You’re no longer just winging it; you’re systematically creating assets that work across Faire, your website, social media, and sales decks – every single time.
(iii) Brand-Led Creative Direction (For Large Brands): When you’re operating at scale, having hundreds of SKUs, multiple markets, and wholesale accounts across regions, your photography becomes a core part of your brand equity. It’s no longer just about nice images, it’s about consistency, efficiency, and strategic execution.
- In-house Creative Team or Agency: Either hire dedicated in-house photographers and designers, or retain a trusted creative agency. They will deeply understand your brand identity and maintain a high standard across all product lines.
- Photography Guidelines Document: This is your brand’s visual bible. It should include approved lighting styles, composition rules, model styling guides, lifestyle themes, and precise image specifications (resolution, format, naming conventions).
- Integrated Asset Management: Utilize robust tools like Dropbox Business, Google Drive with structured folders, or full Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems to easily store, tag, and retrieve assets across various teams.
- Multi-market Shoots: Create lifestyle content specifically tailored to different regions – for example, a US, UK, and AUS version of your hero lifestyle photo. This boosts local relevance and appeal.
- Always-on Content Strategy: Develop a rolling calendar of photoshoots that align with product launches, seasonal moments, and marketing campaigns. Think 6–12 months ahead. At this level, great imagery isn't reactive; it's a vital part of your go-to-market engine.
5. File Organisation for Speed & Scale
Organise your photo library in a way that prioritises the products you sell. This is an underrated pro tip. Does this scenario sound familiar?
- You: "Hey Designer, I want to sell more of this one product. Can you make me more content?"
- Designer: "Okay, sure, can you get me some more photos I can use?"
- You: "We already have thousands, why do you need more?"
- Designer: "Where are those photos? I can't find them."
- You: "It's simple! Just go to Content > Photos by Lifestyle > Summer Shoot 2025 Beach > Towels."
- Designer: "?????"
How does this happen? You’ve completed a photoshoot that’s generated hundreds or thousands of photos in a few hours. It’s now time to organise them. But in reality, what often happens? Nothing. They get dumped into a single folder, perhaps titled “SummerShoot2025Beach.”
However, your business doesn’t sell "Summer Shoot Beach 2025;" you sell specifically designed towels or a particular bikini. To avoid this, you should organise your content by product. We recommend organising product listing photos directly by product, for instance, Hedgehog Sock.
That’s it. It’s a simple sort, allowing anyone on your team to easily add new photos and find what they’re looking for. If you’re selling tea towels or candles, organise your content so your team can sell that specific product by moving all photos featuring that product into its dedicated folder.
What about photos with multiple products in them? Duplicate the photo! It costs virtually nothing in real terms. This simple organisational strategy will save you countless hours down the road, especially if you’re uploading to multiple platforms or working with a virtual assistant or marketing assistant.
6. Local Context Matters
Retailers want products that feel relevant to their customers – even if your brand is based somewhere else. A little local context goes a long way.
Are you selling into the US? Show lifestyle shots that reflect US culture and seasons, perhaps featuring scenes with Fourth of July celebrations. For Australia, Summer Christmas, beachy scenes, and bright tones will likely resonate better. Think Byron Bay, not Hyde Park in London.
7. Reflect Your Brand Story Visually
Your photography is an integral part of your brand storytelling. Ensure it speaks your values clearly, even without words.
If your brand emphasizes sustainability, feature photos that highlight nature or eco-friendly practices. If your brand is bold and cheeky, use vibrant colours and playful props. If your brand exudes luxury, focus on minimal, polished environments and sophisticated styling.
Final Word: You Probably Already Have This
To wrap up, product photography for Faire is actually easier than You think ; you probably already have what you need. Try not to let the perfect be the enemy of done. You may already have fantastic content on your Instagram, in your press kits, or from happy customers.
Gather these assets, organise them clearly by product, and make sure they effectively answer the key questions for a Faire buyer. If you’re missing a few crucial shots, simply shoot them. It’s easier than ever to create beautiful, on-brand imagery with just a smartphone and some good natural light.
Great product photography is one of the highest impact moves you can make on Faire wholesale marketplace. It builds trust, tells your brand story, and most importantly, it sells!