How Top Shopify Stores Write Photography Briefs

For CMOs, Directors, and Brand managers, product photography is a strategic lever for conversion and brand equity on Shopify. While lighting and composition are important, the real differentiator is a well-crafted photography brief that aligns with your brand’s technical, operational, and channel-specific requirements.

Shopify brands—whether scaling in-house teams or working with external partners—must provide precise direction to ensure assets are on-brand, conversion-optimized, and ready for cross-channel deployment. Without this, even technically sound photos can underperform or require costly rework.

A photography brief is the blueprint that drives alignment, efficiency, and measurable results for your Shopify product imagery.

Why a Photography Brief Matters for Shopify Success

A robust photography brief is foundational for Shopify brands aiming to outperform in a crowded ecommerce landscape. On Shopify, product images are a primary driver of conversion, brand trust, and operational efficiency.

Why briefs matter for Shopify:

• Conversion impact: High-resolution product images correlate with a 94% higher conversion rate compared to low-quality alternatives. Shopify’s image gallery and zoom features demand assets that are both technically optimized and visually compelling.
• Brand consistency: Cohesive imagery across your store enhances perceived professionalism and trust, especially when competing with larger retailers.
• Technical alignment: Shopify’s platform has specific requirements for image size, aspect ratio, and compression. Images optimized for Shopify load faster, display correctly on mobile, and integrate seamlessly with your theme.
• Cross-channel differentiation: Unlike Amazon or Walmart, Shopify allows for greater creative freedom but also requires more proactive asset management to ensure consistency across DTC, marketplaces, and social.

Advanced Case Studies & Data:

• ASOS increased conversion rates by 86% after implementing 360-degree product views and AR features, illustrating the ROI of advanced photography techniques specified in detailed briefs.
• Shopify brands using 2048 x 2048 px images with optimized compression report up to 30% faster page load times and a 12% lift in mobile conversion rates (Shopify Plus, 2023).
• Brands that standardize briefs for cross-channel asset creation reduce post-production costs by 25% and cut time-to-market for new SKUs by 40% (Nielsen Norman Group, 2022).

Your brief is a strategic tool that drives revenue, operational efficiency, and brand equity across Shopify and beyond.

Your main product pages need detailed, high-quality images that show items from multiple angles. Including 360-degree views in photography briefs can reduce return rates by 35% by providing customers with a comprehensive understanding of products before purchase. These photos typically appear in a gallery format where customers can zoom in to see details.

Determine Where Your Photos Will Live

Asset requirements differ significantly between Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, DTC, and social platforms. Strategic planning for asset usage and compliance is essential to maximize ROI and minimize rework.

Web Product Pages

Shopify product pages demand high-resolution, multi-angle images—typically in a square (1:1) aspect ratio for consistent display across devices. Advanced briefs should specify:

• Primary image specs: 2048 x 2048 px JPEGs for zoom functionality and fast loading.
• Thumbnail and zoom variants: Separate crops or compression levels as needed.
• Compliance: Shopify allows creative flexibility, but Amazon, for example, mandates pure white backgrounds and minimum pixel dimensions (1000 x 1000 px).

Actionable insight: If assets will be repurposed for Amazon or Walmart, include both Shopify and marketplace specs in your brief to streamline production and avoid costly reshoots.

Collection Grids

Collection pages require smaller, uniform images that look cohesive in a grid. Specify:

• Consistent backgrounds and lighting: Ensures a professional, browsable collection.
• Cropping standards: Uniform cropping for visual alignment across SKUs.
• Cross-channel considerations: Walmart and other marketplaces may require different aspect ratios or background treatments.

Homepage and Banners

Homepage banners and hero images are typically horizontal, high-impact, and often feature lifestyle photography. For Shopify:

• Exact dimensions: Match your theme’s requirements to avoid cropping or distortion.
• File size optimization: Large banners must load quickly without sacrificing quality.
• Repurposing: Social ads and email banners may require alternate crops or aspect ratios—plan for these in your brief.

Social Media and Ads

Social and paid channels have unique requirements:

• Platform-specific specs: Instagram favors square or vertical, Facebook prefers horizontal, and TikTok requires vertical video or imagery.
• Lifestyle vs. product focus: Social often demands more aspirational, lifestyle-driven imagery than product pages.
• Compliance: Amazon and Walmart may restrict lifestyle images for main product listings.

Best practice: Build a matrix of required asset specs by channel and include it in your brief to ensure all deliverables are captured in a single production cycle.

Steps to Build a Successful Brief

For experienced brand leaders, the focus shifts from basic instructions to advanced, Shopify-specific best practices and strategic alignment across channels.

1. Objective, Scope, and Budget

Define the commercial objectives behind your imagery—whether launching SKUs, supporting a campaign, or refreshing evergreen content. Detail:

• Product list: Include SKUs, colorways, and variants for precise asset planning.
• Channel mapping: Indicate which assets are for Shopify, marketplaces, social, or DTC.
• Budget allocation: Prioritize high-impact assets and consider economies of scale for cross-channel production.

2. Brand Identity and Target Audience

Go beyond style adjectives—provide actionable brand guidelines and audience insights:

• Visual identity: Reference your digital brand book, specifying color profiles, logo usage, and model demographics.
• Target personas: Share data on your core customer segments to inform casting, styling, and context.
• Competitive benchmarks: Include reference imagery from top-performing competitors or aspirational brands.

3. Style Guidelines and Lighting Preferences

Specify advanced requirements:

• Backgrounds: Define when to use pure white, environmental, or branded backgrounds based on channel and asset type.
• Lighting: Detail lighting setups for consistency (e.g., strobe vs. natural, color temperature).
• Feature callouts: Identify product details requiring macro shots or special treatment (e.g., reflective surfaces, texture).

Example style guidelines:

• Clean white background for main product images (Shopify, Amazon)
• Natural window light for lifestyle shots (social, homepage)
• Multi-angle coverage: front, side, back, and detail
• Close-ups of key features (zippers, stitching)
• Model usage: neutral poses, diverse representation as per brand guidelines

4. Technical Requirements for Shopify

Shopify’s infrastructure rewards technically optimized assets:

• File formats: JPEG for most product images; PNG for transparency.
• Pixel dimensions: 2048 x 2048 px for main images; specify alternates for banners or thumbnails.
• Compression: Balance quality and load speed—Shopify auto-compresses, so test uploads for artifacts.
• Color profiles: Use sRGB for web consistency; avoid Adobe RGB to prevent color shifts.
• Naming conventions: Standardize filenames for asset management and SEO (e.g., sku_color_angle.jpg).
• Mobile-first composition: Ensure critical details remain visible at small sizes.

5. Timeline and Deliverables

Set clear, phased milestones:

• Shoot planning and pre-production
• Photography session(s)
• First edit delivery
• Feedback and revision cycles (define scope for included revisions)
• Final asset delivery (specify delivery method and folder structure)

Deliverables: List asset counts by type, channel, and format. Include requirements for alternate crops, retouching, and metadata (e.g., alt text for accessibility).

How to Approach Shopify Briefs Differently Than Briefs for Other Retailer Channels

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Key Takeaway: Build briefs that anticipate cross-channel needs. Specify all technical and creative requirements up front to streamline production and maximize asset utility.

Creating a Do's and Don'ts List for Photographers

A clear Do's and Don'ts list serves as a quick reference guide for photographers. This standardized guide helps maintain consistency across all visual content while avoiding common pitfalls. Plus, these lists can be reused across internal teams and social media departments.

The best do’s and don’ts lists act as a style guide of sorts that are very brand specific (as opposed to generalized). This ensures that the photographers adhere to your style guide, increasing the likelihood that the assets meet your requirements (and minimizing the need for any re-work).

Here’s an example of a do’s and don’ts list from a real soona customer:

For Product Photography:

Do:

• Ensure products of the same category are in the exact same place
• When photographing shirts, ensure the bottom of the shirt is perfectly straight
• Use the shoulder seam down the shirt to guide where you fold the sides/armpits

Don’t:

• Stretch the fabric (opt for using pins to create more dimension and texture)
• Button the top button on any shirts

This list can be easily shared with in-house teams, external photographers, and social media managers to ensure visual consistency across all channels. Update it periodically as your brand evolves and as you learn what performs best with your audience.

Additional Considerations for Editing and Post-Production

Advanced editing for Shopify requires attention to platform-specific nuances:

• Image compression: Shopify auto-compresses images on upload. Test final assets to ensure no visible artifacts or color degradation.
• Color profile handling: Always export in sRGB to maintain color fidelity across browsers and devices. Avoid Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB.
• Accessibility: Provide alt text for all images to meet accessibility standards and improve SEO. Ensure sufficient color contrast and clarity for users with visual impairments.
• Background consistency: For white backgrounds, specify RGB values (e.g., #FFFFFF) to avoid mismatched tones across assets.
• File size optimization: Request web-optimized images that balance quality and speed. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim before upload.
• Multi-platform versions: If assets will be used on Amazon, Walmart, or social, request alternate crops, aspect ratios, and background treatments as needed.

By addressing these advanced requirements in your brief, you ensure assets are ready for Shopify’s infrastructure and adaptable for future channel expansion.

FAQs About Shopify Photography Briefs

How do I streamline asset delivery for multiple channels?

Centralize your asset requirements in a single brief, specifying technical specs, cropping, and compliance for each channel (Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, social). Use a shared folder structure and standardized naming conventions to facilitate efficient delivery and future repurposing.

What are the most common technical pitfalls for Shopify image uploads?

• Uploading images in non-sRGB color profiles, resulting in color shifts.
• Over-compressing assets before upload, leading to double compression and quality loss.
• Failing to meet minimum pixel dimensions for zoom features (2048 x 2048 px recommended).
• Inconsistent backgrounds or aspect ratios, disrupting store layout.

How do I ensure brand consistency across Shopify and other retailer sites?

Develop a master brand guideline that includes technical specs, visual style, and compliance notes for each channel. Reference this in every brief and use batch editing workflows to maintain consistency across all assets.

Can I use the same photos across Shopify, Amazon, and social media?

While some images can be repurposed, each channel has unique requirements. Plan for alternate crops, backgrounds, and compliance edits in your brief to maximize asset utility and avoid costly reshoots.

How detailed should my Shopify photography brief be?

A brief should be concise yet comprehensive—typically 1-2 pages—covering objectives, technical specs, channel requirements, and timelines. Include reference images and a matrix of deliverables to ensure clarity for all stakeholders.

Moving Forward With Your Photography Projects

A strategically crafted photography brief is a force multiplier for Shopify brands. It aligns creative vision with technical execution, accelerates production, and ensures assets are ready for omnichannel deployment.

Define your objectives, codify your brand standards, and anticipate cross-channel requirements from the outset. Leverage data and reference imagery to communicate expectations clearly.

Investing in advanced product photography—and the briefs that drive it—delivers measurable ROI in conversion, brand equity, and operational efficiency.

This is a guest post written by the team at Platter. To see how optimized images can integrate with your overall store design and improve conversion rates, book a demo with the Platter team.