Can I shoot good product photos on my phone, or do I need to book a studio?
For most first collections, a phone (rear camera, a tripod, a roll of white paper and window light) gets you launch-ready shots - the gap between amateur and clean isn't the camera, it's a tripod, locked focus/exposure and consistent light, not gear you can't afford yet. Once you're shooting 50+ SKUs a month or need model/lifestyle work, an Indian studio or freelancer (roughly ₹75-300 per image in Delhi/Bangalore, less in Tier-2, numbers change) pays for itself in turnaround and consistency. Start on your phone to validate the catalogue; graduate to a studio when volume or category (jewellery, food, fine fabric) demands control you can't get handheld.
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4 resources, 1 India-specific, 4 link-checked.
📄 Article
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The single best starting point for founders shooting their own catalogue - covers phone-only setups, budget lighting tricks and when it's time to graduate to a proper studio, all in one guide from the platform most Indian D2C stores run on.
A short, visual walkthrough of the exact phone-photography setup founders actually need - watch this before you buy any equipment, since seeing the light and framing beats reading about it.
The rupee-native pricing reference this category needs - what a studio or freelancer shoot actually costs in India by product type and volume, so a founder can budget instead of guessing.
A current, tool-by-tool comparison of Claid, Photoroom and Pebblely - exactly the shortlist a founder needs before paying for AI background generation instead of a reshoot. Written by one of the category's own players but genuinely useful as a map of what each tool is best at.
