There are several key factors which need to be considered for every catalogue photo.
Since a catalogue photo's prime purpose is to help sell the product, it's essential to make sure that every single one of these important factors is considered carefully, to give your brand the best chance of succeeding in a fiercely competitive marketplace.
One of the first factors which needs to be considered is clarity.
Obviously it makes sense that you should make sure your catalogue photo portrays the product in an unequivocal way, clearly displaying the product in a way which is neither confusing nor distracting, giving customers the best chance of seeing exactly what the product looks like.
This is easier said than done of course, and there are many hurdles on the road to creating an advertising photo which achieves this.
Many items of jewellery can end up looking like glass, mirrors can reflect the studio or the lights in a way which is distracting, and food can often look distinctly inedible unless you can set up a full shoot that lasts no more than a few minutes.
Clarity is important, but it isn't the only factor to consider.
Another element in the success or failure of a catalogue photo is how effectively it stands out and attracts the attention not just of anyone, but of your target audience.
If you have ever found your attention captured by a particular advert, poster or photo you might well want to ask yourself why.
What was it about that particular photo which caught your eye, and what was it about the many other images nearby which didn't? The answer is probably that the image or photo was designed to target you in some way.
Perhaps it's lifestyle, aspirations or attitude, but an advertising photo has to be able to reach out - it's not just about showing a product clearly, it's also about selling it effectively.
A third issue to consider is originality.
This is important because you need your brand to stand apart from the many other companies out there selling the same or similar products.
It may just be a pencil, but how can you photograph it in a way which is both clear, and appealing to your target audience, as well as portraying it in an original way? Perhaps you notice that most of your competitors are showing the whole pencil, which will necessarily be from a distance, and you consider that you can show your product clearly by having a very close up shot of just the tip and first half inch of the pencil.
Perhaps a grainy, textured sheet of parchment is underneath with an artistic pencil mark elegantly positioned in shot, and with a soft focus around the edges.
This is just one way in which you can show a picture clearly, in a way which might appeal to your target audiences (calligraphers, artists etc) and yet shows your product in a way which is more original than that being used by your competitors.
A fourth issue is of course cost, because for many small and medium sized businesses it can be impossible to afford the high costs charged by many professional catalogue photo studios.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that although you may have seen prices advertised which are simply beyond your budget, that doesn't mean to say that there aren't still studios willing to help you.
In fact there are professional packshot photography studios charging less than £10 for a professional catalogue photo shoot, and they'll almost certainly be able to help deliver on the other three aspects too, including clarity, appeal and originality.
If you're looking to sell your product, rather than simply admire how full your warehouse is, then make sure every catalogue photo you use adheres to these four factors.