In a technical catalogue, photographs do a specific job: they let a buyer confirm that the product on the page is the product they need. A good shot list decides, before anyone picks up a camera, which images remove doubt — and which ones are only decoration.
Start from the buyer's questions, not the camera
Before planning shots, list what a buyer has to check by eye when comparing your product with a drawing, a specification or a competitor's part. For an industrial product, that usually means overall form, end connections or mounting points, surface finish, markings and size. Each of those questions should map to at least one photograph. Anything a buyer would not use to decide can be left out or moved to a section opener.
The core shot list for each product
- Hero shot — the product alone, in its most recognisable angle, on a consistent background
- Comparison angles — front, side or top views, whichever show the dimensions buyers compare
- Connection or interface detail — threads, flanges, ports, terminals, mounting holes
- Markings and labels — grade, standard, rating or part-number marking, legible in the photo
- Finish and texture — a close crop where coating, polish or material is part of the specification
- Scale reference — a hand, ruler or familiar object, or a consistent camera distance across a range
- Variants — one image per visually different variant; variants that look identical can share a shot
Keep a range consistent
A catalogue is read as a set. If one valve is shot from above on grey and the next from the side on white, the buyer cannot compare them at a glance. Agree a small set of fixed rules for the whole range — background, lighting direction, camera height, angle, crop and shadow treatment — and write them at the top of the shot list. A consistent set also lets the designer use a single page grid, which makes the catalogue faster to read and cheaper to update.
Detail shots that prevent questions
Most catalogue enquiries that start with "does it have…" can be answered by one well-planned close-up. Typical examples: the thread type on a fitting, the cable entry on an enclosure, the edge finish on a sheet product, or the nameplate on a machine. Mark these on the shot list as required, not optional, and check them on the day before the product is packed away.
Context and application images
Installed or in-use photographs help a buyer understand where the product goes, and they make section openers and the company story more credible. They are not a substitute for clean product shots. Plan them separately, get permission to photograph customer sites, and avoid showing confidential plant details or other brands' equipment.
What to prepare before the shoot
- A final product list with codes, so every shot can be named consistently
- Clean, undamaged samples of each product and variant
- The fixed rules for background, angle and lighting
- A required-shot column marking the detail images buyers rely on
- A file-naming scheme that matches the product codes
- Who signs off the images, and by when
Rights and approvals
Agree in writing that you own or can use the photographs for print, PDF and the website. If people appear in factory or site images, get their consent. Keep the approved originals in one place with the product codes, so the next edition of the catalogue does not start from zero. When the photography is ready, the next decision is how it is used in print and on screen — see our guide on print catalogue vs digital PDF.
Frequently asked questions
For most technical products, three to five: a clean hero shot, the key angles a buyer compares, one detail of markings or connections, and a scale reference. Add more only where variants look different.
Only if you have the rights and the photo shows your actual product. Generic stock images of similar parts make a catalogue less trustworthy and can create disputes about what was offered.
Use a plain, consistent background for the product pages so items can be compared, and keep in-context or application shots for section openers and the company story.
Ask for full-resolution, colour-corrected files with the background cleaned, plus the raw files where possible. The designer prepares separate versions for print and for the PDF.
We plan, art-direct and design product catalogues.
Corpfolio builds technical catalogues from a clear product structure and a shot list that shows buyers what they need. See our product catalogue design service.