A product photography selection checklist starts with what the image must prove

What to take away

Start every supplier score with the job the image must proveconversion, returns reduction or channel compliance.
Present the checklist as tick boxes so a second reviewer can challenge the shortlist.
Ask for unretouched samples shot with your product type, not a curated portfolio.
Check advertising copy clearance through the ASA's Copy Advice before a shoot.
Price the whole workflowbrief, shoot, retouch, delivery and rights.

Step 1: what each image must prove

Write the proof statement before you score any supplier. For marketplace listings, throughput matters. For six hero products, art direction matters. Different purchases need different suppliers. Then score against that.

Checklist:

Image proof criteria

Show product accurately to reduce returns
Meet marketplace image specification first upload
Support any advertising claim planned
Fit channel and licence period

Mark each box Pass, Fail or Follow-up, and record the evidence or owner. Agree how to resolve every Fail before choosing a supplier.

The proof statement names the job for each imageconversion, returns reduction or channel compliance.
The sales channel and its current image specification are recorded; for Amazon listings, check Amazon's product image requirements.
The reviewer can explain what evidence in the finished image will demonstrate the stated job.

Step 2: evidence before any quote

Ask for sample images that match your category and lighting. A jewellery portfolio does not show how a supplier handles matt plastic or reflective packaging.

Evidence before quote

Sample images match category and lighting
Retoucher namedin-house or subcontracted
SoftwarePhotoshop subscription or Capture One perpetual
Process when file fails marketplace spec
Two sector references you can ring

Ask who retouches and whether that person is in-house or subcontracted. Ask whether they use Adobe Photoshop, a subscription product, or Capture One, which offers a perpetual licence. Ask what happens when a file fails your marketplace specification on first upload.

Ask for two references in your sector and ring them. If a supplier cannot name a client who will take the call, treat that as a gap rather than a red flag.

Unretouched samples have been reviewed for the relevant product category and lighting.
The retoucher and their in-house or subcontracted status are recorded, along with the editing software used.
The supplier has explained how it will correct files rejected against the relevant marketplace specification.
Two sector references have been contacted and their feedback recorded.

Step 3: compliance inside the brief

The Advertising Standards Authority's Copy Advice service offers pre-publication guidance on ad content, including imagery. Check proposed claims before a shoot rather than after. Build that check into the checklist with an owner.

Compliance inside the brief

ASA Copy Advice pre-publication check
Check proposed claims before shoot
Assign an owner for compliance check
Re-check LinkedIn ad specs each campaign
Distance selling rules for online images

For paid social, check the current image format and specification for each platform in the campaign, including LinkedIn where relevant. Specifications change, so re-check them each campaign.

Distance selling rules also matter if you sell online and rely on images to describe goods. Check the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) consumer-protection guidance; local Trading Standards services can also advise on enforcement. The linked cancellation rules should be checked against those requirements.

An owner is named to check advertising claims with the ASA's Copy Advice before the shoot.
The current image and ad specifications for each campaign channel have been checked and recorded.
For online sales, an owner has checked the relevant distance-selling requirements and recorded any follow-up.

Step 4: commercial terms

Rights are the line most often missed. Establish whether you get unlimited use, or a licence tied to a channel or period. Ask what a renewal costs before you sign, not after.

Check the reshoot policy. If a batch arrives with the wrong colour cast, who pays for the second shoot, and how quickly?

Check payment terms against your cash cycle. A 30-day invoice against 60-day receipts is a working capital decision. Our guide to product photography reviews and comparison methods for 2027 sets out how to run that comparison fairly across suppliers.

The quote separates the brief, shoot, retouching, file preparation and delivery costs.
Usage rights, channels, licence period and renewal costs are recorded.
The reshoot policy states who pays for corrections and how quickly they will be made.
Payment terms have been checked against the business's cash cycle.

Step 5: supplier operations and file handling

Ask where the shoot happens and who has access to your stock. If products leave your premises, your insurance and theirs both need to cover it.

Ask how files are stored and for how long. WeTransfer free transfers are capped at 2GB, while Dropbox and Google Drive keep version history on paid tiers. Ask which one the supplier uses and who can delete files.

Compare in-house, agency and freelance routes against the same criteria, including who handles the work and how files are managed.

The shoot location, stock access and insurance arrangements are recorded.
File storage, retention, access and deletion responsibilities are agreed.
The transfer method and version-history arrangements meet the team's needs.
The chosen operating model meets the brief and the channel's delivery requirements.

A worked example

A small English retailer needs 150 images a month. For illustration, assume the studio charges £2,000 for two shoot days, £600 for retouching, £150 for file preparation and delivery, and a one-off £500 for a 12-month usage licence. That is £3,250 in month one and £2,750 thereafter.

Compare that with a per-image quote of £22 for 150 images: £3,300 a month, with no separate licence fee. The per-image route costs more over a year but removes the reshoot argument, because each image is priced individually.

Neither is automatically right. The checklist forces both numbers onto one page.

Common questions

How many suppliers should be on a shortlist?

Three is usually enough to test the market. Two makes price comparison weak, and five means you will not read the quotes properly.

Should the checklist differ for video?

Yes. Motion adds questions about editing, music licensing and delivery formats. Run a separate list rather than bolting video onto a stills scorecard.

How often should the checklist be reviewed?

Review it before each seasonal buying cycle, or when a marketplace changes its image specification. Otherwise the list drifts away from what you need.