Merch photography — make products look 50% more premium

Pro shots multiply perceived value: (1) Lighting: soft diffused side-light (no harsh shadows). White cardboard reflector or lightbox for small items. (2) Background: solid color (white/grey/cream) — no patterns. Light grey shows neutral. (3) Composition: rule of thirds, off-center subject. Show scale with hand or another known object. (4) Detail shots: close-up of stitching, embroidery, laser engraving — premium signal. (5) Lifestyle shots: in-use context (drinking from mug at desk) outperforms catalog white-bg by 3x engagement. (6) Color accuracy: photograph against Pantone fan for color reference. Edit: minimal — saturation +5%, contrast +5%, no extreme retouching.