Product Photography at Unit 13: From Small Items to Full Fashion Lookbooks
Not every product shoot needs the same setup. A pair of earrings, a skincare bottle, a sneaker, and a full fashion collection all photograph completely differently — and the right studio setup makes the difference between images that look "fine" and images that actually sell. At Unit 13, product photography is one of the things we shoot most often, and our studio is built to handle the full range: from small e-commerce items to large flatlays and complete fashion lookbooks.
Here's how we approach each type, and how to plan a product shoot that gets you exactly what you need.
Small products: built for detail, on our Studiokings product table
Jewelry, cosmetics, tech accessories, small packaging, food and drink — anything that lives or dies on fine detail needs a setup built specifically for that scale. That's exactly what our Studiokings product photography table is for. It's designed to give small products clean, seamless backgrounds and controlled, even lighting, without the shadows and reflections that ruin close-up e-commerce shots when they're photographed on a standard backdrop.
This setup is ideal for:
E-commerce product listings that need a consistent, clean background across a whole catalogue
Jewelry and accessories that require precise, glare-free lighting
Cosmetics and skincare, where reflective packaging is notoriously difficult to shoot well
Small tech and lifestyle products that need a premium, editorial look
Because all lighting gear is already included in every hourly booking, you're not paying separately to rent the flashes and modifiers that make this kind of precise product work possible — it's simply part of the studio.
Bigger items and flatlays: styling that tells a story
Once a product is too large for the table setup — or when the shot itself calls for a styled, overhead composition — flatlay photography takes over. Flatlays are especially popular for fashion, lifestyle, and multi-product compositions, where the arrangement of items matters as much as the items themselves: think a styled outfit laid out with accessories, a curated product bundle, or a seasonal collection shot from above.
Our studio space gives you the room to build these compositions properly — background paper, surface options, and space to style and reshoot a layout until it's right, without fighting a cramped setup. This is also where having a studio manager on-site genuinely helps: getting flatlay lighting even across a larger surface is one of the trickier lighting setups to get right, and having someone available to adjust it with you saves real time.
Flatlays work well for:
Fashion collections and multi-item outfit shots
Gift sets, bundles, and seasonal product ranges
Social media and campaign content that needs a styled, editorial feel
Brands that want a consistent visual identity across many product posts
Fashion photography and full lookbooks
Product photography and fashion photography often blend together — especially for apparel brands that need both clean product shots and styled, worn imagery for the same collection. Unit 13 is set up for both in the same session. Our artist room gives models and stylists space for hair, make-up, and outfit changes between looks, so a full lookbook shoot can move from one styled setup to the next without losing momentum.
A typical lookbook or fashion session at Unit 13 might combine:
Clean, on-model product shots for the online store
Styled editorial looks against different backdrops
Detail shots of fabric, texture, and construction
Flatlay or table shots of the same pieces for social and marketing use
Because the studio books by the hour with all gear included, you can plan a single longer session that covers all of this in one visit rather than booking separate shoots for product and fashion imagery. If you're not sure how much time a lookbook shoot like this needs, our guide on how many hours you need in a photo studio breaks it down by shoot type.
Planning your product photography session
A few things worth deciding before you arrive, regardless of which setup you need:
Know your end use first. E-commerce listings, social content, and print catalogues often need different crops, backgrounds, and aspect ratios — decide this before shooting, not while editing.
Bring backup product units where possible, especially for anything fragile, reflective, or easily marked — a spare saves a shoot when the first unit picks up a fingerprint or scratch.
Pack styling props and materials in advance if you're building flatlays — fabric, greenery, small accessories, and surface materials all shape the final composition.
Batch by setup, not by product. If the Studiokings table is set up and lit, shoot every small item that needs it before moving to flatlay or fashion setups — resetting lighting types costs more time than switching products within one setup.
Ask your studio manager for a lighting check before you start shooting each new setup type — a few minutes of adjustment upfront saves a much longer reshoot later.
See it in action
You can browse examples of past productions — including product, fashion, and campaign work — in our productions gallery. If you want to see the exact lighting and gear available for your shoot, check our full gear list before booking.
Ready to book your product shoot?
Whether it's a single product on the Studiokings table, a styled flatlay, or a full fashion lookbook, Unit 13 is built to handle it — with gear included, a studio manager on hand, and 24/7 access if your schedule needs it. Check hourly rates or book the studio directly, or get in touch if you'd like help planning the right setup for your shoot first.
