How to Take a Photo Without Shadow: 3 Practical Methods & AI Tool Recommended

As an e-commerce seller, you know that product photos play a crucial role in converting visitors into buyers. However, one common challenge that sellers face is the presence of shadows in their product images. Shadows can distract from the product details, create a poor visual impression, and even make your listings appear less professional. This can cause potential customers to hesitate before making a purchase, ultimately impacting sales.

But here's the catch: while many sellers are looking for a low-cost way to resolve this issue, they also want to maintain the professional look of their photos. The good news is, with the right shooting techniques and AI-powered tools, you can easily eliminate shadows and enhance your product images without breaking the bank.

In this article, we will discuss three practical methods for shooting shadow-free product photos and introduce AI tools, such as Aiarty Image Matting, to help you remove shadows in post-processing quickly and efficiently.

100% Shadow-Free Photos Guarantee with Aiarty Image Matting

Shadows in product images can significantly hurt e-commerce sales. They obscure details, reducing perceived product quality and brand trust. This can lead to increased returns when products don't match online expectations. Poor image quality, including shadows, can also negatively impact SEO rankings on platforms like Amazon and eBay.

Fortunately, Aiarty Image Matting can eliminate shadows completely and even remove & replace backgrounds.

• Extract subject without shadow of any images, from product photography to AIGC images with complex elements (translucency, lace, hair).
• Replace with solid colors or lifestyle scenes background for the shadow-free subjects.
• Upscale photos by 2x to refine realistic details when zoomed in, no bluriness, noise and pixelation.
• Local processing for privacy protection. Batch processing up to 3000 images simultaneously.

Try Aiarty Image Matting to remove shadow from photos now!

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3 Practical Methods to Eliminate Shadows in Product Photography

Even though post-production tools can help remove shadows, it’s still ideal to capture the best possible photos during shooting. Here are three methods you can use to reduce or eliminate shadows during the product photography process:

Method 1: Natural Light + Diffuser

Leveraging natural light is a simple and cost-effective way to minimize shadows in product photography. This method works best when the light source is already diffused, such as on a cloudy day. Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. Position your product in a well-lit area, ideally near a large window. Avoid direct sunlight, as it creates harsh shadows. Cloudy days provide naturally diffused light, which is ideal.

2. Use a diffuser can further soften any remaining shadows even on a cloudy day. A simple white sheet, a translucent curtain, or a professional lighting diffuser can effectively scatter the light, creating a more even illumination. Place the diffuser between the light source (window) and your product.

What is best for: This technique is particularly well-suited for small products with intricate details, such as jewelry, cosmetics, watches, or small electronics. The soft, diffused light highlights these details without creating distracting shadows.

Limitation: The primary limitation of relying on natural light is the lack of consistent control. Weather conditions can change rapidly, affecting the quality and availability of light. While diffusion helps, this method may not completely eliminate all shadows, especially for larger products or those with complex shapes. Additionally, you are limited by the direction and intensity of the available natural light.

Method 2: Ring Light + White Background

A ring light is a fantastic tool for achieving even lighting and minimizing or eliminating shadows in product photography. Its circular design provides a consistent, direct light source that wraps around the subject.

Materials Needed: A cardboard box, white fabric (like a bedsheet or cotton cloth), and a table lamp.

1. Position your product in front of the ring light. Ensure the product is centered within the ring to achieve even illumination.

2. Adjust the ring light's angle and brightness to ensure even coverage across the product. Experiment with different angles to find the most flattering light for your subject. Slight adjustments in the ring light's position relative to the product can dramatically impact the final image.

3. Place your white background behind the product. Make sure there's enough distance between the product and the background to avoid shadows being cast on the background itself.

4. Strategically position your reflective materials (foam boards, etc.) around the product to bounce light back onto it, filling in any remaining shadows and creating a more even, professional look. Experiment with the placement of these reflectors to achieve the desired effect.

What is best for: Ring lights are particularly well-suited for medium-sized products like cosmetics, small electronics, fashion accessories, jewelry (although careful attention to reflections is needed), and even food photography. They are also commonly used for portrait photography and videography due to the flattering, even light they produce.

Limitations: While relatively affordable, a ring light setup requires an initial investment. Achieving perfect results often necessitates manual adjustments to the light's position, brightness, and reflector placement. Fine-tuning these elements is crucial to eliminate harsh shadows and ensure even illumination for professional-looking product photos.

Method 3: DIY Softbox (Low-Cost Solution)

For those on a tight budget, a DIY softbox offers a surprisingly effective way to achieve soft, shadow-free lighting for product photography. It's a great option for small-scale operations or sellers who need to photograph smaller items in bulk.

Materials Needed: A cardboard box, white fabric (like a bedsheet or cotton cloth), and a table lamp.

1. Cut a hole in one side of the cardboard box. This hole should be large enough to allow the light from your table lamp to shine through, but not so large that it creates harsh shadows.

2. Cover the hole on the inside of the box with your white fabric. Secure the fabric so it's taut and evenly diffuses the light. This is the key element of your softbox.

3. Place your product inside the box. Experiment with the positioning to ensure the light from the lamp, diffused by the fabric, illuminates the product from various angles. You may need to move the lamp around to find the optimal position.

4. Position your table lamp so that the light shines through the hole and the diffused fabric onto your product.

What is best for: This DIY softbox setup is ideal for small-scale product photography, particularly for sellers who need to photograph smaller items like jewelry, handmade crafts, or other small goods in bulk. It's a cost-effective solution for creating consistent lighting.

Limitations: Setting up a DIY softbox is time-consuming. Best suited for small product batches, it's impractical for large-scale photography. The box size also limits the size of products you can photograph effectively.

How to Remove Shadows Using Aiarty Image Matting

While these shooting methods—utilizing natural light with diffusers, ring lights, or DIY softboxes—can significantly reduce shadows in product photography, they may not completely eliminate them, especially when dealing with complex subjects or challenging lighting conditions. Here’s where AI tools like Aiarty Image Matting come in handy.

Aiarty Image Matting's background replacement overcomes the shooting limitations that shadow can persist even with optimal lighting due to factors like product shape and camera angle. It enables users to isolate shadow-free subject with fine details, replace background for e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Esty etc. Besides, the batch processing multiple images is invaluable for businesses handling extensive product catalogs.

Free download this AI shadow remover to have a try!

Detailed guide for removing shadow with Aiarty Image Matting

Step 1. Launch Aiarty Image Matting and drag and drop to load your photos with shadow. You can load multiple photos, up to 3000 simultaneously.

Step 2. Choose AI model acoording to your source image, then click "Start" to isolate subject from background without shadow. After then, refine with Eraser, Brush, Dodge, Burn if needed.

Tips for choosing AI model:

• AlphaStandard V2 excels with semi-transparent objects.
• AlphaEdge V2 is optimized for sharp edges and silhouettes.
• EdgeClear V2 performs best on detailed objects.
• SolidMat V2 is ideal for solid objects.

Step 3. To change the background, check the "Background" option under Effects. You can then choose a solid color, create a gradient, or use a custom image as your new background.

Step 4. Click "Single Export" for individual image export. If you're working with multiple images, use "Batch Export" for faster processing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, achieving shadow-free product photos doesn’t need to be complicated. By using the right lighting techniques and combining them with powerful AI tools like Aiarty Image Matting, you can produce professional-grade images that will enhance your e-commerce listings and drive sales. For e-commerce sellers looking to save time and money while producing high-quality images, we highly recommend combining optimized shooting methods with AI-powered editing tools.

Try Aiarty Image Matting today and see how much easier and faster shadow removal can be.