The Radiant Rhino Series Part 4: How to Get High Quality Product Photos on a Bootstrap Budget

Some tips for your first photoshoot:

1.) If you’re bootstrapped, find ways to get high-quality photos without spending a fortune. At this stage, you don’t yet know if the business will gain traction, but in online businesses, photos matter a lot. They’re often the only thing customers see before deciding to buy. It’s a classic catch-22.

I worked with a student and an upcoming photographer who did great work at a reasonable cost. You might also have a talented friend, neighbor, or even your neighbor's niece who takes suspiciously good photos on an iPhone.

2.) I chose an outdoor photoshoot initially to avoid paying for a studio. You could also shoot at home with good natural light.

Once you see early traction and the brand starts generating revenue, you can invest in more professional photoshoots. That’s exactly what I went on to do.

The photos here show the very first version of the shower steamers, before we changed the size and shape.

Next up: launching the product and the supplier challenges that quietly consumed months of my life, most of my patience, and had me deeply questioning my life choices.