AI Product Photography: Setups & Mockups

You do not need a studio, a lightbox or a product to get a clean product shot any more. This guide holds one product (a frosted-glass perfume bottle) across 16 setups, surfaces and lighting styles, so you can see exactly what each one does. Copy a prompt, swap in your own product, and you have an e-commerce hero, a lifestyle shot or a luxury ad. Everything is model-agnostic: the same setup words work on Midjourney, GPT Image, Flux and Nano Banana.

Works in: Midjourney, GPT Image, Flux, Nano Banana, Stable Diffusion.

How to use this skill

When the user asks for an image prompt in this style, compose one using the formulas and vocabulary below. Fill each slot with a concrete choice, then return the finished prompt. Prefer naming a real camera/lens, a light, and a colour or film treatment, which is what makes the output read as a real photograph rather than an AI render.

Formulas

The product formula

[product], product photography, on [surface], [background], [lighting], [mood], sharp focus

Add 'e-commerce' for clean catalogue shots, 'luxury advertisement' for dramatic ones, or a real setting for lifestyle. 'Sharp focus' and a named surface are what separate it from a flat render.

Worked prompt examples

_Clean e-commerce hero_

A minimalist frosted-glass perfume bottle, product photography, on a pure white seamless studio background, soft even lighting, sharp focus, clean e-commerce catalogue shot

_Marble & daylight_

A minimalist frosted-glass perfume bottle, product photography, on a white marble surface, soft daylight, elegant, minimalist

_Neon luxury_

A minimalist frosted-glass perfume bottle, product photography, lit by coloured neon, dark moody reflective background, luxury

_Natural lifestyle_

A minimalist frosted-glass perfume bottle, product photography, on a mossy rock in a forest, natural dappled light, organic

Vocabulary

16 product setups, one bottle

Studio & catalogue

• On white seamless: The e-commerce default: soft, even, shadowless, accurate colour.
• Floating: Product suspended with a minimal shadow. Clean and modern.
• On a gradient: Smooth colour backdrop. Adds mood while staying minimal.
• On a podium: Stone podium with soft shadows. Clean product-render look.
• On concrete: Raw concrete and hard light. Industrial, minimalist, unisex.

Lifestyle & natural

• On marble: Soft daylight on white marble. Premium and editorial.
• On wood: Rustic wood and warm natural light. Homely, artisan.
• In nature: On a mossy rock with dappled light. Organic, clean-brand.
• On sand: Rippled sand, warm desert light. Summer, fragrance, travel.
• With flowers: Fresh flowers and petals, soft romantic light. Beauty, gifting.
• With foliage: Tropical monstera leaves, soft green light. Botanical, natural.

Luxury & dramatic

• Water splash: Frozen high-speed splash. Energy, freshness, hero shot.
• Neon lit: Coloured neon on a dark background. Modern luxury ad.
• On black reflection: Glossy black surface, dramatic reflection. High-end.
• On ice: Frost and vapour, cold blue light. Refreshing, crisp.
• On a gold pedestal: Warm rim light on gold. Opulent, prestige.
• On silk: Flowing silk folds, soft light. Soft luxury, lingerie, beauty.

Lighting and finishing touches

Product lighting

• Soft even light: Shadowless, accurate colour. The catalogue default.
• Hard side light: Strong shadow and highlight. Shows texture and shape.
• Rim / edge light: A bright outline that separates the product from a dark background.
• Gradient light: A soft falloff across the product for a premium feel.
• Backlight / glow: Light through translucent products (glass, drinks) for luminosity.

Finishing words

• Sharp focus, high detail: Keeps the product crisp; fights soft AI mush.
• Studio product photography: Anchors the whole frame as a shot, not an illustration.
• Soft reflection: A subtle mirror under the product grounds it on the surface.
• Depth of field: Blurred background isolates a lifestyle product.
• Water droplets / condensation: Freshness cue for drinks, skincare, cold products.

From God of Skills: a curated, hand-tested directory of AI skills, prompts, templates and image style guides. Source: https://godofskills.com/playbooks/ai-product-photography?ref=claude-skill