A product reference tells an image model what your item actually looks like. Before spending credits on a scene, check whether the input communicates its shape, label, material, and proportions clearly. Better references reduce ambiguity; they do not eliminate the need to review the output.
Choose the clearest view
Use a sharp, well-lit photograph with the whole product visible. A front or gentle three-quarter view usually communicates more than an extreme overhead crop. Avoid screenshots with interface controls, strong beauty filters, or compression that obscures text. If the product is held, make sure fingers do not hide its defining features.
Check the light and color
Use even light that reveals the actual material. Heavy color casts can become mistaken for the product’s color; large blown highlights hide texture and print. For glass and metal, preserve enough reflection to show their form without allowing glare to cover the label.
When exact color is important, compare the input with the real item under suitable viewing conditions. Generated color can still drift, even from a good reference.
Show the details that matter
- Packaging: logo, label text, cap, seams, and outline.
- Clothing: silhouette, closures, print placement, fabric, and hem.
- Jewelry: fastening, stone arrangement, metal finish, and relative size.
- Food or drink: container, portion, texture, and any detail that could become a misleading representation.
A detail image can supplement a wider product view. Keep references compatible: do not mix a previous package design with the current one unless the distinction is explicit. Unseen backs, closures, and undersides may be invented when you ask for a new angle.
Remove distractions carefully
A clean background can help, but background removal is not mandatory for every tool or brief. If you remove it, inspect transparent edges, handles, thin straps, and reflective surfaces. A rough cutout with missing product parts introduces a different problem.
Keep product-truth references separate from mood references. If an inspiration image contains another brand’s bottle, explain that it should guide lighting or composition, not replace your packaging.
Write a short reference note
Use this bottle as the product reference. Keep its short cylindrical shape, cream label, dark cap, and printed logo. The second image guides the warm window light and neutral palette only.
This tells the tool which evidence has which role. Avoid asking for contradictory materials or changing the label as part of a photographic styling experiment.
Run a small test and compare
In Photoshoot Mode, choose the product and supporting references, then test a restrained direction. Compare the output with your reference side by side before expanding the shoot. Check shape, text, scale, reflections, and contact with the environment.
If the input is not clear enough, improve the reference rather than repeatedly paying for attempts to reconstruct missing details. Keep real product photographs for exact factual views.
For the broader workflow, read AI Product Photography: From Reference to Campaign. For the actual studio steps, use the AI photoshoot walkthrough.