July 18, 2023
How to photograph spare parts: a 10-step guide for 2026
Learn how to photograph spare parts step by step: part numbers, lighting for reflective metal, scale, 360° spins, white backgrounds, and bulk publishing.
Where there is light - there is a shadow. In photography it is the shadow that gives us the impression of space - we do not see flat images, but 3-dimensional objects. In an e-store, this tiny detail brings us closer to the real shopping experience and it encourages the customers to reach for

Table of contents
Where there is light – there is a shadow. In photography it is the shadow that gives us the impression of space – we do not see flat images, but 3-dimensional objects. In an e-store, this tiny detail brings us closer to the real shopping experience and it encourages the customers to reach for a product. Just like from a store shelf.
An ideal product image is a photograph which, in a split of a second, becomes a physical, desired object in the customer’s mind. This apparently insignificant detail – shadow – makes us see products as if objects in the surrounding reality: in three dimensions. In product photography, this standard has been used for quite a long time now. What distinguishes the Orbitvu technology is the innovative, extremely fast and easy way of obtaining the final result.

The work of a graphic designer and longer time of project execution have impact upon the final budget of launching new collections on the market. Alphashot Editor – Orbivu’s flagship software, solves this problem by allowing you to get product photographs with a shadow in a fully automatic way, already when they are being taken. The additional time cost is just single seconds more.

Moreover, the software allows you to control the shadow independently from object lighting and provides repeatability in consecutive shots. All this is done at the application level, with a preview and it does not require advanced knowledge of photography. You have also full control over shadow softness, tonality, and location relative to the product. Depending on e-store style, you can fine tune it, save as custom image template and easily produce consistent images of all your products.

The photographs with shadow can be exported for print in the .png format with transparent background or they can be immediately filled with the desired colour and saved in .jpeg format for web use. It is a useful function if you e.g. want to adjust the photos to our website layout. No matter what background is selected (transparent, white, coloured etc.), the shadow will remain in place.
Alphashot is the only automated solution, which lets you achieve consistent packshots with natural shadow without compromising product image quality at a fraction of time and cost of traditional photography.
Natural Shadow

Use the form to tell us what you are planning and what kind of product content workflow you need.
July 18, 2023
Learn how to photograph spare parts step by step: part numbers, lighting for reflective metal, scale, 360° spins, white backgrounds, and bulk publishing.
June 10, 2021
What a packshot is, where it's used, and how to shoot one - camera settings, lighting, angles, tricky packaging, and the image specs marketplaces ask for.
October 8, 2026
AI-generated product images are fast and cheap, but they can drift from the real product. Here is where generated images lose product truth, what makes AI in product photography trustworthy, and how Orbitvu uses AI around the real product, never instead of it.