Why real e-commerce photography still beats AI-generated imagery
Written by S8 Team
We recently launched our brand-new creative studio in Portugal (woohoo!) Creating winning e-commerce experiences has always been our bag, so having a dedicated space where we can do everything from art direction to photoshoots just made sense.
But we were still pretty surprised when someone recently said to us “A photography studio? Aren’t you just using AI for everything?” Not everything, friends. Here’s why we believe real-life photography still beats AI-generated imagery in the world of e-commerce.
People creating content, for people.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re big believers in using AI for mood-boarding and mock-ups, or helping us fast-track touch-ups in the editing room. But when it comes to art direction and actually capturing content, that’s something AI can’t replicate. Take our new Art Director, Rita. She’s crafted visual identities for tonnes of brands in her time, so she knows what works and what resonates. Her ideas come from true inspiration, not what’s already on the web—and she’ll tell you herself how important creative freedom is for shooting quality content. We’re creating content for humans, so don’t underestimate the power of the human experience, people.
Quality matters—like, really matters.
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, we can all agree there’s no excuse for a sloppy shopping experience. We eat with our eyes, right? So nothing fills a cart faster than a super polished product, packaging or lifestyle shot. And it’s not just about avoiding the cringeworthy, superimposed look you get from clunky AI mock-ups. Photos and videos captured in a studio have a scale that’s 10 times greater than an AI-generated image, so you can use them for super-detailed close-ups, big branded billboards, print, packaging and anything else you can think of. And believe us when we say there’s nothing a marketing team loves nothing more than having a whole library of high-quality assets to play with.
They’re your assets. So make them yours.
The clue’s in the name—if you’re using artificial intelligence to create your product shots, can you ever really call them original? If real people and places are a big part of your brand identity, then real photography is the only way to capture this—right down to the tiny details such as lighting, texture and colour. By keeping it real, you’re not only steering well clear of any issues like misuse or misrepresentation, but you’re building trust, too. We’re hardwired to be suspicious of anything that looks artificial—but give us an accurate picture of what we’re buying into and we’ll be way more likely to part with our cash.
Brand building 101.
You can’t shoot content without a solid strategy. But the good news is, this kind of groundwork pays for itself. Art direction just so happens to be one of the best investments you can make in your brand. Whether you’re just starting out or simply want to refresh your assets, art direction (and the bank of beautifully shot photography that comes out of it) will help you maintain that consistent look and feel online, offline—and anywhere else you show up in the future.
We’ve got your product shots, videos, motion graphics, and art direction covered. Basically, everything your brand needs to look its best.
