Mockup Photographs for Print on Demand Sellers: Frequently Asked Questions

Morning! Today, I am so freaking thrilled to talk about mockup photographs for print on demand sellers.

This is a topic I’ve talked about once or twice on the blog already but, aside from posting listings on my Etsy shop, I haven’t really discussed much about mockup photographs, what they are, and what drew me to them. I shot a few mockup sessions last year and, this year, have shot mockup sessions nearly every single week since the middle of January. Whether it was a quick mockup shoot of coffee cups on a table, destination mockup shoots on the beach, or a full out styled shoot in my home office, I’ve been working on this project nonstop in 2023. I’m basically buzzing with info about them!

It’s been really fun and I’m so excited to (finally!) chat more about mockup photographs with y’all!

Here’s some FAQs I get about mockups + FAQs I get in my mockup shop sometimes, too!

What Is A Mockup Photograph?

A mockup photograph is a photograph of a blank wholesale product that can be purchased by a designer to sell their designs. Y’know your friend that sells tee shirts or your favorite podcaster that has print on demand merch available? They most likely use mockups!

Basically, a designer purchases a mockup photograph of a blank item and then lays their design where it will be on the final product. The mockup photograph then shows what the final product will look like and, honestly, these photographs are incredible for designers. Not every designer is a photographer (and not every photographer is a designer!) so mockup photographs are an amazing approach to show off designs sold by print on demand shops.

And actually! It’s not just print on demand shops that use mockups. A lot of small businesses use mockups because they can get high quality photographs without having to set up their own photoshoots. This is so great! And, as a photographer, these photographs are so fun to create! It’s so fun to see which photos become popular and so fun to build little setups in my office, too! It’s almost like being a creative director!

Who Uses Mockup Photographs?

Designers and artists! While some larger companies also use mockups, I sell mockup photographs specifically for very small businesses with less than three employees. I also offer an extended license for businesses with three to five employees. It’s so fun to create colorful and peppy mockup photographs for businesses who want to enhance their brand with creative photographs. Professional photography can add so much value to a brand and, with the right mockups, all kinds of aesthetics can be achieved! I love this and love incorporating new ideas to my setups!

Are Mockups Stock Photography?

Yes and no! While I think of them as stock photographs in my brain (lol), they’re not totally stock.

They’re finished photographs but the photographs are created to be used in conjunction with a designer’s work. I like to think of them as a stock collaboration! My work is finished with a completed photograph; the designer’s work is finished prior to the mockup but ready to be sold once it’s placed on a mockup.

Are Real Items + Colors Photographed in Your Mockups?

Absolutely! My blanks are purchased from wholesale vendors and directly from print providers to create mockup photographs for print on demand sellers. I feel really passionately that every item photographed should be the real item and the real item color. Because of this, every item in my shop is a photograph of the real item and real item color. What’s really interesting about this is that there’s so much color variance. Because I love to shoot in lots of unique color situations, it’s fun to see how different items (and item colors!) photograph in different setups.

If I built my mockups by photographing white shirts and changing hex codes, the colors would not appear as rich or textured. The shirts also wouldn’t have many wrinkles! It’s funny! When I started mockups, I steamed everything to death. A year in, I just shake the shirts out after they’re washed and hope for the best. I love texture so this works for me! I think it makes the items look more realistic, too, especially with the rise of AI mockup images.

Do You Use Any AI in Your Mockups?

Nope! I don’t use any AI in my mockup photography. All images are real, original photographs of real items.

I photograph my mockup photographs with a Canon R6 and, depending on the shoot, a 35 1.4L lens or a 50 1.2L lens. For edits, I individually edit every photograph in Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom is my jam! And Canon is, too! Canon colors are the best!

What Made You Want to Sell Mockup Photographs?

In the fall of 2021, I decided I wanted to try stock photography sometime in 2022.

Then, when 2022 rolled around, I expanded that thought and decided I wanted to try things photography adjacent and possibly add another revenue stream to my photography business. This led me to publish Photoshoot Checklists which then led me to create photographer merch. The photographer merch led me to history merch + bookish merch and, from there, the mockups just made sense. And honestly? Mockup photography didn’t come super natural to me! There was a lot of trial and error and the learning curve was pretty dang huge! Luckily, I have amazing models like Ava (I call her my mockup daughter, lol) that have been with me from the beginning as I figured out the best way to photograph these products! It’s really fun!

And honestly, the mockup shoots are totally wild. There’s always dogs and kids running through the room, hahaha.

Where Do You Shoot Your Mockups?

I mostly build sets in my office!

Originally, I wanted to do a lot of outdoor mockup photographs for print on demand sellers but my best selling items are cozy mockups and mockups with really extra backgrounds full of tinsel and disco balls. I absolutely love creating images like this – I love a good craft project! – and it’s been such a fun creative project to build so many shoot setups in my office. While I do still occasionally shoot on location, the majority of my shoots are at home. It’s really lovely!

Do I Recommend Mockup Photography to Photographers?

Only if the photographer is super tenacious and determined.

Mockup photography is really different posing wise than other types of photography and, a year into this, I like to say that mockup photographs are harder than weddings. I love a mockup session (and hanging with my models!) but, after shooting them for so long, I will say that it’s made all kinds of other photography sessions – and edits! – seem so much easier. To be honest, I’m not totally sure why this is but, for me, I think it’s because the posing and framing is very different than what I shoot in my normal work / what comes naturally to me. It’s still a blast, it just takes a lot of attention to detail! I’m a self-proclaimed messy shooter for my portrait and wedding work so, while shooting mockups, it took a good 15 or 20 sessions to really feel like I “got it” in the same way I understand other types of photography. I freaking love it now, though! It’s a great way to spend a weekday morning!

Am I Glad I Decided To Sell Mockups?

YES! I was pretty hesitant when I started shooting mockups because I knew that, if I wanted to do it correctly, I’d need to really focus on them for a year or two. I love my normal shooting schedule so this decision was difficult as I felt like I had to kind of become a hermit to learn the ins and outs of creating + selling mockups but, now that I’m coming out the other side, it’s just so rewarding. Photography is my heart and, while I will never find the same fulfillment in shooting a candle that I find shooting a wedding (lol), I’m so happy that I’ve learned another type of photography that I can create throughout the years. I LOVE photos and, if anything, this experience has made me fall in love with them more! Forever in love with photos over here!

Also yes! Yes I did write this blog post because I’m obsessed with these photographs from Thursday morning, hahaha.

If you’re a designer or print on demand seller looking for mockups, be sure to check out my Etsy shop! It’s so fun!!

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