Photography studio in Athens: what to check before you book

Before you book a photography studio in Athens for your products, check seven things: work in your category, the shot list, the level of retouching, which files you will receive, how long it will take, how the products get there and back, and where you are allowed to use the images. When these are written down from the start, the price you discuss corresponds to a specific result.

Product photography in Athens covers a wide range: from a simple white background setup for a few product codes to productions with styling, sets and models. Two quotes for a similar amount may describe completely different work. The points below help you compare them properly.

A portfolio in your own category

A beautiful portfolio is not enough. You need work on products like yours. Jewellery and glass reflect whatever is around them, food stays fresh for a limited time, and clothes need the right shape and texture. Each category has its own challenges in lighting and editing, and a studio that has already solved them shows it in its photos.

Ask to see series from the same shoot, not just individual good images. A series shows whether the studio keeps the same light, the same colour and the same product position from the first product code to the last. On the THPAUL Studio page you can see our work by type, in Fashion & Sneakers, Product & Still life and Outdoor, and on our Work page you will find complete productions, such as the diaries and notebooks for TypeCenter or the food campaigns for Benvenuto.

Shot list, retouching and files

The shot list sets out what will be photographed and how: which product codes, how many final images per code, which angles, what background. Without it, the phrase “a shoot of 30 products” could mean 30 images or 120. Before you accept a quote, make sure it states:

• The number of product codes (SKUs) and final photos per code. A product code is each different product, and a colour that is photographed separately counts as a new code.
• Type of shot: clean background for an e-shop, creative still life or a campaign with models.
• Level of editing: basic colour correction and clean-up, or enhanced retouching on every image.
• Formats and sizes for each channel: e-shop, marketplace, social media, ads.
• File naming, so your team can upload the images without having to search.

Retouching is where most misunderstandings happen. Basic correction brings the colour close to the real thing and cleans up dust and small marks. Detailed retouching removes scratches, straightens labels and cleans up reflections, and is usually charged separately. Ask what is included in the price and what costs extra before you see the first images, not after.

When you compare two quotes, compare them in the same unit: cost per final image, with the same level of retouching and the same delivery files. Only then can you see which one is really cheaper.

Timings, sending products and usage rights

Ask when the delivery time starts. It usually starts once the studio has the products and you have approved the brief, not from the day you asked for a quote. If you have a launch date, mention it from the start and ask whether express delivery is available and at what extra charge.

For the products, agree how they get to the studio, who pays for shipping, how they are returned and what happens with samples that are opened or used up, such as food and cosmetics. Send a list of the product codes with them, so that receipt can be checked from day one and nothing is missing at the time of the shoot.

Finally, usage rights. Write down where you will use the images: e-shop, social media, ads, packaging, print. If the production involves models, the use of their image is agreed separately and may be limited to certain channels or a certain period.

How THPAUL Studio works

In our studio in Athens we photograph products for e-shops, still life, fashion, jewellery and food, and we create AI visuals and graphic design from the same images. The work follows four steps:

1. Brief: products, channels of use, references and the shots you need.
2. Shot plan: art direction, backgrounds, materials and confirmation of the brief.
3. Shoot: studio shots with control over lighting, styling and composition.
4. Delivery: selected, edited images in the formats we agreed.

You send the products by courier or bring them to the studio in person, and how they are received and returned is agreed before the shoot. The sizes, formats and usage of the images are set out in the brief and in the quote.

To get started, we need your product categories, the number of product codes, the samples and how many shots you want per code. If you have references, such as images from brands you like or your e-shop template, send us those too. They make the shot plan faster and more accurate.

Delivery times are 3 to 5 working days for e-shop and packshots, 5 to 8 for creative still life and 7 to 12 for campaigns. For a first idea of the cost, the estimator on the Studio page gives you an indicative price excluding VAT straight away, and the final quote is confirmed in writing. If you do not yet know what type of shot you need, the Studio Brief quiz helps you with four short questions.