The Challenge
Elena runs an Etsy shop selling handmade candles. She needed product photos for 25 candle variants (2 angles each = 50 photos). A photographer quoted $800 and a 3-day turnaround.
The Approach
Step 1: Base Prompt Design
Elena spent 30 minutes crafting a master prompt:
"Professional product photography of a [color] [shape] candle in a [material] jar, on a [surface] background, soft natural lighting, shallow depth of field, minimalist composition, shot on 85mm lens, warm tones, lifestyle aesthetic --ar 4:5 --v 6 --s 500"
Step 2: Batch Generation
She created a spreadsheet with variations:
- Colors: white, black, vanilla, lavender, rose, eucalyptus, etc.
- Shapes: cylinder, square, sphere
- Jars: glass, ceramic, concrete
- Surfaces: marble, wood, linen, stone
Step 3: Generate and Select
- Generated 4 images per variant (50 × 4 = 200 images)
- Selected the best 1 from each set
- Total: 50 usable product photos
Step 4: Post-Processing
- Upscaled selected images (Midjourney built-in)
- Added her logo overlay in Canva (batch, 15 min)
Cost Comparison
| Aspect | Photographer | Midjourney | |--------|-------------|------------| | Cost | $800 | $10 (1 month subscription) | | Time | 3 days | 2 hours | | Revisions | 1 round included | Unlimited | | Consistency | High | Variable (needs curation) |
What Worked Well
- Consistent aesthetic across all photos
- Generated lifestyle-style shots that are expensive to shoot
- Easy to regenerate any variant that didn't work
What Was Hard
- Some images had text artifacts (had to regenerate)
- Candle wax texture wasn't always accurate
- Color matching required manual verification against real product
Final Result
- 50 photos posted to Etsy
- Customer feedback: no one could tell they weren't professionally shot
- Sales increased 15% after refreshing all product images
Key Takeaway
Midjourney is excellent for product photography when you have clear, specific prompts and are willing to curate.
Try It
Browse our image generation prompts for similar setups.