photo-direction

name	photo-direction
description	Use when the user wants to create product photography, brand imagery, or commercial photos using AI image generation. Also use when the user mentions 'product photography', 'AI photo', 'brand imagery', 'photo direction', 'gpt-image-1', 'image generation prompt', or 'Peter Belanger style'.

Photo Direction

Expert knowledge for directing and generating commercial product photography using AI — specifically gpt-image-1. Based on Peter Belanger's aesthetic: clean, precise, honest representation of the product.

Peter Belanger Aesthetic

Peter Belanger shot Apple's product photography for over a decade. His defining qualities:

• Absolute cleanliness: No dust, no fingerprints, no extraneous elements
• Controlled light: Soft, directional, revealing form without harsh shadows
• Subject respect: The product is the hero. Background and props serve; they never compete.
• Honest representation: No distortion, no impossible perspectives. The product looks exactly as it would in your hand.

Prompt Construction Template

[SUBJECT]: [exact product description, color, material, dimensions if relevant]
[LIGHTING]: [named lighting configuration from list below]
[BACKGROUND]: [color/texture from palette below]
[ANGLE]: [angle from reference table below]
[SURFACE]: [what the product rests on, if anything]
[MOOD]: [one-word mood: clinical, warm, luxurious, editorial, minimal]
[STYLE]: commercial product photography, sharp focus, high resolution, Peter Belanger style

Example:

SUBJECT: Matte black aluminum water bottle, 750ml, minimalist design
LIGHTING: Studio Clean (large softbox left, fill right, no shadows)
BACKGROUND: Pure white (#FFFFFF)
ANGLE: 3/4 front at eye level
SURFACE: Frosted white acrylic
MOOD: Clinical
STYLE: commercial product photography, sharp focus, high resolution, Peter Belanger style

Lighting Configurations

Name	Setup	Best for
Studio Clean	Large softbox at 45° left, fill card right, no shadow	Tech, SaaS screenshots, minimal products
Apple Overhead	Two large panels above, slight front fill, white BG	App icons, packaging, flat lay
Luxury Shadow	Single key light at 30°, deep shadow on opposite side, black BG	Watches, jewelry, premium goods
Warm Window	Large diffused window right, natural bounce left, warm tone	Lifestyle, food-adjacent, wellness
Tabletop Flat	Overhead ring + two side panels, flat even light	Small products, detail shots
Product Macro	Ringlight close, shallow DOF, high contrast	Texture, detail, component shots

Angle Reference

Angle	Description	Use when
Front straight	Camera at product eye level, dead center	Symmetrical products, icons
3/4 front	30–45° from front, eye level	Most product shots (default)
Hero low	Camera below product level, shooting up	Large format, aspirational, bold
Overhead flat	Directly above (bird's eye)	Flat lays, packaging, books
Side profile	Camera perpendicular to product	Shoes, bottles, slim devices
Macro detail	Extreme close-up on a specific feature	Texture, materials, craftsmanship

Background Palette

Name	Hex	Character
Pure white	#FFFFFF	Clean, clinical, Apple-esque
Off-white warm	#F5F0E8	Softer, lifestyle, premium
Light grey	#E8E8E8	Neutral, editorial, tech
Slate dark	#2C2C2C	Dramatic, luxury, dark mode
Deep black	#0A0A0A	Maximum contrast, bold
Cream	#F9F4EC	Warm, artisan, beauty
Sage	#C8D5C0	Natural, wellness, organic

gpt-image-1 API Parameters

response = client.images.generate(
    model="gpt-image-1",
    prompt=prompt,
    n=1,
    quality="high",          # "high" for final output, "medium" for iteration
    size="1024x1024",        # Square for product shots, "1792x1024" for hero banners
    output_format="png"      # PNG for transparency support
)

Size guide:

Use	Size
Product hero (square)	1024x1024
Banner / hero wide	1792x1024
Mobile story / social	1024x1792
Thumbnail iteration	512x512 + quality: medium

3-Variant Strategy

For every product, generate 3 variants before selecting:

1. Clean / clinical — Pure white background, Studio Clean lighting. Maximum flexibility for UI use.
2. Contextual — Background that hints at use context (desk surface, hand-held, lifestyle setting)
3. Dramatic — Dark background, Luxury Shadow lighting. For hero sections, paid ads.

Select the variant that matches the page or ad context. Don't use a single shot everywhere.

Quality Checklist

• No visible dust, fingerprints, or artifacts on product surface
• Shadow direction is consistent (all shadows come from the same light source direction)
• Product is in perfect focus at the intended focal point
• Background is clean with no unexpected gradients or artifacts
• Product dimensions appear realistic (no distortion)
• If text is on the product — verify it's legible and correctly spelled
• Color accuracy matches brand reference (check hex values against brand guide)

Common Rationalizations

Rationalization	Reality
"Any prompt works if we describe the product"	Lighting and angle instructions are what separate clinical product shots from generic AI images.
"We'll generate one image and use it everywhere"	Different contexts need different moods. The 3-variant strategy takes 3x the generation time for 10x the flexibility.
"We don't need to specify background color"	Unspecified backgrounds are unpredictable. Always specify.
"The image looks close enough"	Product photography sets brand perception. Close enough is not good enough for hero shots.