Can AI replace Professional Product Photography?

As a brand that values the tangible, physical side of photography I have been asked the question "Can AI replace Professional Product Photography" a few times already this year. Luckily I've been looking into the topic for a couple of years now so here are my current thoughts: 

The short answer? No. Not Completely, but it is absolutely changing the professional’s workflow.

You can think of AI like a high-end microwave. It’s incredibly fast, it’s great for a quick "thaw," and it can save you in a pinch. But if you’re trying to serve a five-star meal (your brand’s hero imagery), you’re still going to need a chef, a stove, and high-quality ingredients.

Put another way, I feel that AI can really help those smaller businesses with budgets that do not allow for regular professional shoots. You can take one good photo and create many variations for social content and your website. If you are a professional photographer you will have the skills to really take advantage of the evolving technology.

However high end tools for digital manipulation can be expensive and complicated to learn, with the cheaper alternatives not quite hitting the mark in terms of their output. They may be able to change a background but without a full analysis of size, perspective and lighting of the original product photo.

Here is why you need to be mindful when using AI to generate your product images and replace backgrounds:

1. The Physics of Light

AI background generators are brilliant at "guessing" where light should come from, but they often struggle with how light interacts with your specific product.

• The Problem: It can’t perfectly replicate the way a softbox wraps around a glass bottle or how a textured prop creates a subtle, natural shadow.

• The Result: Images that look "off—something's slightly odd to the human eye, even if you can't always articulate what it is. 

Here is an example of an AI generated background looking odd. The first image was created by Catherine @studio_melo_nz. She is a great product photographer with an appreciation for detail, texture and light. I highly recommend her work and I'm sure you will agree these perfume bottles have been captured well.

In contrast the second photo looks misplaced. The new background was made by me using the background replacement tool in Canva. It demonstrates how some AI tools are not able to analyse the original image beyond finding the edges of your product. There has been no blending of the product into the scene and it just looks odd.

2. Brand Authenticity

In an era of "perfect" AI-generated images, authenticity is becoming a premium.  When every brand uses the same AI "Product in a forest" prompt, everything starts to look the same.

• Real props, real textures, and real studio setups create a unique "soul" for a brand that a prompt can't replicate.

3. The "Garbage In, Garbage Out" Rule

AI doesn't create a product image from thin air—it needs a source. To get a realistic result, you still need a high-quality, sharp, well-lit photo of the actual item.

AI is a powerful assistant, but it’s a terrible boss. You still need the professional eye to direct the light and ensure the product itself looks appetizing/appealing before the digital "magic" happens.

The Verdict

AI has already replaced the boring, repetitive parts of photography (like clipping paths and simple background swaps). But it cannot replace the artistic intention and the physical reality of a well-staged shoot.

I see AI as a tool to extend what you do with your physical backdrops, not a reason to throw them away just yet!

Here are some guidelines for using AI to assist your workflow and supercharge your productivity

 1️⃣ Capture it right: Use high-quality light and a sharp lens (50mm–85mm is the sweet spot!). AI wont be able to able to correct blur or create your product from scratch. You'll need to start with good photos of your branding and labels.

2️⃣ The 90/10 Rule: 90% of a great digital composite happens before you open the app. If the lighting doesn’t match the background, it won't look real. If you have specific digital backgrounds in mind, think about the lighting of the background: will there be soft shadows or hard directional light? Is it a bright airy scene or moody, dark forest? You'll need to match the lighting of your product to the scene you are placing the product in.

3️⃣ Experiment: Use AI to enhance your work, not replace your craft.

Want to try it yourself? Check out these FREE digital backgrounds. Download them, grab your camera, have a play. You may find this video helpful where I change a background of a product photo in Canva Pro.