Cannabis product photography checklist.

Short answer: clean every jar and label, pick your best-looking batch, chill any concentrates, decide on one background style for the whole menu, and get your compliance lead’s sign-off on the shot list before the shoot day.

1. Pick the right product

• Choose the best-looking flower from the batch, not a random jar. Dense, well-trimmed buds with visible trichomes photograph best.
• Pull a few extra units of each SKU so damaged packaging can be swapped out quickly.
• For hash rosin and other solventless concentrates, have fresh product ready. Texture fades as rosin warms and ages.

2. Clean the packaging

• Wipe jars, lids, and cartridges with a microfiber cloth. Glossy black packaging shows every fingerprint.
• Peel protective film off lids and make sure labels are straight and fully stuck down.
• Glossy surfaces reflect everything, so a clean label saves real editing time.

3. Keep concentrates cold

• Keep rosin chilled until it’s in front of the camera. Warm rosin loses shape and shine fast.
• Ask for cool LED lighting. Hot continuous lights can soften a concentrate in minutes.
• Shoot texture and macro shots first, while the product is at its best.

4. Pick one look for the whole menu

• White seamless is clean, bright, and works on almost every menu platform.
• Black seamless or glossy black acrylic gives the moody reflection look popular with premium brands.
• Whatever you pick, use it for every SKU. Consistency makes a menu look like one brand instead of a pile of photos.

5. Clear it with compliance first

• Share the shot list with your compliance lead before shoot day.
• Avoid consumption, anyone who could look under 21, kid-appealing props, and health or effect claims.
• Decide which rooms can be photographed and keep security details and tracking tags out of frame.

6. Ask your photographer these questions

1. What crops and sizes do you deliver for online menus and social?
2. How do you keep concentrates from melting under lights?
3. Who handles product on set? (It should be your staff.)
4. What usage rights do I get, and can you keep unreleased products private?
5. What’s the turnaround, and is rush delivery available?