Prep & Shipping

Shipping products to a photo studio? Pack like a pro.

Boxes arrive at our Lake Forest studio from brands all over the country. The difference between a shoot that starts on schedule and one that stalls is usually ten minutes of prep on your end. Here’s the whole drill - what to send, how to pack it, and what happens after the label gets scanned.

Get an Estimate →
See How It Works
● Before anything ships

Estimate first. Box second.

Don’t ship unannounced - a box with no estimate behind it has no shoot on the calendar. Request an estimate (you’ll hear back within one business day), approve the scope and the per-image pricing, and lock the creative brief. Then ship.

Once your box lands we confirm receipt and schedule the shoot. Standard delivery runs 5-7 business days from shoot day, with rush available when a launch is breathing down your neck.

● The prep checklist

Six checks before the tape gun.

✓
Send two of everything
One to shoot, one as backup. Doubles protect the schedule if shipping dents a box or a cap decides to leak.
✓
Clean like it’s macro
Fingerprints, dust, and micro-scratches are invisible on a shelf and enormous in closeups at product-photo resolution. Wipe everything down with a soft dry microfiber cloth before it goes in the box.
✓
Check the labels
Straight seams, no bubbles, no glue smears. And send the current version - if your packaging is mid-redesign, ship the one customers will actually see.
✓
Protect the gloss
Wrap glossy and reflective pieces individually. Products can rub together in transit causing scuffs in the finish.
✓
Bag the liquids
Caps tight, every bottle in its own sealed bag. One leak in transit can take out an entire box of samples - and the schedule with it.
✓
Full and sealed
Send full, sealed units. Half-empty bottles and opened jars can read wrong on camera - especially anything translucent under studio light.
● The box itself

Pack it like it’s fragile. Because it is.

Double-box anything fragile, with enough void fill that nothing shifts when you shake it. Most clients ship USPS Priority, UPS, or FedEx - and we recommend insuring the shipment for the value of the products inside.

Drop a packing slip in the box: brand name, contact, your estimate number, and a quick list of what’s inside. It makes check-in instant and keeps your samples from ever being a mystery box.

● Ship to
Image Factory West
26452 Sandy Creek
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Estimate approved? Then this is where the box goes.
● After it arrives

We take it from the tape up.

01
▢
Check-in
We confirm receipt as soon as your box lands, match it to your estimate, and schedule the shoot.
02
◉
Shoot and retouch
The approved shot list gets executed under studio lighting, then every frame goes through in-house post - dust removal, color correction, background cleanup.
03
⌖
Delivery and return
Images arrive by secure digital download, organized and labeled, 5-7 business days from shoot day. Your products come back too - return shipping is prepaid.
● Shipping questions

Before you tape it shut, people usually ask...

Do I need an estimate before I ship?
Yes. Estimate and creative brief come first - that way we’re expecting your box and the shoot is already scoped. An unannounced box has no shoot on the calendar.
How many of each product should I send?
Two is the safe default - one hero, one backup. If a sample is expensive or scarce, talk to us first; one can work when it has to.
Do I get my products back?
Yes. Products head home after delivery, and return shipping is prepaid - it’s part of the standard flow, not an upsell.
What about fragile or perishable products?
Fragile: double-box, void fill, insure it. Perishable: call first at (619) 261-7332 - for food and beverage work, arrival timing matters more than packing.

Prepped, packed, and on the calendar.

Estimates come back within one business day. Delivery runs 5-7 business days from shoot day, with full usage rights forever on every image.

Get an Estimate →
See How It Works