AI Product Photos for Ecommerce: Can They Replace Real Photoshoots?

For years, high-quality product photography has been one of the biggest challenges for ecommerce merchants. Hiring models, booking studios, and paying photographers often costs thousands of dollars for a single shoot. And it's not only money, it’s also costly time wise.. Between planning, shooting, editing, and uploading, weeks can pass before a new product is even ready to go live.

Now, with the rise of AI, we're hearing a new question almost everyday: I run a Shopify store, could I use AI-generated product photos to actually replace real photoshoots?

If you’ve seen AI art online, you might assume it’s only useful for creative experiments or marketing visuals. But with the right app, merchants can generate professional photos. For example, our partnering Shopify merchants are already generating professional, on-brand product photos - on models, in lifestyle settings, or even in a customer’s hand - directly inside their store admin.

One of our clients, Dodeuce.com, knows this pain firsthand. As a premium tennis apparel brand, they had been spending thousands of euros on studio photoshoots for each new collection. Between hiring models, photographers, and renting studio time, costs piled up quickly. Even with all that investment, getting new products live in Shopify still took weeks.

At TLB Apps, we’ve perfected the technology needed to go head-to-head with traditional photography. In this post, we’ll show you real examples of side-by-side comparisons, where AI photos stand up against studio shots. You’ll see how it works, what it costs, and how it can save you up to 80% of the time and budget compared to old-school photoshoots.

The Traditional Way: Costly and Slow

Here’s an example from one of Dodeuce’s early tennis apparel shoots (insert real photo). Don't get us wrong, the result is polished and professional - but behind these four images is a price tag of thousands spent and days of coordination. Multiply that by dozens of SKUs and seasonal launches, and the cost becomes a real bottleneck to growth.

The AI Way: Professional Photos in Minutes

Now here’s the same type of product generated with TLB AI Product Photos (insert AI photo). Instead of coordinating a photoshoot, Dodeuce simply selected their product in Shopify, chose an “on-model” style, and generated lifelike images in minutes. No studio, no models, no photographers.

The difference to the customer is almost invisible - but for the merchant, it’s transformative. Dodeuce cut photo costs by more than 80% and now launches new tennis apparel in Shopify the same day products arrive in stock.

Real Comparisons Across Product Types

AI isn’t just for fashion brands like Dodeuce. Shopify merchants across categories are already adopting AI photos effectively:

• Jewelry: Earrings, necklaces, and rings placed accurately on models without expensive macro shoots.

• Cosmetics & Perfume: Perfume bottles and makeup in styled lifestyle backgrounds.

• Sporting Goods: Snowboards, helmets, and gear placed in realistic scenes without renting locations or athletes.

Each example shows the same pattern: professional results, generated faster and at a fraction of the cost.

Traditional vs AI Product Photos: Side-by-Side

Get Started with AI Product Photos in Shopify

AI is no longer a gimmick - it’s a practical tool for merchants who want to save time, cut costs, and grow. Whether you sell apparel like Dodeuce, jewelry, cosmetics, or sporting goods, TLB AI Product Photos helps you create professional, on-model and lifestyle images directly inside Shopify.

👉 Try it today: start with 5 free photos, and if you decide to go further, there are no monthly fees, no lock-in.