A picture is still worth more than a thousand words, especially in e-commerce. Consumers take on average only50 milliseconds to form a first impressionabout an online product, according to data from a Google survey. With the popularization of artificial intelligence tools focused on photo editing, Brazilian sellers have been finding more affordable and efficient alternatives to showcase their products online, without relying on professional photoshoots, which are usually expensive and time-consuming.
Instead of setting up studios, hiring photographers, or renting locations, shop owners selling on Mercado Livre, Shopee, Elo7, Instagram Shopping, or platforms like Nuvemshop and Shopify have been using AI-generated images to simulate realistic contexts. An artisanal pillow can appear in a modern living room; a natural cosmetic, on a well-lit bathroom countertop; a handmade mug, in the hands of a model at a breakfast table. All of this is done digitally, based on a single simple photo of the product, usually taken with a cell phone.
The feature, known as AI product staging, uses algorithms to position products in scenarios that mimic reality, automatically adjusting light, shadows, perspective, scale, and color temperature. Unlike digital models or traditional setups, current tools are trained to understand both the object and the environment, resulting in images that appear to have been produced in real photo sessions.
"Previously, creating good lifestyle images required a full production: location, casting, photographer, art direction, and editing. This is expensive and time-consuming, a luxury that most sellers simply do not have," explains Matt Rouif, CEO of Photoroom, a startup specializing in AI image editing. "Today, in just a few minutes, it is possible to generate a library of realistic photos with professional quality."
The proposal is simple: with a clean image of the product, the retailer can generate dozens of themed variations for different channels. In addition to product pages, these images are used in email campaigns, social media, paid advertisements, and virtual showcases. Visual flexibility also allows adapting the pieces for different audiences, for example, positioning the same sneaker in a sports trail or an urban environment, according to the campaign profile.
For many Brazilian merchants, especially those who operate alone or in small teams, this technology has become a competitive advantage. "The costs for a complete photoshoot session with location, photographers, models, and editing can easily exceed R$ 5,000. It is unfeasible to repeat this process for every new launch or promotional campaign. With AI, we solve this in minutes, with a symbolic investment," says Matt.
More than a practical solution, contextualized images play a strategic role in compensating for the lack of physical contact with the product during the online shopping journey.
According to industry experts, this type of visual narrative sparks immediate interest, as well as fosters greater trust and emotional connection. "If you sell handmade soaps, printed t-shirts, or handcrafted jewelry, showcasing your products in the right context can be the difference between being ignored or sold," adds the CEO of Photoroom.
Furthermore, the ease of image production allows teams to quickly test which visualizations generate more value. With less time and cost per image, it is possible to conduct A/B tests with different visual contexts and focus efforts on the campaigns and creative assets that convert the most.
AI does not replace human creativity, but it multiplies the reach of what a small team can produce. And, in online commerce, where everything begins with the image, that makes all the difference, concludes Matt.
