From personal brand owners on eCommerce platforms to expert photographers, everyone can benefit aesthetically and otherwise from Lifestyle Product Photography. Lifestyle product photography places a brand’s items in relevant contexts to display their use and makes it easier for target consumers to connect with the items emotionally.
Normally, colorless plain white backdrops are utilized, but in lifestyle product photos, a skincare bottle is placed on the bathroom counter, a smartwatch rests on a jogger’s wrist, and a coffee mug sits on a quaint table. These images capture moments in time. Let’s see how to create engaging lifestyle product photos that tell a story.
Why Lifestyle Product Photography Matters for eCommerce and Branding
Lifestyle photos personalize a brand and build a connection with the customer. Quality lifestyle pictures:
- Make the product much more desirable and relatable.
- Aid in differentiating an eCommerce store from other competitors.
- Increase conversion rates by depicting how a product is used in everyday life.
- Enhance brand image and strengthen brand narrative.
For instance, a company marketing organic beauty products would do better with pictures of people engaging with the products in softly lit, natural settings instead of basic studio images. This adds credibility and builds trust with potential buyers.
Key Elements of Lifestyle Product Photography
Photographs of lifestyle products represent the product being used in its natural environment, describing its lifestyle function. They tell a story, create feelings, and allow consumers to imagine the place of a product in their lives. It must consider lighting, angles, props, models, and scenery which are needed to achieve a cohesive and appealing visual story.
1. Storytelling Through Images
Every image is a story in itself as it triggers emotions, serves a function, and interacts deeply with the audience. Memories, actions, or deep emotions can all be mixed in a single photograph. Photographers piece together various elements like composition, lighting, colors, and subject placement to construct magnificent stories of visual art that captivate the audience.
The Power of Emotions in Photos
Emotional and compelling lifestyle photos obtain feelings of excitement, relaxation, or sophistication, which influences purchasing behavior. For instance, think about the emotions the imager evokes—does the viewer happily imagine using the product? Set the desired goals and have them attractive.
- A family happily having a picnic around a set of the brand’s food products conveys wholeness and is quite warm.
- Showcasing an athlete mid-workout, a fitness brand can easily portray motivation and strength with a drenched-n-sweaty athlete.
- Use moody dim lighting with a well-dressed model for a luxury watch brand to bring a sense of exclusiveness and elegance.
Choosing the Right Setting and Props
The setting and props should complement the product’s purpose and appeal to the target audience.
- Outdoor settings: Ideal for adventure gear, athletic wear, or eco-friendly products.
- Home environments: Work well for kitchen appliances, furniture, and lifestyle accessories.
- Minimalist setups: Best suited for premium brands where the focus is on the product itself.
Props should enhance the scene but not overshadow the product. For example, if photographing a coffee brand, use coffee beans, a French press, or a cozy book to create a lifestyle moment.
2. Natural vs. Studio Lighting
Details like lighting are very significant in photography. If the weather and time allow, natural lighting is good. However, studio lighting is dynamic and provides better control. Understanding the differences assists the photographers in determining which setup will be ideal for the subject they intend to photograph.
When to Use Natural Light for Authenticity
The use of natural lighting gives a genuine vibe which makes pictures look more natural and relatable. It is perfect for:
- Capturing photographs outside or close to big windows.
- Photography in the mornings and during golden hours (sunrise or sunset) for that soft, golden touch.
- Organizations encouraging healthy and environmentally friendly practices.
For example, a business selling yoga mats could feature a beach setting in the early hours of the morning to show serenity and mindfulness.
How to Set Up Studio Lighting for Lifestyle Shots
Studio light control makes lighting and shading easier to adjust and manage. Studio lighting is helpful for:
- Uniform lighting on multiple products.
- Indoor photographs during times of the day when natural light may not be present.
- As a means of high fashion or dramatic photography.
Basic Studio Lighting Setup:
- Softboxes: Lights are diffused to create a realistic natural look while remaining soft.
- Reflectors: Shadows are filled and made lighter.
- Colored gels: Creative lighting is added.
3. Choosing the Right Background & Composition
A skilled photographer can combine elements like background and composition in such a way as to transform a normal image into a visual spectacle. An alluring image with great composition and subject balance achieves a focal point that satisfies the viewer. If a subject is placed inside the frame, the composition is directed towards drawing the viewer’s eye to the subject. Eye-catching photographs or images are those that can relay a message straight to the viewers without any words used.
How Backgrounds Influence Perception
Backdrops must correspond to the branding and message of the product offered.
- Neutral Backdrops – Permit the product to shine, if it’s beauty items, for instance, light wood or marble.
- Texture Backdrops – Multidimensional characters, such as rustic wood for handmade products, and sleek glass for modern technology items.
- Real-world settings – Enable the products to appear as if they have been in use, like kitchen countertops for cooking utensils and tools.
Framing and Angles for Dynamic Storytelling
Learn how the use of framing combined with angles can assist in transforming your visual imagery into stories that are engaging and captivating for the intended audience.
- Flat lays work best for photography of food, fashion, and beauty products.
- For instance, a mouth-watering meal or an appealing outfit along with stunning jewelry or makeup can all be included. Hence, the camera is held at right angles to the subject which is quite amazing.
- Eye-level shots place the viewer within the frame, drawing them in.
- Feel you interact with the item resulting in a first-hand product experience.
For illustration, a cosmetics company could feature a woman using moisturizer while zooming into her face and blurring the bathroom around her to highlight actual use.
Equipment and Setup for Lifestyle Product Photos
To get great-quality lifestyle product images, it is vital to have the best setup and equipment. Thoughtful props alongside a good camera, the right lenses, lighting, and a well-thought-out setup capture engaging visuals. An appealing brand that wants to showcase its products in engaging ways ensures its story is told effortlessly.
1. Camera & Lenses
Product lifestyle photographs capture images of products in an environment, person, or activity setting that corresponds with the product. For effective product lifestyle photographs, a photographer must understand how to select the right camera and lenses. A camera with a higher resolution guarantees better detail.
An appropriate selection of lenses is necessary to control depth, perspective, and focus. They are divided into wide-angle, prime, and macro lenses. Wide angle lenses are ideal for capturing surroundings whereas, prime and macro lenses are useful for product detail shots. The balance of detail and the environment gives a professional finish to the image.
The right camera and lens selection is a vital step to accomplish with prior product lifestyle photograph planning. A well-selected camera automatically enhances traumatic product lifestyle photographs.
Best Camera Settings for Capturing Real-Life Moments
Utilizing a DSLR or a mirrorless camera with large aperture lenses (f/1.8 to f/2.8) achieves a pleasing background blur while keeping the subject in focus.
- ISO: In bright settings, maintain 100-400 to avoid grainy pictures.
- Shutter Speed: For dynamic images, use 1/250 and lower for stationary images.
Lens Choice:
- 50mm and 85mm for product photography portraits.
- Wide shot lenses (24mm) for environmental setting shots.
2. Using Models & Real-Life Context
Incorporating lifestyle models and real-life surroundings makes product photography realistic and appealing. People in mundane works give a glimpse of how some products make a difference in their lives. This approach makes the brands more approachable while crafting engaging and relatable visuals that resonate with people which encourages realistic trust and use.
How to Make Lifestyle Shots Feel Natural
Avoid stiff posing when working with models. Use the following angle instead:
- Make them engage with the items such as taking a sip of coffee, putting on a watch, or flipping through a book to make the picture look more realistic.
- Focus on candid shots as opposed to overly staged photographs.
- To widen your brand’s acceptance, use diverse models in various settings.
A good example is photographing a backpack. Instead of making your model remain in a t-pose, have them look out over a mountain landscape.
Post-Processing Tips for a Professional Look
Just like everything in life, a bit of post-processing goes a long way. When colors, lighting, and minor details of a product photo are refined, a polished look is instantiated. In my case, the exposure, contrast, and sharpness are set to maintain consistency, while retouching takes care of any distractions. These alterations are so subtle, that the final image can be regarded as authentic. Rather striking for a marketing campaign if I do say so myself.
Color Correction and Retouching
Alter the brightness and the color of the image using either Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.
- Adjust white balance: Keep colors appealing.
- Increase contrast: Augment shadows.
- Fix blemishes: Use a healing brush to cover small imperfections without the photo looking overly manipulated.
Enhancing Details Without Making the Photo Look Fake
For enhancing images, there is a need to strike a balance between realism and clarity, color, and detail polish as the end result should be natural but neatly refined.
- Restrict yourself from using too many color-distorting filters.
- Moderately retouch skin and product surfaces where necessary.
- For a high-quality natural finish, preserve the texture.
Final Tips:
- Try to change lighting setups and angles from time to time.
- Put the product in everyday use situations.
- Let the product speak for itself with minimal editing and give it a professional touch.
Conclusion
Product Photography has lifestyle elements that greatly increase brand interaction and conversion. This is achieved by making images storytelling and interesting as it builds brand recall. Thus, you can create engaging lifestyle product photos that tell a story.