What is lifestyle product photography?
Today, we’re sharing with you some of our battle-tested tips for lifestyle product photography. But before we dive into this topic, let’s ask ourselves what we mean by this type of photography. Lifestyle product photography means photographing a product in lifelike scenarios. Lifestyle product photography is one of the best ways to connect with your customers and helps you add a lot of creativity to your marketing materials.
Lifestyle product photography is all about photographing your products in a way that appeals to the values and interests of your target customers. It’s not just about showing the features of your product, but about creating an emotional connection with your audience through the images. To achieve this, you need to consider a few key elements when photographing your products.
From choosing the right light and background to styling your products to appeal to your target audience, we’ll show you everything you need to know about beautiful lifestyle product photos.
If you want to create stunning lifestyle product photos that captivate your audience, you’ve come to the right place – we’ll show you how.
Lighting techniques
When it comes to lighting your ideal shot, you must consider the types of images you’re taking. For lifestyle product photography, we advise natural light as it creates the ideal lifestyle backdrop. If you want to use these images for marketing purposes, we recommend waiting for the golden hour when the sun is at its best.
Camera setting
Setting up your camera correctly is essential, for product photoshot, if you intend to get the most out of your images. That’s why we recommend setting your camera to a low ISO setting, a large aperture, and a fast shutter speed. If you are keen to learn more about how to choose and use the best camera for your shots, read our in-depth article here.
Angles
If you feel your images need a little more variety, using angles is the way to go. With simple but effective camera positioning, you can improve the overall quality of your lifestyle product photography. With this alternative, you can capture every detail of your images while keeping your costs down.
Focus
Make your product the hero of your brand’s story. One way to help your customers understand the benefits of your product is to always put it in the right spotlight. To accomplish this, we recommend focusing manually, zooming in on your product, and using a tripod to keep your shot steady and stable.
Diagonals
Diagonals are used to draw the viewer’s eye more quickly to the products. In a controlled studio environment, the photographer will use props and angles to create the perfect scene. However, if you are shooting outdoors, you’ll have a little more to do. Take your time and analyze your surroundings to perfectly match your product to the environment.
Textured backdrop
Plain backgrounds are great, but they work best for e-commerce catalogs. However, if you want to appeal to your target audience, a textured background is the best choice. You can add that texture to your images by using different props that highlight your brand (check out our in-depth article for everything you need to know about props in product photography).
Colorful backdrop
Colorful backgrounds bring life and vibrancy to your lifestyle product photos. They can create a mood or atmosphere that matches the message you want to convey with your visual content. For example, if you intend to showcase an item for outdoor enthusiasts or adventurers, earthy tones like greens and browns can be ideal. If you want to promote a luxury item or a high-end product, darker shades like black or navy blue are more appropriate.
Incorporate negative space
Using negative (or white) space can have a positive effect on your appearance. At first glance, there are few uses for images with white backgrounds apart from in catalogs. However, rendering your images on such backgrounds can take your content a step further. With basic editing skills, you can take your product to the whole world. All you need is a creative idea, and with a few clicks you can add virtually any background you want.
Bird's-eye view
If you are looking for a creative way to present your product in its entirety, you will find the “bird’s-eye view” technique very useful. This alternative to traditional product photography, which gives the viewer a complete overview of your product, will better appeal to potential customers. Moreover, the “bird’s-eye view” provides your target audience with as much context as possible and helps them better identify with your product.
Staying consistent
Consistency in your product photography is critical to creating a brand identity and building trust with your potential customers. To stay consistent with your lifestyle product photography, you should first define your brand’s visual style. This includes the color palette, lighting, props, and angles you use in your photos.
Once you are clear on your visual style, create a guide that lists the specifications for each element of the photo shoot. This guide will become an indispensable tool for maintaining consistency across all products and shots.
Hand modeling
Hand models are an essential part of lifestyle product photography. They bring life and emotion to products and make them more attractive to potential buyers. Hand modeling is a special skill that requires a steady hand and an eye for detail.
When people see a product being used or held by another person, it creates a sense of connection between the buyer and the product. It helps people visualize themselves using or owning the product, which can lead to higher sales. In addition, a good handheld model can help create unique poses and angles that would be difficult for a camera alone to capture.
Conclusion
Lifestyle product photography is a critical aspect of your brand’s visual identity and can make or break your marketing efforts. By understanding the importance of lighting, composition, color scheme, and props, you can create visually appealing images that will attract potential customers.
One of the most important things to remember when shooting lifestyle product photos is to show how your products fit into people’s lives. This means that you should focus on capturing images that show how your products add value and enhance your target audience’s experience. It’s also critical to pay attention to details like angles, background settings, and editing techniques, as they all play a significant role in creating an aesthetically pleasing image that tells a story about your brand.
However, we know that shooting lifestyle images the traditional way can be time-consuming. Renting studios, equipment, and hiring the right photographers can be a drain on both your time and your wallet.
With CGI, however, this is changing. By simply rendering your product in 3D modeling software, we can create your ideal image remotely – all you have to do is send us some reference images that you can easily take with your smartphone. Our services are faster and cheaper than other traditional alternatives, and we will support you throughout the process. If this sounds interesting, schedule a FREE consultation call, where we will show you what we can do with your product.
FAQ
Why is lifestyle product photography important?
Lifestyle product photography can have a very positive impact on your visual content, as it allows viewers to identify with your brand. This is an important factor for businesses looking to increase sales.
How can I ensure my lifestyle product photography is effective in promoting my products?
To ensure that your lifestyle product photography promotes your products effectively, you need to use techniques that you know will appeal to your audience. That’s why it’s important to do thorough research on the people who might be interested in buying your product.
How can I make my lifestyle product photography stand out?
If you want to make your lifestyle product photography special in the eyes of your viewers, we highly recommend reading this article. Here we go into more detail about lighting, backdrops, and composition techniques.