7 Tips for Better Lifestyle Product Photography
November 17, 2020
Image credit: Jonathan Borba
Products for sale offer more than just colours, dimensions and quantities. They also come with potential – to fulfil a customer’s needs or aspirations.
Lifestyle product photography makes it possible to illustrate that potential.
What is lifestyle product photography?
Lifestyle product photography (a.k.a. product lifestyle photography) depicts products in real or lifelike settings – e.g. being worn or used. It’s prevalent throughout print and digital media, from advertising to editorial.
Lifestyle product photography tends to be realistic yet appealing, often evoking a certain mood, atmosphere or ideal to show customers how a product might benefit them. It might be as simple as a styled flat lay or as elaborate as a staged outdoor set. Natural lighting often features, but so can artificial lighting that’s designed to look ambient.
While lifestyle product photography often looks effortless, there’s an art to crafting images that will convince and compel customers.
Learn how it’s done with these 7 lifestyle product photography tips.
New to product photography? Don’t miss our Complete Intro to Product Photography.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony RX10 III @ f2.4, 1/3200 sec, ISO 100
Plan
For even the most ‘authentic’-looking lifestyle shoot, it pays to have a plan. (And a Plan B in case of poor weather or other unforeseen issues.)
- Create a list or storyboard of required shots and work out what you need to achieve them: props, models, wardrobe, makeup, equipment (including backups), lighting.
- If you’re using available light, aim to shoot at a place and time that will provide your desired lighting conditions. Consult an app like Sunseeker, which will tell you where the sun will be at any given time and place. Or scope out your intended location in advance, at the same time that you plan to shoot.
- If photographing children, try scheduling a time when they’re most likely to be happy and cooperative.
Finally, take some time to prepare the scene so you don’t need to do so mid-shoot. This will also help minimise how much photo editing you need to do.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens @ f3.5, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
Use the Right Gear
In most cases, the gear recommendations for product photography also apply to lifestyle product photography.
If photographing candid lifestyle portraits, however, choose a camera and lens combination that allows you to react quickly.
For best results you’ll need a camera with:
- manual settings
- a high burst rate, a.k.a. continuous shooting speed (e.g. 8 fps)
- a fast autofocus (AF) system with widespread AF points
- (ideally) Face/Eye detection
- (ideally) a silent shutter
These features (available in most Sony mirrorless cameras) will give you the best chance of capturing lifestyle portraits blur-free, even if your subject moves to the edges of the frame.
Image stabilisation (in the camera, lens or both) will help minimise any blur from you handholding the camera.
Also Recommended
- A versatile, wide-aperture zoom lens such as the Sony FE 24-70mm f2.8 GM or Sony FE 24-105mm f4 G OSS and/or a fast prime lens like the Sony FE 55mm f1.8 – for quickly changing composition, blurring backgrounds, and freezing movement without blur
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A decent-sized reflector and diffuser – for brightening shadows and softening harsh light or highlights
- A tripod or (if you’re shooting on the move) monopod – for precise framing and maximum sharpness, particularly with slower shutter speeds
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony a7R II + FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS Lens @ f1.4, 1/100 sec, ISO 100
Use Lighting to Set the Mood
Be it natural or artificial, light strongly influences the tone of an image. So choose lighting that reflects the mood you want to set – e.g. romantic, soothing, summery.
- Golden Hour (the hour around dusk or dawn) is great for capturing that warm, romantic glow in outdoor photos.
- For flatteringly soft, even lighting shoot in open shade, on an overcast day or beside a sheer-covered window. Alternatively, you could diffuse bright sunlight or use a flash with a softbox or umbrella.
Direct sunlight or flash will give you strong contrast and shadow definition (useful for, say, a hot afternoon vibe) but should be used with care. Look out for distracting shadows and overblown highlights; you might need to reposition your model or bounce/soften the light using a reflector or diffuser.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony a7C + FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 Lens @ f11, 1/20 sec, ISO 400
Keep it Natural
Believability is what makes lifestyle product photography effective, because it resonates with viewers. Stilted poses or ill-chosen props will likely distract from your message.
To make people look natural, they need to feel comfortable. This applies whether you’re doing lifestyle product photography with models or everyday people. Chatting to them before (and after) you pick up the camera, explaining what you’re doing and providing gentle direction can all help to put your subjects at ease.
Tip: Directing Models
Try telling your subjects what to do rather than how to do it. This way you're more likely to photograph authentic, as opposed to forced, expressions and poses.
Props are a great way to bring interest and context to lifestyle product photos. Just try not to overdo them or else they’ll dominate your images. Use props sparingly and keep them relevant to the product.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony a7 II + FE 50mm F1.8 Lens @ f1.8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 100
Tell a Story
Good lifestyle product photography tells a story. Try photographing a wide shot for context (e.g. the product in its intended environment), some product-only shots from multiple angles, plus some tighter shots of the product in detail.
Aperture
Try using shallow depth of field to emphasise one detail while blurring all others. To do this, set your aperture to f4 or wider. (You’ll need to have your camera in Aperture (AV) or Manual (M) mode.) The longer your lens’ focal length and the closer you shoot your subject, the shallower your depth of field will be.
To get more of your subject in crisp focus, set a narrower aperture (e.g. f8 or f11). Just bear in mind that your aperture setting will affect your required shutter speed – see below.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony a9 + Planar T FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ f2, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200
Be Ready for the Unexpected
The perfect shot waits for no one, so always be ready to shoot – especially when doing candid lifestyle photography.
Learn your camera like the back of your hand and set it to a fast burst rate (e.g. 10 fps). This will capture plenty of frames from the instant you press the shutter, increasing your chances of photographing just the right moment.
Shutter Speed
If your subject is moving, use a fast shutter speed to minimise motion blur. Set your camera to Shutter Priority (TV) or Manual (M) mode and try 1/250 sec as a starting point. (The faster your subject’s movement, the faster a shutter speed you’ll need.)
For stationary subjects, you can get away with a much slower shutter speed. However, anything slower than about 1/125 sec or 1/(your lens’ focal length) sec—whichever is faster—could create blur unless you use a tripod.
Compose constantly, so you can tweak your composition quickly when the decisive moment happens.
Avoid waiting for a reaction, reviewing your shots frequently, or putting down the camera. You just never know when your subject will let out a laugh or a gorgeous stream of sunshine will burst through the clouds.
Image credit: Sony | Shot using the Sony a6500 + E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens @ f11, 1/20 sec, ISO 400
Be Adaptable
You know what they say about the best laid plans. Be prepared to improvise if there’s a setback or to change tack if something’s not quite working the way you’d envisioned.
At the same time, be open to chance opportunities. That unplanned location, pose, styling choice, or composition might just be what makes your money shot.