19 Ideas & Trends For Capturing Stunning Lifestyle Product Photos
You’re an eager entrepreneur excited to launch your first product. You’ve researched, planned everything out, and are ready to go! But then you start to think about product photography pricing. Your enthusiasm wanes as you discover that commercial product photography can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. You want great photos, but that’s quite an investment! What if there was a way to get the beautiful lifestyle images you envision without breaking the bank? That’s where lifestyle product photography comes in. This article will help you understand lifestyle product photography, why it’s so important, and how to get gorgeous photos that will elevate your brand and save you money on product photography pricing.
Ready to get started? One of the best ways to achieve stunning lifestyle product photography is to get the best styled house rentals for photography. This approach gives you access to a home that looks like the one your ideal customers would want to live in. You can then stage your products in the house to create beautiful, natural images of your products in a setting that will appeal to your target market.
What is Lifestyle Product Photography?
Lifestyle product photography tells a story. It captures a product in an everyday setting so customers can envision how it would fit into their lives. Instead of isolating your item on a plain background, lifestyle shots feature real-world environments that reflect how a product would be used.
The goal is to make potential customers see themselves using the product, whether:
A cozy cup of coffee on a rainy morning
A stylish bag slung over someone’s shoulder on the go
Evoking Emotion
Lifestyle photography is less about technical perfection and more about evoking emotion. Great lifestyle shots feel effortless, even though they’re anything but. They involve:
Careful planning
The right environment
Natural light
Often a model to bring the scene to life
When done right, lifestyle photography doesn’t just show a product. It shows a mood, a moment, a story your audience wants to be part of.
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Why Lifestyle Product Photography Matters
Create Emotional Connections with Lifestyle Product Photography
Lifestyle product photography is about creating stories that resonate with your target audience. This type of imagery helps establish an emotional connection between consumers and brands by depicting products within relatable narratives.
When potential buyers see images of a product that could belong in their own lives, they are more likely to envision using that product themselves. A photograph of a beautifully designed coffee maker in a cozy kitchen setting evokes feelings of warmth and comfort, making potential buyers more likely to imagine that scene in their own homes.
Emotional Connection
This emotional resonance is crucial for establishing brand loyalty. When consumers feel connected to a product or brand, they are more inclined to engage with it repeatedly and recommend it to others.
Enhance Product Appeal with Lifestyle Photography
Lifestyle photography significantly enhances the appeal of products by showcasing them in:
Relatable
Aspirational contexts
This approach allows brands to highlight the quality and craftsmanship of their products through carefully crafted images. A luxury handbag displayed in an elegant setting showcases the product and tells a story about the lifestyle associated with owning it.
Audience Aspiration
By presenting products in environments that reflect the aspirations and lifestyles of their target audience, brands can increase desirability and relatability, ultimately driving consumer interest and sales.
Provide Context to Help Consumers Make Purchase Decisions
Another critical purpose of lifestyle product photography is to provide context for the products being showcased. Lifestyle images help consumers understand how a product fits into their daily lives by demonstrating its functionality in real-world settings.
While traditional product photos may only show an item's design or appearance, lifestyle images illustrate how it can be used in various situations, enhancing its perceived value. Seeing a fitness tracker worn by someone during a morning run not only highlights its features but also shows its practical application in an active lifestyle.
Boost Brand Storytelling with Lifestyle Product Photography
Last but not least, lifestyle photography is vital in enhancing brand storytelling. By capturing products within relatable narratives, brands can communicate their values and identity more effectively. This storytelling aspect humanizes the brand, making it more approachable and relatable to consumers.
When potential customers see models using products in authentic scenarios, they can envision themselves in those situations, leading to stronger emotional connections.
Styled Rentals
Home Studio List connects photographers and brands with beautifully styled homes and photography studios available for hourly rentals across 40+ states, eliminating the need to haul props or hunt for perfect natural lighting.
Our curated spaces are styled and shoot-ready, with on-site hosts to ensure a smooth experience from booking to production day. With streamlined booking managed by our Reservation Managers, creatives can focus on their craft while we handle all the logistics. Simply browse, book, and show up to shoot. Browse our spaces for your next shoot today!
4 Essential Elements of Lifestyle Product Photography
1. Choosing a Location That Tells a Story
In lifestyle product photography, your location sets the tone for everything. It’s not just about finding a pretty space. It’s about choosing an environment that feels familiar and inviting to your audience. A well-chosen setting helps customers imagine your product in their lives, making it more:
Relatable
Desirable
Natural Illumination
Lighting is another huge factor. Natural light can beautifully bring out the textures and tones of your product, but it’s not always consistent. If you’re shooting indoors, placing your setup near a window can help, while outdoor shoots should be timed to catch the soft, flattering glow of early morning or late afternoon.
Finding the perfect space with great light, minimal distractions, and the right aesthetic can be time-consuming.
Rental Solution
That’s where Home Studio List comes in. Home Studio List connects photographers and brands with beautifully styled homes and photography studios available for hourly rentals across 40+ states. These curated, shoot-ready spaces are designed with natural light in mind, and on-site hosts help ensure a seamless experience.
Their Reservation Managers handle all the logistics. Just browse, book, and show up ready to create. It’s a huge time-saver, and a great way to skip hauling props or searching for the perfect spot.
2. Map Out a Proper Photoshoot Plan
Great lifestyle photos don’t just happen—they’re carefully planned. Before you start shooting, take time to map out your visual story. Start by researching your audience. The better you understand their tastes, needs, and values, the easier it is to create imagery that resonates.
Once you know your audience, define your goals. Are you highlighting comfort, luxury, convenience, or functionality? Create a mood board to capture the vibe you’re going for. Gather:
Images
Colors
Poses
Scenes that inspire you
Narrow down your ideas to a shortlist so you’re not overwhelmed on shoot day.
3. Include a Human Element in Your Photos
Including a human element in your photos can take your product storytelling to the next level. A model helps demonstrate how your product fits into everyday life and builds trust with your audience. When people see someone like themselves using your product, they’re more likely to imagine using it too.
Don’t have a model? You can still stage a relatable scene. A thoughtfully arranged setting, like a cozy living room or a breakfast nook, can show your product in use and create a visual story that connects emotionally with the viewer. It’s often faster and more budget-friendly than coordinating with talent.
4. Gather the Right Equipment
You don’t need a Hollywood budget to capture beautiful product photos. A professional setup can be a big investment, but you can also create a great DIY home studio with just a few essentials:
Camera: A DSLR in the $300–$500 range works well, but newer smartphone cameras can also deliver great results with the right lighting.
Tripod: Keeps your camera steady and helps maintain consistency between shots.
Lighting: Natural light is best, but softbox lights or ring lights can be great substitutes when that's not available.
Props: Add context or visual interest that complements your product.
Backgrounds: Help keep focus on the product and set the tone for the photo.
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Product Photography Props
19 Ideas & Trends For Capturing Stunning Lifestyle Product Photos
1. Still Life
A classic of classics, still life photos depict your products beautifully in well-thought-out compositions surrounded by inanimate objects and decorative elements. These may be:
Fruits
Flowers
Crystals
Stones
Waste
The key is in the set design. Ensure the surrounding items don’t shift the focus away from your product.
2. Floating Products
It is not magic, but excellent editing skills! This is a creative way to:
Portray your products
Catch the eye of potential customers on social media
This idea works for nearly every product category, and it is also amazing for food photography.
3. Lifestyle Photography
Everybody loves to travel. Showcase your products in breathtaking places where people can envision themselves. These photos can be strictly stills of your products or also lifestyle images. In both cases, they will stop your target audience from scrolling.
4. Monochromatic
Monochrome or mochromatic photos are beautiful to the eye, especially for social media. These photos can give out a full extravaganza or calm vibes depending on the color and elements chosen for the composition. Keep your brand’s photography style in mind!
5. Golden Hour
The hype for golden hour never gets old, use it for some stunning lifestyle photos of your products or to give your items a nice sun-kissed look with shadow play.
6. Pop of Color
This idea comes close to the monochromatic look. This time, the monochromatic tones are used as a contrasting background for your product or another element to stand out.
7. Everyday Activities
The great thing about this idea is that it places your product in relatable scenes that connect with your audience. They give your potential customers more context on your products. Your target audience can:
See themselves in these scenes
Understand more about your product than they would with words
8. Luxurious Lifestyle
In contrast to our previous idea, a luxurious lifestyle will be depicted for this one. This refers not to a display of wealth but an investment in activities that bring pleasurable moments outside everyday activities.
9. Content Pour-Out
Show your audience what your product contains. You know what they say: it’s the inside that matters. In this case, it’s a valuable product photograph for my potential customers who want to see beyond just the packaging of my items. As you can see, this concept can be applied to different products, from food to skincare.
10. Flat Lays
Flat lays are great for creating context, making your product look gorgeous.
11. Packaging Show-Off
If your products have distinctive, personalized, or aesthetically pleasing packaging, you should be showing it off! Your audience will surely love to see it.
12. Hand-In-Shot
This approach never gets old; it’s an everlasting trend in food photography. A little peak of a hand can do wonders for your engagement.
13. Play with Reflections
A creative idea for your next product photography is to play with mirrors or reflective surfaces. Small, big, vintage, modern, you name it. Mirrors are never out of style.
14. Swatches
People love swatches, especially when it comes to skincare and cosmetic products. When showcased on a model, or hand model, they give you a sense of the texture, look and feel on the skin. Swatches are great for product pages to show:
The different shades of your product
How they look on diverse skin colors
15. What’s In My Bag
Where does your product belong? Whether I carry them in a sustainable grocery bag or a fancy purse, show your audience a look into the bag of your customer persona! This content would do great on your:
Social media
Newsletter
Ad campaigns
16. Blurred Background
Blurred backgrounds are great for mixing lifestyle and product photography. Your product is the primary focus (quite literally), while the background helps communicate feelings, activities, or other elements related to the lifestyle behind your product. Much better than just a plain background!
17. Work from home
A new reality since the pandemic is that the ability to work from home has become a staple of everyone’s company benefits. Don’t miss out on your chance to cater to this audience, and showcase how your product can ease their life when doing WFM.
18. Geometric shapes
Similar to still life, this idea demands wise photography composition. It’s a must-try. Arrange your products with geometric items to create stunning images that sell.
19. Isometric Patterns
Isometric patterns are a popular food photography trend you can apply to your product photography. The best way to do this in commercial product photography is to combine it with elements that help convey a message about your product. It can be done with Photoshop for a cleaner look or by placing your assortment of products consistently.
5 Tips for Capturing Stunning Lifestyle Product Photos
1. Choose Authentic Settings
Select locations that mirror real-life situations where your target audience would use the product. Authentic environments help create relatable images that connect with viewers on a personal level. These include:
Cozy living rooms
Vibrant cafés
Scenic outdoor parks
Consider exploring local spots that reflect everyday life and scout locations ahead of time to ensure they align with your vision.
2. Incorporate Models
Using models in your lifestyle photography can significantly enhance the appeal of your images. Models help demonstrate how products fit into daily life, allowing consumers to visualize their use. Ensure the chosen models are appropriate for the product and resonate with your target audience. If you photograph athletic gear, select models who embody an active lifestyle.
3. Experiment with Angles
Don't be afraid to explore unique angles and perspectives when capturing lifestyle shots. Unusual viewpoints such as:
Low angles
Close-ups
These can add:
Visual interest
Drama to your images
Engaging Storytelling
This experimentation can help convey the product's story in a way that:
Engages viewers
Captures their attention
4. Use Natural Light
Use natural light to create soft, inviting images that feel genuine and relatable whenever possible. Natural light enhances the authenticity of your photos and minimizes harsh shadows. If shooting indoors, position your subject near windows or shaded areas to get even exposure. If necessary, use reflectors or diffusers to:
Soften light
Reduce glare
5. Show Scale and Context
Incorporating elements that demonstrate scale can help online buyers understand a product's size and usability in real-world contexts. For example, showing a hand holding a coffee mug or a model wearing a watch provides viewers with a relatable reference point.
Contextualizing products within their intended environments, like placing a yoga mat in a serene studio, can also enhance relatability.
Related Reading
Product Commercial Photography
How Much to Charge for Product Photography
Browse Our Spaces for Your Next Shoot Today
Home Studio List connects photographers and brands with beautifully styled homes and photography studios available for hourly rentals across 40+ states, eliminating the need to haul props or hunt for perfect natural lighting. Our curated spaces are styled and shoot-ready, with on-site hosts to ensure a smooth experience from booking to production day.
With streamlined booking managed by our reservation managers, creatives can focus on their craft while we handle all the logistics. Simply browse, book, and show up to shoot. Browse our spaces for your next shoot today!