Lifestyle images put your product in context by using props and including the item in everyday scenes. Think of lifestyle product images as islands: your product is the palm trees, but the entire background of the sun, the ocean, and the long stretches of sand help set the scene for them.
Lifestyle Product Photography in eCommerce
Coming back to the land of eCommerce, this style of photography brings context to your product listings on Amazon or Walmart. It allows the consumer to envision how buying the product will help them achieve the lifestyle they want. The more they understand how the product will benefit them, the more likely conversion is to happen.
So, how can you make your images better?
The Power of Props
Props help show the customer how your product will elevate their lifestyle or make goals more achievable. Selling a notebook? Create the perfect desk scene to show that it’ll help them get more organized. You make fitness gear? Highlight that gym bag by photographing it with other items that your audience likely has or would use. It’s also important to ensure that props make sense for the story you are telling. If you’re using a lot of floral and organic accents, don’t throw in items with sleek, hard lines that conflict with the natural aesthetic. Jarring details will distract your audience.
Cut the Clutter
How do you feel in a messy environment? Uncomfortable? Clashing lines and textures in your photos can trigger this feeling for your customers. This is why it’s important to pay attention to your backgrounds. A background should highlight the details of your product, not detract from them. If your product has a patterned or textured surface, it’s best to avoid a busy background as it can make the image chaotic. The viewer’s eyes won’t know where to rest and will continue to move around, creating a feeling of stress. Anything that creates a negative reaction will hinder conversion.
Checklist for Lifestyle Product Photography
Color can drastically affect the mood of your audience. Here are two quick examples of color schemes you can use according to the emotional affect you want your photos to have.
Energizing: Complementary color palettes pair two colors that are opposites on the color wheel such as blue and orange. They convey a feeling of high intensity and impact.
Calming: Analogous colors are three colors that sit next to each other on the wheel. They occur often in nature and are pleasing to the eye, thus creating a sense of relaxation.
Learning the psychology behind colors and color theory can have great benefits for drawing people in and immediately giving them a positive experience with your product.
Lifestyle photos are useful for enhanced brand content and social media posts as well. Start with your best-selling products, making sure you have lifestyle photos for all of your product categories.
Great content makes for great conversion. For ideas and help with your product photography speak with your account manager or reach out to us for our creative content services.