It’s become a popular phrase within photography, but:
What is Lifestyle Photography?
In commercial photography, lifestyle photography is a very “set up” or directed sort of image, but with the intent that it comes across as natural. Photos are supposed to appear candid, as if you the viewer are observing something happening as if in real life.
Our brains are super observant, and although we may not even consciously be able to tell that a photograph is posed, we’ll pick up a vibe that the “lifestyle” photo we’re looking at is just strangely off. We can pretty quickly pick up on the way a scene looks “forced” or unnatural.
When using lifestyle images in advertising campaigns, on your website, or in social media posts, it’s important that your service or product is easily understood and portrays the experience you want people to have, AND also looks natural.
Here are a few techniques I often use to make sure images look natural during a photoshoot:
-Choose the right demographic for your product. Nothing looks worse than seeing someone using a product who would never actually buy it. Or someone who doesn’t actually know how to hold/use it!
-When using multiple people in your shoot, unless they’re experienced models, pick people who already have a relationship. You can sense when people don’t really know each other.
-Give people an activity to do. It can be difficult for someone who has never modeled to look natural posing according to your instructions.
-Have people interact primarily with each other rather than with the camera. Most people are awkward in front of a camera, so taking their focus off of it usually helps!
Lifestyle photography can be a great way to communicate something about your brand, and about the way people feel about it when they experience it. Setting up a lifestyle photoshoot can give you really good content for your website, as well as marketing materials.
Let’s talk about what a lifestyle photoshoot might look like for your business: