What Is Lifestyle Product Photography?

Lifestyle product photography is the creation of curated images that inspire potential customers to want your product. The style of this photography shows how the product is going to look, feel and work in real life, but it should also introduce your potential customers to the idea of a lifestyle or aesthetic promoted by the brand - and it should do this without having to be explained.

It is sometimes referred to as in-context photography for this reason: the act of capturing context when taking a still picture [to] represent it visually in real time. 

Unlike standard functional product images which show the function of an item against a plain background, lifestyle images should therefore excite and engage your audience. Remember that lifestyle images are an extension of your brand - each should capture your unique voice and the lifestyle you want to promote.‍

“You’re selling the lifestyle of the individual in shot,” says our Managing Director Alex. “You want to tell a story through different factors such as colour, clothing or location [to] create an image that makes viewers imagine themselves with a particular lifestyle, and encourages them to associate that lifestyle with the product in shot.”

The Benefits of Lifestyle Product Photography

High-quality lifestyle product images can help improve your engagement, attract new customers, increase your conversion rate, and scale your brand. If you're eager to get the edge over your competitors, this is the way to do it.

1. Attracts Attention

A unique and creative product image will stand out from the crowd and make your audience stop their scroll and notice you - something that is difficult now that people have unlimited access to a wealth of different content. A great image will jump out of their Instagram feed and shake them - metaphorically of course.

2. Promotes a Trustworthy Solution in Seconds

If your product can solve a problem or change a life: show it. This communicates to potential customers that they need your product - all without saying a word. It also builds trust with your customers if your image has a clear narrative and a clear solution, as you've given them all they need to make a purchase.

3. Increase Engagement

We live in a digital age where social media is becoming an increasingly important part of ecommerce. It’s not uncommon to see product ads or influencers sharing images of products on our feeds. Consumers are 40x more likely to share content that features an image across their social media channels.

An attractive lifestyle image will gain likes, comments and shares fast - and the more of these you have, the more likely someone is to browse your products or service and make a purchase.

‍60% of people say they discover new products on Instagram and 200+ million users visit a brand on a daily basis. ‍

4. Remain Memorable and Increase Sales

Good lifestyle images remain in a potential customers brain and encourage them to take action - whether then and there, or later on. 54% of people made a purchase either in the moment or after seeing a product on Instagram and a huge 75% of people  said they’ve taken action after being inspired by a post.

It should be clear now but it bears repeating: good content sells.

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At We Should Create, we believe that branded content should be fun, engaging and powerful. Our photographers, videographers and ad experts are ready to help you scale. View our product lifestyle examples or find out more about our services on our website.  

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