Which is right for your business?
You’re a small business owner with a brand-new product range that you want to show to potential customers. You know you need high-quality photographs for your online store. But which style is right for your business? Lifestyle vs product photography (aka packshot photography); I’m going to delve into both options here & help you decide which style is right for you.
It’s the photos that grab attention, not the words, captions, or even the price. So the photos you use online must represent your product at its very best.
Lifestyle Photography
Lifestyle photography can mean all sorts of things but usually involves adding some props to your photos. Sometimes it can simply be showing a product in its natural environment, for example, a coffee mug on a table, coffee inside, a pot of coffee in the background.
At other times lifestyle photography shows the product in use. For example, someone sat in the kitchen, drinking from the coffee mug.
Sometimes lifestyle photography brings an element of aspirational living to your products. For example, a group of friends sitting around a table, mugs of coffee in their hands. Smiling, laughing & having fun together. The customer sees this & wants that experience.
Think about what influences your own buying. Humans rely heavily on emotions when making decisions. Lifestyle photography helps customers imagine your product in their daily life. These aspirations connect with their emotions & can influence their purchasing decisions.
When shooting lifestyle, do be careful not to ‘over-prop’ your photos. Your product needs to be centre-stage. You don’t want any ambiguity or uncertainty as to which item is for sale. It’s important that the creative presentation of your products fits with your brand.
Product Photography (aka Packshot Photography)
If lifestyle photography is aspirational, classic product photography is functional. Its purpose is to help customers understand your product, its features & its benefits.
In a shop, a customer can touch, pick up or try on a product. They can feel it, turn it around and look at it from different angles.
Online they can’t do this so the photos need to do this for them.
Traditional product photography is shot on a plain background so as to not distract from the product. It can also be referred to as packshot photography.
A white background is a standard for e-commerce photography & is often required for press & PR features. Many major online retailers (think Amazon & John Lewis) also use a predominantly white background to showcase products in their online stores.
White shows off your product to its best allowing colours, shapes & features to stand out whilst using the same background throughout gives consistency to your range. Classic white background product photos are often referred to as a packshot.
Lifestyle vs Product Photography: Which is best?
I don’t think either approach is better than the other. There are many variables to be considered from where the images will be used to who your target customer is.
Are you selling on social media? You may find that lifestyle photos perform better as social media is all about experiences, aspirations & engagement.
Are you hoping to sell through an online marketplace such as Not on the High Street? Their photography brand guidelines actively encourage lifestyle photography. (In fact, if selling through NOTHS is an aim for your business I would highly recommend getting hold of their photography guidelines before you have your products photographed. To be featured on the homepage or as a recommended supplier, there is a distinct look & feel that they prefer, even down to how the photos are cropped).
If you want to sell on Amazon, you may want classic product or packshot photography. My advice is before commissioning a photographer, do some research. Find out what style is needed for your intended use. Have a look at the market leaders within your industry. See what works for others & look at how you can replicate it.
A combination
It may be that a combination approach works best for you. One or two hero photos of each product on a white background, with subsequent illustrative images, shot in a lifestyle manner.
Is your photographer able to shoot both styles?
*Put’s hand in air & waves, I can, I can!*.
Lifestyle is the more creative approach to photographing products. Classic product photography is a more modest way of shooting.
If you’re still unsure you could always ask the customer. Shoot one of your products in both styles & ask your customer which they prefer.
No matter which photography style you choose, lifestyle or classic, the most important thing is to have high-quality photography that makes your products look AMAZING & compels people to buy!
