How to Do Lifestyle Photography? Follow Expert Tips and Tricks

Lifestyle photography, in its purest sense, encapsulates the life reality day in and day out and naturally depicts it. Lifestyle photography as opposed to posed portraits does not seek for a space in which to sit for sessions. 

It strives more toward the elements of story, empathy, and drama, and real, candid moments. No matter being a professional or a keen hobbyist photographer, lifestyle photography is one special aspect that could uplift your work to the next stage. Here are some great tips that help you set up everything for best outcomes.

7 Expert Tips for Perfect Results

1. Understand Your Subject 

The first stage in lifestyle photography is to understand your subject; it could be a person, pet, or object. You need to know what it is that makes that subject unique. 

For this, you have to indulge in a period of observation. Spend a little time with the subject as much as, maybe, observing some of its habits and noting little things about it that are distinctive. This will give you a better understanding of the subject, enabling you to develop really authentic moments.

2. Choose the Right Setting

In lifestyle photography, the place becomes a prominent factor. The place should be such that it should bring out the subject and at the same time make the story it wants to tell. 

Natural spaces like a park, home doesn’t mind streets but thinking out of the box is always good. A place where your subject is comfortable and flowing into life is the hallmark. Construct a background, ensuring that your main subject will never lose its importance by drowning it in its composition.

3. Use Natural Light

Lighting can make or break a photo, and in lifestyle product photography, natural light is your best friend. Soft, diffused light from windows, early morning, or late afternoon provides a flattering glow and reduces harsh shadows. 

Avoid using flash, as it’s very artificial. Instead, embrace natural light. Work with it, have your subject positioned in the house, close to windows or doors.

4. Capture Candid Moments

Candid shots are one hallmark of lifestyle photography. Taking pictures of spontaneous moments, instead of actually staging shots, is thus a challenge. This brings authenticity and tells a more convincing story within the frames. 

Let the subject participate in activities that he/she or even the whole family is fond of doing, such as cooking, playing with kids, or just loafing around. Be patient, prepare at the serious disposal of snapping at the right moments. 

5. Experiment with Angles and Perspectives

Experiment with angles and perspectives of variety is life in this form of photography. So be everything to add your angles and perspectives to it. Above, below, or at eye level can create really interesting shots in photographs including depth for interest in your picture. 

Then go ahead and use close-ups to spotlight detail. Try to use wide-angle lenses to capture the environment around your subject too. Changing perspectives can add visual interest and also represent different facets of your subject’s story.

6. Focus on Composition

An excellent photograph is built on good composition. Lifestyle photography mainly focuses on the application of the rule of thirds alongside the leading lines and frame techniques that render balance and ensure good artistic impressions. 

Check your elements in the frame and ensure that your main subject stands out while in elements, harmony exists.

7. Light Edit

During the process of post-processing, which is taken now as an essential step included in modern photography, experience comes to life in lifestyle photography under most usages. 

Take the photographs, and adjust the brightness, contrast, and color balance, but do not over-process them. Natural is better than transformation. An image can be accomplished with the use of tools such as Adobe Lightroom, iMobile, or other adjoin apps that produce well-placed enhancements without the presence of commercialism in the captured view. For lifestyle product photo editing services,contact Global Photo Edit.

Practical Application of Expert Tips on Lifestyle Photography

Let’s take a total and practical case to illustrate these tips: Take a family picnic as a case in point. Seven steps are all you take your requirements to be applied as in this example:

1. Understand Your Subject: Spend time watching the family regarding how they relate to each other in order to appreciate what makes their dynamic so unique. You might notice children’s playfulness and the relaxed demeanor of their parents.

2. Identify the Perfect Location: You may choose among beautiful parks that feature all-natural beauty. Ensure that the picnic ground has a lovely background that goes perfectly with the family.

3. Natural Light: Shoot during the late hours of the afternoon when the light is soft and golden. Make the family shoot so that the rays of sun across branches are filtered in warm tones.

4. Focus-On-Candid-Moments: Encourage them to have fun playing games, enjoy their food, and have relationships through conversations. That’s the moment where you capture all hosts’ surprising laughter or cuddles.

5. Try to Shoot from Different Perspectives as Well: From wide angles- really the whole picnic setup in close up of children playing to some very different perspective as in the view through the branches of a tree.

6. Focus the Composition: Compose using Rule of Thirds. Place the family off-center and use the picnic blanket to help lead the viewer’s eyes into frame.

7. Subtle to the Edit: In post-processing naturalizing the colors of the park exposure correction brightens up the images with a little vignette to keep economic size on that family.

Even after taking the best photos, the need for editing still arises. In that case, contact Global Photo Edit- a lifestyle photo editing company in India.

Practice Tips: Building Your Skills in Lifestyle Photography

In this case, the only way to master the art of lifestyle photography is by practising more as a beginner. It is best started by testing on relatively easy tasks. These are perfect for practising because they have close details and textures that have to be seen. 

Do not hesitate to try out different lighting arrangements – see how diffused light will affect the looks, especially the textures, of the subjects. It is suggested to switch between different camera angles to get the most suitable position for each photo.

Imitate product adverts and ad campaigns, as these are perfect sources of how to portray products in an advert. Look at light and shadow, arrangement, poses, outfits, and makeup in these pictures. It’s also very helpful to go to online sources such as Pinterest or Behance to get ideas and see what’s out there, check what other photographers are doing, and learn new tricks.

Through regular and repeated efforts in practising and also observing others, one day you will be able to get better results and confidence to capture professional-like looks through your lifestyle photography. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Lifestyle Product Photography

Over-editing Photos

Post-processing is crucial; over-processing is also counterproductive in the sense that it results in photographs that have been over-touched and look unrealistic. Do not overdo saturation, overly sharpen your images or make the colours too bright. 

Continue to refine small and always aim at making the product look as close to perfection as possible to produce work that looks like the real thing. The concept of designing for business should be polished yet authentic.

Poor Lighting Setup

Low or poor-quality lighting can produce unnecessary shadows or not reveal the product features. That is why one should use ‘softer’ lighting which does not focus on a particular subject and instead gently floods the subject with light. 

Try to vary its positioning during shooting to minimise shadow interference and make the product’s surface shine and texture come through well.

Distractions on the Prop or Setting  

In this case, the use of the wrong props or having too much going on in the background of an image takes attention away from the product. Avoid choosing complex or coloured backgrounds and a lot of props that can distract focus from the product; choose a decorated textile or a stand of a similar design. This keeps the focus on the item and does not allow for distractions.

Inconsistent Branding

The problem is that if your photography style does not match the brand you are working for, the potential consumers will be confused. Make sure your images look like the brand is stylish and the mood it sends out is either elegant, modern or classic. 

It is important for a brand to have consistency across all product photos to maintain the brand’s image and also gain customer confidence. Here, you may choose to reach out to reputed companies like Global Photo Edit, and avail our lifestyle photo editing services.

Conclusion

Practice and keen observation is what it takes to master lifestyle photography. Know your subject, shoot in an appropriate space, use light, shoot as it is, be adventurous with angles, think about composition, edit lightly, and you have stunning images that tell very real stories.  It should be really about shooting moments that actually happen which can touch the viewers’ heart and stir emotions. Get your camera, get out, and enjoy the beautiful world of lifestyle photography. This is a good set of tips to make you a lifestyle photographer in no time. For lifestyle photo editing services, contact Global Photo Edit.