Timeless results that don't require the latest gear
Smart ways to engage your target audience without breaking the bank
Staying ahead of the game and enjoying lifestyle photography shoots in 2024
Why is Lifestyle Photography Important?
Businesses and people hire lifestyle photographers to capture real-life events as accurately as possible; capturing life as it happens, rather than staging or recreating images is going to have numerous benefits that we explore in this photography article. Lots of inspiration is usually taken from street documentary and photojournalism to create the sense of realism and authenticity in photographs. I even wrote an article about this for weddings and special events which you can find linked here.
How Do I Achieve the Best Results from My Lifestyle Photoshoot?
The biggest thing that confuses people when discussing this topic is around the rules of lifestyle photography. The most frequently asked question that I get is: "So how does candid lifestyle photography compare to a more staged style of photography?"
This is a good question and it's important to note that just because something is staged, it doesn't mean that it's not suitable for "lifestyle photography". You can see from the examples above that Martin Creates used the same model, same outfit and pretty much the same location / neighbourhood - all on the same day. The pictures were captured and edited by Martin Creates for a brand called Diva Catwalk for their social media posts and online campaigns.
The picture on the left in particular represents a more staged lifestyle shot where the model clearly shows the beautiful dress off. In reality, it would be rare for someone to pose like this unless a camera was pointed at them yet somehow it's natural and effortless (I will write a blog about the importance of hiring professional models for your lifestyle shoots). This is important for lifestyle photography because the target audience will find the image aspirational and want to be in the model's shoes wearing the dress and looking fabulous.
You'll notice that the typical textbook rules for lifestyle photography are "no posing", "candid" and anything involving "guidance" and "directing" will fall under portrait photography. As a professional commercial photographer, Martin Creates is able to bend these "textbook rules" and produce candid and natural-looking results that are coordinated and directed. Martin Creates has thousands of hours on lifestyle shoots and other projects as experience to rely on. This is the recommended approach in 2024 - get practicing!
I paid attention to two things in both photos to ensure we produced high-quality lifestyle content:
Capturing the sense of motion in a lifestyle shoot: Capture a moment in time as opposed to something that was static for ages.
Capture a natural glance/gaze: This isn't a portrait shoot, things like mouth slightly open, pensive expressions and eyes focused on a thought rather than an object in the distance are good pointers for your lifestyle models.
Thinking "Outside The Box":
Ticking the basic boxes ahead of a lifestyle shoot is important. Lifestyle photography requires creating mood boards, choosing models, locations, editing styles and props that resonate with your target audience. Knowing your target audience and client's goals in general is the key to any creative project, not just professional photoshoots.
And yet, we can go a step further and think outside the box to maximise results... hiring a trained actor/director!! Having a trained actor/director on set to coordinate models and recreate scenes from verbal conversations is so powerful, I couldn't believe the results the first time I did it. Having real emotions with actual tears and stomach cramps from genuine laughter are examples of how a professional lifestyle shoot can go from 8/10 to 10/10. It doesn't even require a ridiculous amount of budget, there are so many young and talented actors and directors who are looking for projects where they can come on board and demonstrate their skills. It allows the photographer to focus on the right camera settings, best angles, get real-time feedback from someone who has a qualified vision and much more. I worked with Natasha O'Brien who is an actor on the Mama Mia musical in the UK to produce these lifestyle stills for an online coaching company in the summer of 2023.
This lifestyle photograph was taken by Martin Creates in London, UK
This lifestyle photograph was taken by Martin Creates in London, UK
In conclusion, it's not about the latest gear (it can help, but not essential), it's about the story, the message that the target audience is left with, consistency/alignment with the branding and directing that will yield the best results for all professional photography lifestyle shoots in 2024.
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