Top tips on styling your lifestyle products - Georgia De Lotz
We catch up with product stylist photographer, Georgia De Lotz. After experiencing the world of start-up businesses herself, Georgia knows how daunting it can be so uses her work to help brands grow their audience and online presence. After years of experience working with different brands and clients, Georgia is the go-to person to get the info on how to successfully style your lifestyle products.. and here are her top tips.
APPEAL TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Make sure you choose props, styling and location that will appeal to your target audience. Your potential customers need to be able to relate to the images you create, they want to buy not only into the product but into the lifestyle they see, so make sure you think about whether your customer would love the scene you’re creating! This also means knowing your audience really well and tailoring the imagery to their likes.
CREATE DEPTH AND DEFINITION
It’s great to create depth within your imagery using props of varying height. I like to add foliage in glass jars to add height within the image when shooting small products like jewellery and stationary. Also adding imagery onto the walls to add interest high up when shooting on a larger scale is something to keep in mind. Add height to your products by placing card, old rolls of washi tape or something underneath small items- this wont be visible in the pictures but will allow shadow and depth to be created so your images don’t look flat.
PLAN, PINTEREST AND BE PRACTICAL
Plan your props in advance! Avoid shooting in a hurry - plan your props, shoot and theme you want to create before shooting so you ensure you create the look you want. My first point of call is actually Pinterest: I put a board together of ideas, props, backgrounds, influences and inspiration before I start sourcing. You can be clever when sourcing props, use Ebay, charity shops, friends and family, they don’t have to break the bank! Just make sure you keep everything you buy as you never know when it’ll next come in handy.
TEST THE SCENE
When styling a scene, try adding in one item at a time and taking it away again. Ask yourself, what does it add? Do I need that prop in the picture? Does it feel like it’s in the right place? By having your camera on a tripod, it makes it much easier to try this process and take pictures whilst keeping your hands free to style. Sometimes, less is more…
PICK THE PERFECT BACKGROUND
Choose a background that works with your brand AND that particular product. Whether you are shooting flat lays or interiors, your product needs to stand out and if your product is predominantly white and you shoot it against a white background, it’s going to fall into the background and lose it’s detail. Try using a slightly contrasting colour behind your product, this could be card or backdrop (Photo Boards) if you’re doing a flat lay, or a wall or sofa if it’s an interior shot. Always think about your brand image, don’t go off brand just because a certain background goes well with the particular product, keep referring back to your Pinterest board.
Follow Georgia on Instagram to see all her amazing work and get some inspiration from her (very) aesthetic posts!
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