Lifestyle Photography

When I'm doing product photography, I try as hard as I can to show every aspect of a piece of jewelry. How does the ring band look on the back? What colors are really in the stones? Since people can't pick it up and try it on and feel it, I have to convey as much information as I can digitally. I like to think my photos are pretty good  - they're not always perfect, because I shoot with natural light, but I do the best I can.

But is that enough? I've read forever that "lifestyle shots" help convey more about your product. I never really knew HOW to do a lifestyle shot, because in my head, that meant finding a model and scouting a location and what busy mom has time for that? Then I started doing some research on flat lays. A flat lay is seen a LOT on Instagram, and it's exactly what it sounds like. Your items are laid flat on the backdrop and photographed from above.

So, I thought to myself, Self, how would I style such and so a necklace? What about those earrings? So I gathered a few of my own items together, along with some outdoors things I've picked up because I thought they were cool. I'm like that - oooh, rock. Wow, look at the pine cone! What a neat slice of tree! (Lots of tree slices in Wilmington right now - we're a little over a month past Hurricane Florence).

This is what I came up with:

Royston Turquoise, cedar slice, pine cone, my own cowl

Kingman turquoise, sweater, pine cone, cedar slice

And just for a different feel, one with a few more items. The boots are Old Gringo, style name Erin (no, I'm not kidding - that's why I got them), my own small leather purse, a handwoven scarf, Butterfly Necklace, and a Campitos Cluster Ring.

So the flat lay can be as involved or as simple as you want it to be. I can see dozens of possibilities in my own closet alone for making this work.  I like playing with different photography - it helps spur my creativity a bit.

I hope to do more of these soon. I found it to be incredibly fun!