As advertising photographers in Glasgow we are often asked to do lifestyle shots of products.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the term, this involves photographing products in a setting or location to give a sense of what they are like in use.
Established in 1799, well known diary publisher Collins is probably one of Glasgow’s oldest companies. Previously, we’d photographed their range of diaries and notebooks as simple product photographs on a white background but they also wanted some lifestyle shots to use in advertising, brochures and social media.
We had to create scenarios for each range. This was set up to represent a cafe environment.
The brief was to create a series of lifestyle shots for each range of diaries and notebooks. As each range was aimed at a different market from students and creative professionals to office workers, each shot needed to have a different look.
Working closely with the team at Collins, we came up with various lifestyle settings where the diaries might be used, such as a student desk, a cafe, a home desk, an office desk etc.
We then set about creating different backgrounds for the photography as well as using numerous props to help create the various scenes.
All the diaries and notebooks were supplied blank so we had to add writing to create the right effect.
For anyone who is new to the world of advertising photography, this is an aspect which they often don’t appreciate, as everything that appears in the photograph has to be carefully chosen, bought and then arranged in the final shot. As well as sourcing props , we also had to build various backgrounds. After that, the fun bit started which was arranging everything into an interesting composition.
To create the marble effect we actually used sticky backed plastic mounted on MDF board which was cheaper and easier to work with.
Although the finished lifestyle photographs have a random look, every object had to be carefully placed to aide the composition, with the diaries themselves being the main objects of focus.
This shot was taken to show a complete range.