According to Go-Globe, Ecommerce in Singapore is the fastest growing segment in the digital sector, and it is expected to reach USD 100 billion by 2025. As many business owners join the bandwagon, online shoppers are overwhelmed with the available options and they want to make the best decision before purchasing a product. One of the important aspects to get started is Product Photography. A high-quality captivating photograph will showcase your product in the best light and capture attention of customers away from competitors. So the photos you use online should represent your product at its very best. There are two popular types of product photography: Product Packshot and Lifestyle Photography. So, what are the main differences between them? Let’s find out together!
1. Definitions
Product Packshot comes with plain background (usually white) to make the product stand out. By showcasing the different angles and providing customers clear product information, customers can find out more and understand the products better if they suit their needs. Packshot is commonly used in e-commerce, commercials and advertisement to showcase product item - texture, labels and basic information of the products etc.
Lifestyle photography is another type that aims to capture product in an artistic manner and illustrate on how the product are being used. It involves using different types of props to establish emotional connections between the products and customers to tell unique stories of the products. For instance, in this shampoo advertisement, by capturing the product with its ingredients, customers can better visualize and sense the aroma of the products.
2. Marketplace Requirement
Depending on the marketplace, vendors need to choose the appropriate photography style. For instance, Amazon only allows white background Product Packshot for their Main Image of the listing. As for Shopee, they allow lifestyle photography to be used as Cover image for the listing of product categories like Apparel, F&B and Home & Living. Hence, It is important to analyse the requirements of your targeted marketplace thoroughly before deciding on a photography style.
3. Why do you need it?
Outlining all the appearances of products is a plus point of packshot. The contrast of white background would capture attention of the audience faster. By showing the original look of the products without any additional props or decorative items, it allows potential buyers to focus and see the items that they are buying right away .
On the contrary, lifestyle product photography helps create a unique aesthetic to connect with the customer. By using different props along with the product, a specific context is created. For example, champagne glass advertisements usually includes friend gathering or utilize prop like champagne bottles and confetti to draw up the moments of celebration. Customers can relate to the emotions and feelings which are illustrated in the photos. For short, a picture is worth a thousand words!
4. Angles and Difficulties
Product photography can be done in different ways and angles. Different product sizes require different angles for optimal results. The whole process of preparation & shooting for a 5-photo-package can be done within 1 hour. While for lifestyle shots, it takes at least around 30 minutes for preparation of product and suitable props. There is no restriction for fashion styling and image design as it depends on photographers’ creativity. Thus, lifestyle photography is more challenging to execute since storytelling has subjective elements which require more time and effort to build unique stories out of the photography.
Sometimes, it requires models and extra work of post-production to successfully deliver the intended message. As higher price comes with better results, Lifestyle photography works better in attracting customers through storytelling.
All in all, Product Packshot and Lifestyle Photography are both important to promote your products. If the budget allows, it is advisable to go for both. Quality product photo are beneficial in converting potential customers to paying customers. At DNA Hub, we offer many sorts of photography from amazing standard packshot, corporate photography to food styling photography at an affordable price with a quick turnaround time. Our highly experienced photographers have been providing professional photoshoot to Singapore companies and individual clients.