Valentine's Day Lifestyle Photo Shoot

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! My opinion? Every seasonal holiday is a reason to get creative and craft away. This year, Austin-based May Designs decided to decorate the office and create custom DIY bath bombs as gifts for friends and family. (Scroll to the end of this post for a link to the recipe so you can make your own.) They turned out so lovely, you’ll have to see!

We also snapped a few other office lifestyle photos perfect for the season. Take a peek at this Valentine’s Day craft lifestyle photo shoot below:

Valentine’s Day Craft Lifestyle Photo Shoot

All the Valentine’s Day bath bombs were assembled and ready for photos when I arrived on location. All they needed were a bit of customization with a coloring pigment pen. Sweethearts candy-inspired, we chose a few classic messages like XOXO and BE MINE and trendy ones like DM ME and BAE.

After getting a few photos of the behind-the-scenes process, I snapped a few pictures of the bath bombs wrapped up. There were two presentation options for this craft. One was displayed inside a heart box with one of their custom stationery cards in a seasonal pattern. The other was placed inside a re-used plastic sleeve (that typically holds their notebooks!) with soap confetti. A DIY tag was made using an old stationery card. So creative!

Both presentations of this Valentine’s Day craft turned out beautifully. The box is great as a larger gift for family and friends. I can see it placed on someone’s door! The smaller one is great as little presents for kids’ school classrooms or party favors. Which one do you prefer?

We also made sure to get a few lifestyle product photos fitting for Valentine’s Day. This holographic notebook looked beautiful in front of this outfit! I love the way each color on the design played against the shimmering sparkles of the skirt. Wait until you see the next photo though. Keep scrolling.

The star photo of the shoot: a Karen tumbler. Perfect to use as a humorous social media marketing asset, email marketing hero image, or website image.

Thanks for joining in and taking a look at a few favorite photos from this Valentine’s Day shoot. The recipe for the DIY Bath Bombs is linked here in this May Designs Instagram post.

I look forward to taking more beautiful pictures for seasonal marketing pushes!

Christmas Holiday Lifestyle Photos with May Designs

Holiday lifestyle photoshoots are in full swing for 2020! The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for many e-commerce brands, and it’s become my favorite time of year to shoot. Over the last few seasons, I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of photographing images for Austin-based lifestyle May Designs, a lifestyle brand specialized in custom notebooks, stationery, and more. This season, we shot photos in Mica May’s beautiful, new studio in Austin, Texas. Take a look at some of the Christmas holiday lifestyle photos captured for Holiday 2020.

Holiday Lifestyle Photos: Whimsical Christmas

May Designs requested we photograph two separate holiday themes this year: a “whimsical Christmas” with colorful tones of blush and aqua and a “traditional” Christmas with festive reds and greens. Here are a few favorite lifestyle photos with the whimsical Christmas theme.

Getting kids involved in shoots is always a fun challenge. Typically, they freeze in front of the camera unless you give them a reason to show their joy. Prompts like “Reach for the tallest ornament you see!” or “Pick your favorite ornament off the tree!” make for great, candid, in-the-moment photos.

I love the way May Designs use their customizable notebooks to decorate presents year after year for lifestyle shots. It reminds me that there are so many ways to wrap gifts—great for me as a photographer and the variety of pictures we can take together. My favorite one is at the end, so keep scrolling to check it out.

Traditional Christmas Holiday Lifestyle Photo Ideas

Here are a few lifestyle product shots for the traditional red and green Christmas. I’m curious to hear which theme you’d prefer in your home: whimsical or traditional?

No winter holiday is complete without a great bar cart. We used a variety of props like presents, garlands, string lights, glassware, and other decorations to complement different product styles. Take a look below!

No additional lighting was used for this shoot besides natural afternoon light from big, sliding doors. My recommendation for colorful, airy photos is to make sure there are plenty of natural reflectors (white tree and white rug) and the props in the background are a similar color palette; in this case, nothing too dark and heavy.

Thanks for taking a read and joining me on my holiday lifestyle shoot! Click on my contact page if you’re interested in beautiful branded photography for your business.