What’s the Difference Between Editorial and Lifestyle Brand Photography?
When a client decides to hire me for brand photography, there’s a set of questions I ask about their products or services, their ideal client, and their brand’s personality and aesthetic – among other things.
The answers to these questions helps determine the style of photography that will be the best fit. Lifestyle brand photography really shines for most brands needing authentic portrayal for their business, but sometimes a brand needs a more editorial approach.
What is editorial brand photography? It’s a style of photography that while still telling a story is more conceptual. It’s not trying to depict real life. The “story” might be about color, or desire, or anything really. Rather than selling a specific product or service directly, it’s illustrating an idea or visually supporting a narrative in a more creative, conceptual way. You’ll see it in fashion magazines as imagery that support an article or story for example.
Editorial brand photography leans more artistic and emotional whereas photography that captures lifestyle brands aims to be more candid and relatable, showing a moment or a vibe, and is often aspirational.
When Do You Choose One Over the Other?
Editorial style imagery is a great choice for a brand who wants to create intrigue or emotional resonance rather than selling something directly. It’s also effective for telling a deeper story or a unique aesthetic.
For example, styling a creative entrepreneur in bold, expressive clothing set in a surreal environment to reflect a brand rooted in imagination and transformation.
Or perhaps creating a sense of nostalgia is important to the brand. Creating images that play on that through wardrobe and set design will effectively get that message across.
So you can see how there’s endless creative opportunities here for conveying or supporting certain aspects of a brand’s story. And while editorial style brand photography isn’t for every business, it’s good to know why a particular style is or isn’t a fit for you. Most of the time a client is employing editorial style images, I’m still shooting some lifestyle brand photography for them to use to fully tell their story and show who they are as the owner of their business.
Examples: Editorial (left) and Lifestyle (right)
If you think your brand might benefit from more editorial leaning imagery, or if you just want to explore what the best fit would be for your business, book a free discovery call!
