Amazon lifestyle image editing

Why lifestyle images help

A product on white shows what it is; a lifestyle image shows what it is like to own. Seeing a lamp on a bedside table, or a dog wearing a harness, answers questions about size, use and style that a cut-out cannot. One or two good lifestyle images often do more than several similar angles.

Photography or compositing

Honest scale

Compositing makes it easy to make a product look larger or more impressive than it is. Resist it. Place the product next to objects of known size, keep perspective consistent and check dimensions against the real item. Scale misunderstandings are a frequent cause of disappointed buyers and returns.

True colour

Warm interiors and filters can shift product colours. Correct the product's colour to match the real item under neutral light, even if the scene around it is styled. Compare with a physical sample before approving.

Producing lifestyle images

1. 01

   Brief

   Settings and uses that answer buyer questions.

   Output: Scene list

2. 02

   Source

   Shoot, licensed scenes or renders.

   Output: Raw scenes

3. 03

   Edit

   Composite, light, shadow, colour.

   Output: Draft images

4. 04

   Check

   Scale, colour, included items.

   Output: Approved images

5. 05

   Deliver

   Sized for listings and A+.

   Output: Final files

Example: lifestyle images for a storage basket

Lifestyle image checks

Rights to people and places

Anyone recognisable in an image needs to have agreed to its use, usually through a signed release. Stock scenes and backgrounds need licences that cover commercial use on Amazon and anywhere else you will use the image. Private homes and some public places may need permission to photograph.

Props and what is included

If a lifestyle image shows items that are not included, such as cushions with a sofa throw, make sure it is clear they are styling. Showing accessories prominently can lead buyers to expect them in the box.

Where lifestyle images go

Use lifestyle images in secondary slots, in A+ content and in your Brand Store. The main image must stay product-only on white. Put the most informative lifestyle image early in the sequence.

Consistency

A consistent style of setting, lighting and colour across a range helps your products look like one brand in search results and on your Store. Agree a short style guide for future shoots or composites.

Settings that match buyers

Choose scenes that reflect where your customers actually use the product. A camping stove in a realistic campsite helps more than an artfully styled studio, and a child's product shown in an ordinary family home is more relatable than a showroom.

Fewer, better scenes

One or two scenes that clearly show size and use are worth more than several attractive but similar ones. Choose scenes that answer different questions.