Lifestyle Product Photography: Travel Bag Photoshoot in the City

As a solo traveler, travel bags are one of the most important accessories that I take with me. So I was excited to plan a lifestyle photoshoot in Downtown Los Angeles featuring a travel bag as an accessory.

I used the Open Story 35L Travel Bag as the product and worked with actress Rhea Morales to bring this photoshoot to life.

In this blog post, I will be sharing a selection of my favorite photos from the shoot, as well as the steps it took to prepare for the photoshoot, gear used, and creative direction necessary to get the final images.

 
Woman wearing grey backpack and exploring the city in Downtown Los Angeles
 
 

A CITY CONCEPT FOR THE LIFESTYLE SHOOT

For this photoshoot, I provided Rhea with a mood board for what I was looking for in this photoshoot. I used London-based bag brand Stubble & Co. as a reference for this photoshoot because of the lifestyle/editorial ambience I found in their photoshoots.

Although London is a much more metropolitan city than Los Angeles, Downtown LA is a great place to capture lifestyle photos in the city because of the high-rise buildings and different urban environments that are within walking distance.

I provided Rhea with wardrobe ideas for the photoshoot that she could bring, including: a pair of jeans, a T-shirt with no logo, jacket options of her choice, and black boots that would be easy to walk in. I also asked her to bring her white Bose headphones just as an extra potential accessory. I wanted to keep the wardrobe simple but still have a sense of street style that would make sense for the shoot. The blue, grey, and black colors of her wardrobe worked perfectly within this setting.

I set the day for the photoshoot to take when it was partially cloudy and in the evening to get the best natural lighting possible when working with a model.

 
Woman carrying grey travel backpack while smiling and wearing jacket and jeans
Woman wearing grey travel backpack in the city at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Woman looking back wearing a travel backpack while walking up Walt Disney Concert Hall stairs.
Woman walking in the city with a grey travel backpack in Los Angeles
 
 

THE PRODUCT (OPEN STORY 35L TRAVEL BAG)

 

I wanted to choose a bag that was large enough to be a believable travel bag someone would carry on a vacation, but not so big that it would look too distracting. The travel backpack has multiple compartments and a padded laptop pocket. I brought my own Macbook laptop to use as an additional prop.

Woman sitting at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with grey travel bag and jacket and blue jeans
Woman sitting at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with travel bag in Los Angeles
Woman walking out of metro station with a grey travel bag
Woman smiling while sitting next to grey travel bag
Woman walking out of metro station with grey travel backpack
 
 
 
 

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR (SONY CAMERA BODY & SIGMA LENSES)

For my photoshoots, I currently use the Sony a7R III camera body paired with the Sigma 35mm & 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART lens interchangeably. These two prime lenses offer a great diversity of photos for a lifestyle shoot because of the different focal lengths and compression. But both Sigma lenses have a wide enough aperture to let in plenty of light into the sensor.

Because this photoshoot involved a lot of walking (as plenty of my photoshoots do), and because I was carrying the backpack itself to the photoshoot, it’s a huge bonus to work with camera gear that is lightweight and easy to carry.

As you can see, the 85mm photos are more focused on the model and backpack, while the 35mm creates a more even balance between the model and environment. When photographing a product like a travel bag, it’s good to show the environment in order to better capture the narrative of the photoshoot.

 
Woman wearing grey travel backpack standing outside of the metro station
Woman standing in front of metro ticket machine with grey travel bag
 
 
Woman waiting outside of the metro station wearing a travel bag
Woman posing outside of metro station with jacket at sunset
Woman waiting near the ticket vending machine wearing a travel bag
 
 

FINAL WORDS

It’s always important to make the most out of your location. When working in natural light and with a model in lifestyle photography, you have to be cognizant of your surroundings and plan your time accordingly to get as many diverse shots as possible.

It’s always a joy to shoot in Downtown Los Angeles because it was the first location (and most common location) I visited when I started off as a street photographer. For city lifestyle shoots, I try to capture moments that are more natural and relaxed. As a creative director, I’m very appreciative of the talent who participate in the photoshoot and who capture the vibe of the photoshoot I’m looking for.

I enjoy photographing products like backpacks and travel bags for brands on location. If you’re a bag brand who is looking for a lifestyle photoshoot out in the field, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Until then, thanks for reading and until next time.

Feel free to check out more on my website:

 
Woman walking in the city with a travel bag.
Woman walking on the street with a travel backpack
 
lifestyleBrian Brownproduct photography, lifestyle product photography, los angeles photographer, downtown los angeles, travel bag, branding photography, adobe lightroom classic, travel essentials, everyday bags, sigma lens, sony cameraComment