Product Photography for LYBL | A Client Story

There’s something special about photographing a brand that has already built such a strong sense of identity.

LYBL creates heirlooms and collectibles designed to be treasured and handed down through generations. Their products are thoughtful, beautifully made and intended to become part of the homes and stories of the people who own them.

Based in Pretoria and selling online, LYBL already had an established visual library when they came to me. What they needed wasn't simply more photographs. They needed a collection of images that would sit naturally alongside what they already had, while introducing their new Heritage Baby Blankets and bringing fresh life to some of their existing products.

So we spent two days creating a considered collection of lifestyle product photography, model imagery and styled product photographs at the beautiful Monno Studio in Pretoria.

Building on an Existing Visual Story

The brief was about more than photographing products.

LYBL wanted their imagery to communicate the quality, craftsmanship and value behind each piece, while showing customers how their products might naturally exist within their own homes and lives.

The new Heritage Baby Blankets were an important part of the shoot. They were launching shortly after our time together, so we wanted to create imagery that allowed people to see and feel the product in context—not simply what it looked like, but how it might become part of those quieter, everyday moments.

We brought in a baby model, carefully selected props and created a series of subtle lifestyle scenes around the blankets.

The remainder of the shoot focused on products already within the LYBL collection, giving their existing image library a refresh while creating new opportunities for their website, online store and social media.

We also captured a brand story reel throughout the two days, extending the visual content beyond still photography.

The Planning Behind the Photographs

Extensive planning went into this shoot, and I think that preparation is a huge part of why the final images work so well.

Audi and Klara from LYBL had already visited Monno Studio and selected the space before our shoot. They coordinated with their model and the baby's mom, considered outfits and props, and worked through the practical details of having everyone in the right place at the right time.

On my side, we spent time working through the brief, shot lists and individual setups before the shoot, communicating through online meetings, email and WhatsApp to make decisions together.

By the time we arrived at the studio, there was a shared understanding of what we were creating.

And then the trailer arrived.

Watching Audi, Klara, and Jan (Audi's husband) unload furniture, props and all the pieces they had carefully gathered for the shoot was one of those moments that really showed me just how invested they were in getting this right.

This level of preparation doesn't make a shoot feel rigid. Quite the opposite.

It gives everyone the freedom to be creative because the important decisions have already been made.

Two Days of Lifestyle Product Photography

Our two days together were an absolute dream.

We worked with wonderful models, moved between styled product photography and lifestyle scenes, photographed the new Heritage Baby Blankets and worked our way through the existing LYBL catalogue.

As with any full-day product photography shoot, there were plenty of details to manage. Products needed to be positioned, props adjusted, scenes refined and lighting continually considered.

Our only real challenge was the light—which, if you've worked with me before, you'll know is something I have a long-standing relationship with!

Rather than fighting it, we worked with it. The changing natural light became part of the character of some of the photographs, giving the imagery a softness and sense of place that suited LYBL beautifully.

And because so much had been considered beforehand, the two days felt remarkably easy.

There was room to work through the brief, make adjustments where needed and still leave space for those little creative moments that you can't always plan for.

Bringing the Collection Together

Once the photographs were selected and edited, the new images were ready to become part of LYBL's wider visual world.

Some have already made their way onto the LYBL website and social media, while the new Heritage Baby Blanket imagery is helping introduce the collection to their audience.

We also collaborated on social media after the shoot, allowing both brands to share the work with our respective audiences and introduce LYBL's products to new people.

For me, that's one of the most rewarding parts of creating a visual library for a brand. The photographs aren't the end of the process. They're assets that continue working—across a website, an online store, social media, marketing campaigns and whatever comes next.

A Collaboration Worth Remembering

I absolutely loved working with Audi and Klara.

From our very first conversations, they were clear about what they wanted and completely invested in the process of getting there. No amount of planning, organising or tiny details felt like too much, because they understood that all of those details would ultimately contribute to the finished story.

And they did.

The result is a collection of imagery that feels considered, cohesive and unmistakably LYBL.

I love projects like this because they remind me that great product photography isn't really about the photograph itself. It's about understanding the world a product belongs in, the people it's intended for and the feeling a brand wants to leave behind.

Whether I'm photographing a new collection, refreshing an existing library or creating imagery for an upcoming launch, that's always the part I'm looking for.

The story behind the product.

The feeling behind the brand.

And the little details that make someone want to bring it into their own life.

If you're looking for product photography in Pretoria or Johannesburg and want imagery that feels like a natural extension of your brand, I'd love to hear about what you're creating.