Modern Picnic Lifestyle Product Photography
Last Updated on March 18, 2025 by Erin Donahue
Lifestyle product photography is the ability to showcase a brand’s identity in a realistic, yet styled, scene. As one of my recurring brand clients, I’ve now had the pleasure of working with Modern Picnic three times now. It’s an easy gig because I get to work with both people and products! Usually, when I work with brands, it’s in a static environment like my home studio.
The ambassadors are everyday people, not models or influencers, so I make sure to hype up my subjects like when I photograph my portrait clients because I want them to feel comfortable in front of the camera.
I got connected with Modern Picnic because they were a referral from another New York City commercial photographer that I occasionally assisted in the past. One of my main goals since quitting my 9-5 was to network in this new industry and get exposure as much as possible. Funny enough, the first time we worked together I thought it would be a one-and-done type deal, but surprisingly, the brand’s community manager has come back each year since 2021 now. Not only that, the CEO has also referred me to her friends for their surprise proposals which only goes to show how important it is to keep putting your work out there!
Photoshoot Day
It’s always best to do photoshoots like these early in the morning before the rest of the city wakes up. This way the area is pretty empty, and there will be fewer people to edit out of the pictures. The day we did this photoshoot it was cloudy, and while most people would think that’s a bummer, that’s a photographer’s favorite lighting situation (besides golden hour). The clouds provide natural diffused light and as long as it doesn’t rain, it’s a perfect day!
Fall 2021
First time working with Modern Picnic’s brand ambassadors at Madison Square Park.
Fall 2022
Second time working with Modern Picnic’s brand ambassadors in Tribeca.
Spring/Summer 2023
Third time working with Modern Picnic’s brand ambassadors in Tribeca again at the Staple St. Skywalk.
A full rundown of my typical camera gear used for photoshoots like this. You can also check out my storefront on Amazon
To keep up to date with everything I share, follow along on my social media: Instagram and Tik Tok!
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is the creative studio of Erin Donahue, offering photography, videography, and content creation services for brands, hotels, tourism boards, and publications.
Based in New York City, but available globally, this multi-disciplinary digital creative left a career in the hedge fund space to pursue her passion as a travel and brand photographer, creating imagery that resonates with audiences. She approaches every project with a focus on storytelling, producing visuals that engage and inspire.
Her work has been commissioned by brands like Sony, Apple, and Google, and the content she has created has reached millions across social media.
To keep up to date with everything she shares, follow along on social media and read up on what camera gear she uses to capture the shot.
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