The Project:
Product photography for hand-illustrated stainless steel water bottles
I photographed Inkaara's line of hand-illustrated stainless steel water bottles for a website refresh that required true-to-life color and detailed product photos. The bottles feature cultural motifs and affirmations like "I am worthy" printed on curved, reflective surfaces, and the brand needed images that showed these designs clearly while communicating the quality of materials and construction. Working from Vancouver as a reflective product photographer, I created images that capture the hand-drawn artwork without glare or distortion, so parents can see exactly what they're buying when they land on the site.
The project included two types of photography. First, I shot detailed product photos that show the bottles' construction and design work. Stainless steel is challenging because curved surfaces create hotspots that wash out printed details, but the goal was to make the hand-illustrated patterns and text legible across the entire bottle. Second, I created lifestyle images with kids to show scale and everyday use. These photos needed to feel natural and authentic while keeping the bottle clearly visible, so parents could picture their own children using the product without the images feeling overly staged or stock.
The Execution:
Lighting control for reflective surfaces and print detail
I built the lighting around diffused directional setups that control reflections on stainless steel without flattening the form. Specular surfaces throw harsh highlights when lit directly, so I positioned softboxes to wrap light around the bottles and used black flags to shape reflections into clean gradients rather than blown-out spots. This approach preserved the bottle's metallic finish while keeping the printed artwork sharp and readable. For detail shots, I adjusted camera angles to minimize distortion around the curve, so text and illustrations don't stretch or compress unnaturally. Each bottle was lit consistently so colors and finishes look the same across the entire set, which matters when a brand is building a recognizable catalog.
Color accuracy drove the technical workflow. I white-balanced each setup to neutral and used a color checker to ensure the bottles' printed artwork matched the actual product. The illustrations include fine linework and cultural motifs that lose impact if colors shift during editing, so I kept post-production minimal. Retouching focused on dust removal and subtle smoothing without over-processing the steel finish or making the print look plastic. The brand wanted images that communicate premium quality immediately, and that means showing materials as they are rather than idealizing them into something artificial.
Lifestyle photography that shows function and scale
For lifestyle photography with kids, I kept styling simple and props purposeful. Neutral clothing, uncluttered backgrounds, and items like toys or a skateboard added context without competing for attention. The bottles stayed in the foreground or at the center of the frame, and I used selective depth of field to blur distractions while keeping the product sharp. Kids interacted with the bottles naturally, drinking from the straw or holding them during play, which shows parents how the product functions in daily life. These shots communicate scale better than product-only photos because you see a child's hand size relative to the bottle, making it easier to judge fit for different ages.
I also photographed packaging alongside the bottles to strengthen brand recognition and provide context for gift-giving scenarios. Including the box in some images adds a layer of polish and helps the product feel more premium, especially when parents are evaluating quality before purchase. The combination of clean product shots, detailed close-ups, and lifestyle scenes gives Inkaara a flexible photo collection that works across their website, marketplace listings, and social channels.
The Deliverables:
Complete image collection optimized for e-commerce and mobile
The collection I delivered includes product-focused images on white backgrounds, close-ups that show artwork and affirmations without reflections, lifestyle scenes with diverse children, and packaging shots. These images were composed with mobile-first framing in mind, so bottles read clearly on small screens where most parents will encounter them. As a kids lifestyle product photographer working from Vancouver, I directed moments that feel authentic rather than overly posed, because forced smiles or awkward hand placements undermine trust in family-focused brands.
Shooting reflective products for e-commerce requires balancing technical control with visual appeal. Too much clinical precision makes images feel cold, but too much styling hides the product details parents need to evaluate quality. I kept lighting clean and consistent, framing tight enough to show detail but loose enough to feel approachable, and ensured every image answers a practical question: What does it look like? How big is it? How does my child use it? What's the quality?
The Insight:
Photography as differentiation for premium kids products
For brands selling premium kids products, photography needs to justify the price point visually. Parents compare dozens of bottles in seconds, and images that don't immediately communicate quality, safety, and value get passed over. Inkaara's hand-drawn designs and affirmations are differentiators, but only if the photography renders them clearly. Glare, inaccurate color, or cluttered lifestyle shots dilute that advantage and make the product look generic. The photos I created preserve what makes these bottles unique while presenting them in a way that feels polished and trustworthy.
If you're launching kids products or refreshing your e-commerce visuals and need photography that shows reflective surfaces cleanly while communicating quality and function, reach out to discuss your project.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Kids Product Photography for Ecommerce with Color-Calibrated Workflow",
"description": "Color-accurate lifestyle and ecommerce photography for children's products featuring illustration-focused techniques, macro texture details, and conversion-focused composition for Shopify, Amazon, and paid social campaigns.",
"serviceType": "Kids Product Photography",
"provider": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Elina Kustlyvy Photography",
"url": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com"
},
"areaServed": [
{"@type": "City", "name": "Vancouver", "addressRegion": "BC", "addressCountry": "CA"},
{"@type": "City", "name": "Toronto", "addressRegion": "ON", "addressCountry": "CA"},
{"@type": "City", "name": "Los Angeles", "addressRegion": "CA", "addressCountry": "US"},
{"@type": "City", "name": "Seattle", "addressRegion": "WA", "addressCountry": "US"}
],
"url": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/projects/inkaara-kids"
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ImageObject",
"contentUrl": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/653c048c7bdcdc4c8f4346aa/694331866f6c7389adde5620_9.webp",
"url": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/653c048c7bdcdc4c8f4346aa/694331866f6c7389adde5620_9.webp",
"name": "INKAARA Kids Water Bottle Lifestyle Product Photography",
"caption": "Child holding illustrated stainless steel water bottle during active play, demonstrating ergonomics and scale for ecommerce conversion.",
"creator": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Elina Kustlyvy",
"url": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com"
},
"copyrightHolder": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Elina Kustlyvy Photography"
},
"acquireLicensePage": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/contact"
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "INKAARA (Kids)",
"description": "Children's accessory brand offering 12-oz insulated stainless-steel water bottles featuring hand-illustrated designs celebrating heritage and self-worth, with dual-straw engineering and leak-proof construction."
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "INKAARA 12oz Kids Water Bottle - Hand-Illustrated Designs",
"description": "Insulated stainless-steel water bottle for children with hand-drawn artwork, silicone straw attachment, and leak-proof dual-straw mechanism.",
"brand": {
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "INKAARA (Kids)"
},
"category": "Children's Water Bottles",
"review": {
"@type": "Review",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Elina Kustlyvy"
},
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": "5",
"bestRating": "5"
},
"reviewBody": "Premium 18/8 stainless steel body with brushed matte finish holds detail exceptionally under macro photography. Silicone straw tip and grippy handle texture photograph with clarity at 100mm Ζ/5.6, proving material quality. Hand-illustrated artwork maintains legibility across curved surfaces when lit at 45-degree scrim placement, with affirmation text remaining sharp at thumbnail scale."
}
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Projects",
"item": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/projects"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Paid",
"item": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/projects/categories/paid"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "INKAARA Kids Product Photography",
"item": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/projects/inkaara-kids"
}
]
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebPage",
"name": "Kids Product Photography for Ecommerce: INKAARA (Kids) Case Study",
"description": "Color-calibrated kids product photography delivering 34% conversion lift through illustration-focused macro details, lifestyle composition showing spill-proof straw features, and modular asset library for Shopify, Amazon, and paid social.",
"url": "https://www.elinakustlyvy.com/projects/inkaara-kids",
"speakable": {
"@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
"cssSelector": [".article-intro", ".article-conclusion"]
},
"about": [
{"@type": "Thing", "name": "Kids Product Photography for Ecommerce"},
{"@type": "Thing", "name": "Color-Accurate Product Listings"},
{"@type": "Thing", "name": "Illustration-Focused Photography Techniques"}
],
"mentions": [
{
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "INKAARA (Kids)"
},
{
"@type": "Thing",
"name": "Hand-Illustrated Water Bottles"
}
]
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "HowTo",
"name": "How to Photograph Kids Products for Ecommerce with Color Accuracy and Illustration Clarity",
"description": "Technical workflow for creating conversion-focused kids product photography combining color-calibrated lighting, macro illustration detail, and lifestyle context.",
"step": [
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"position": 1,
"name": "Establish Color-Calibrated Ecommerce Foundation",
"text": "Use daylight-mimicking soft light with large octaboxes paired with fill cards to eliminate harsh shadows on curved stainless surfaces. Lock white balance to 5600K and verify with ColorChecker Passport at the start of every setup. Deliver files in ProPhoto RGB with embedded ICC profiles to maintain color accuracy across devices. Shoot each design at six standard angles to populate variant selectors and provide walk-around views."
},
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"position": 2,
"name": "Capture Macro Texture Details as Objection Handlers",
"text": "Use 100mm macro lens at Ζ/5.6 to photograph silicone straw tips, screw lid threading, matte steel finish, and handle texture. Place small LED panel at 45 degrees to rake light across stainless surface and expose brushed grain signaling premium build. These close-ups answer parent questions about material quality and BPA-free construction without relying on copy alone."
},
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"position": 3,
"name": "Direct Lifestyle Content with Product as Compositional Anchor",
"text": "Schedule shoots around mid-morning natural light from north-facing windows, supplementing with single softbox fill. Use neutral wardrobe palettes and muted prop tones to let bottle artwork pop. Shoot at Ζ/2.8 on 50mm prime for shallow depth of field keeping child and bottle sharp while blurring background. Maintain eye-level perspective to show ergonomicsβhow handle sits in small fingers and straw reaches mouth without tipping."
},
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"position": 4,
"name": "Optimize Illustration Legibility Through Technical Positioning",
"text": "Position bottles so primary illustration faces camera straight on to minimize perspective warp. Use slightly elevated angle (15 degrees above horizontal) to show artwork's full vertical span without cropping affirmation text. Place large close scrim at 45 degrees off-axis with white bounce opposite to lift shadows. Shoot tethered and check focus at 100 percent magnification to ensure parents can read affirmations when zooming product page images on mobile."
}
]
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How do you make hand-drawn artwork readable in kids product photos at thumbnail scale?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Illustration legibility requires positioning the bottle so primary artwork faces the camera straight on to minimize perspective distortion, using a slightly elevated angle to show the full vertical span, and lighting with a large close scrim at 45 degrees paired with a white bounce card to lift shadows without flattening the design. Shooting tethered and checking focus at 100 percent magnification ensures affirmation text remains crisp when parents zoom product page images on mobile devices."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What photography techniques reduce color mismatch returns for kids water bottles?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Color-accurate workflow starts with locking white balance to 5600K and verifying it with a ColorChecker Passport at every setup. Using daylight-mimicking soft light from large octaboxes eliminates color cast, and delivering files in ProPhoto RGB with embedded ICC profiles ensures the teal, coral, or other hues display consistently whether marketing managers view them on MacBooks or customers see them on Android phones. This discipline prevents the washed-out listings that cause cart abandonment and returns."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How do lifestyle photos prove spill-proof features without relying on product copy?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Demonstrating leak-proof functionality requires building a sequence showing the bottle tilted 90 degrees mid-activity with the lid closed and zero drips visible, an overhead shot of the detachable straw and silicone seal laid out for inspection, and a close-up of the compressed seal under the threaded cap. These frames answer parent friction points about durability and usability during active play that text descriptions alone cannot resolve, directly reducing customer service tickets and increasing add-to-cart confidence."
}
}
]
}
</script>
- other recent projects
Lifted Movement complete product line: fitness equipment portfolio photography for brand cohesion
Chanel nail polish photography with macro shimmer detail and marketplace packshots
Bloink board game photography capturing suspended blocks and interactive gameplay moments
Photographing fashion accessories with minimalistic black and white styling for Vancouver brand
Mirror Glaze Dessert Photographer for Premium Online Courses: PastryClass Case Study
Clarius Living smart mirror photography with integrated LED lighting systems
.webp)
.webp)
