My goal for a Lifestyle Photoshoot is to capture you and your family—your personalities and your connection with each other—as naturally as possible. These pictures feel organic, genuine, and intimate. They will become a precious keepsake from a specific moment in time.
What Story Are You Telling?
The other day, my husband and I were in the car and I was browsing through some photos of our one-year-old daughter I’d taken recently on my phone. They were so pretty: crisp, clean, bright, and close up. I thought to myself how lucky she would be to have such picture-perfect images of herself as a baby when she’s my age.
But then I thought back to the photographs that fill the family albums my mom put together. The wide shots with clutter and brown living room carpet in the background; my overexposed, bald baby head; the occasional blurry thumb tip along the edge. Those pictures tell a story.
I told my husband that our baby may not know what her first living room looked like when she’s our age, because I purposely try to keep that out of the pictures. She won’t know what toys she had because I don’t take a picture inside the house unless everything is in its place and it looks like a West Elm catalogue. But what story am I telling?
Don’t get me wrong, I will always love stylized, crisp, clean photographs. I’m a perfectionist, so those images make my heart so happy! But I realized I need to be more intentional about capturing the way things really are.
The real story is that she grabs at her hair bows and pulls them right off, maintaining eye contact with me—as if to taunt me!—the entire time. She leaves a trail of toys and spilled milk behind her everywhere she goes. She fusses just as much as she smiles. Life is messy. And it’s beautiful.
If you’re like me and want to capture the real story, give a Lifestyle Shoot a try. This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to tidy your house beforehand or that the pictures will be ugly! Technology has come a long way from the 80’s and I promise I won’t catch my thumb in the frame. I think you’ll see these pictures as a beautiful window into your real-life story.
What to Expect During a Lifestyle Photoshoot:
· Minimal posing: I want you guys to look as comfortable and in the moment as possible, so I’ll probably set you up within a space, give you minimal direction and let you take it from there. But don’t worry, if something appears unflattering, I’ll switch it up!
· A slow pace: It may seem like we are taking our time, because we are! We’ll book one hour for this session to allow plenty of moments to unfold.
· Natural lighting: For in-home sessions, we’ll hang out in rooms with lots of windows and natural light.
· Lots of laughter: Be prepared for tickle fights, dance parties and silly secrets, because these prompts often make for the sweetest photos.
Newborn Lifestyle Photoshoots
The reason this is the only style of photoshoot I offer for newborn photography is because it’s a way to document what those first few weeks actually look like. I don’t do much in the way of posing the baby. Each one brings something different to shoot. I let them lead!
A Newborn Lifestyle Photoshoot also takes the pressure off Mom, Dad, and Baby. No one is worried about that sweet baby getting chilly, and if a diaper needs changing, it doesn’t ruin the whole pose. We can be flexible and move at our own pace.
When to Book a Lifestyle Photoshoot
Here are some life events and occasions that make for the best Lifestyle Photoshoots:
· Newborn
· Adoption
· Birthday Parties
· Any Milestone Birthday
· New Home
· Summer/Outdoors
· New Pet/Aging Pet
Because these sessions are a bit longer, I only book them on weekend dates. I’d love to talk about your Lifestyle Photoshoot with you, so let’s lock in your date today!