A lifestyle photographer works in 'real' situations as opposed to working in a studio. A lifestyle photographer looks to capture natural moments as they happen as opposed to staging poses and situations.
This doesn't mean I don't work like a studio photographer in terms of lighting and setting and the quality of the images I produce. Every time I press the shutter I am considering the position of everyone and the way the sunshine illuminates your faces.
A session with me is about capturing the reactions and relationships within your family. Real smiles, real feelings and real love.
Lifestyle sessions can take place just about anywhere but where they happen will determine, to a degree, what we do within them.
We can always have the session in your home which will allow you to interact naturally in a familiar space, capture the everyday activities that you'll one day look back on fondly.
Although I have to confess this idea seems to worry a lot of people. The main concerns people have about having a photographer come to their home are 'the state' of their house or the 'lack of light' available.
If you live in a cave, yes, light (or at least natural light) will be hard to come by but I have yet to go to a cave dwelling family or to a home where the natural light didn't allow me to take beautiful photos - inside and out. Plus, as the photographer it's my job to worry about the lighting, not yours. I can, and will, adjust my camera to allow me to best use the light so you can just relax and have fun as a family.
As for the state of your home, I'm coming to photograph you and your loved ones not your house. Your house is merely the backdrop and if when you see your photos after the session all you see or notice is the squashed cushions or the specks of dust on the floor and not the gleeful smiles of your children then I really won't have done my job properly at all.
But, we don't have to stay at home if you don't want to.
We can go to a park or the beach, anywhere you like.
It makes sense to go somewhere that has meaning for you and your family so that your actions there will be more natural but if you're stuck for ideas I can always suggest places close to you that would offer plenty of pretty backdrops and options for activities.
You know your family better than I ever will and you'll know what will work for you and what won't. Don't choose to do things that you think will make for pretty pictures but that are alien to you, uneasiness and awkwardness will be something I can't "photoshop" away from your images.
Play card games together if that's what you love to do as a family, run around in the garden if that's what you would usually do on a Saturday morning. You do what comes naturally and let me take care of the rest.
We can go to a park or the beach, anywhere you like.
It makes sense to go somewhere that has meaning for you and your family so that your actions there will be more natural but if you're stuck for ideas I can always suggest places close to you that would offer plenty of pretty backdrops and options for activities.
You know your family better than I ever will and you'll know what will work for you and what won't. Don't choose to do things that you think will make for pretty pictures but that are alien to you, uneasiness and awkwardness will be something I can't "photoshop" away from your images.
Play card games together if that's what you love to do as a family, run around in the garden if that's what you would usually do on a Saturday morning. You do what comes naturally and let me take care of the rest.
As a result one thing that you should be aware of is that I will rarely tell you what to do in a shoot. Yes, I will ask you all to come and sit on a bench or tree stump or sofa to get a few shots of you as a group or suggest a direction for you to walk in but the rest of the time you'll be left largely to your own devices.
There is no right and wrong in a shoot like this. I've spent years and years working with and photographing children so my reactions are pretty quick, if I say so myself, there isn't much I usually miss during a session.
The hand holding, the hugs, the giggles with scrunched up noses, the looks of wonder on a child's face when you show them something new.
A lifestyle photography session aims to capture a moment in your life in all it's natural, original and unique beauty. No two sessions are ever the same because no two families are the same and that's why they're so special and so much fun.
Lifestyle shoots are perfect for capturing your family as you are right now, with the first missing teeth, scratched knees and everything else going on. Children grow up so very fast, they change almost daily, and these kinds of photos help you keep this fleeting period with you forever. Lifestyle shoots are something you could do every year, chart your family's growth both literally and figuratively.
So wear what you're comfortable in, go somewhere you all love and let me photograph you and your family doing what you do best. Being yourselves. <3
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