What is lifestyle family photography?
and what are the benefits of lifestyle family photography?
Lifestyle family photography is about capturing your family as they are in their natural environment. It’s a way of showing the strong bonds and connections within your family, and how much love you have for one another. If you’re looking to create beautiful outdoor photos of your children and family at home or in your garden, then this type of photo shoot might be perfect for you!
Lifestyle images are typically more natural and dynamic than normal studio portraits. They show life as it happens, capturing the everyday moments that matter, moments that define family life and home. Some photos may be gently posed, but never in a stiff way. Some will be completely candid, capturing authentic expressions and emotions, so that you’ll have a choice from different options.
I know what you’re thinking: “What a lovely concept! But I don’t have time to spend hours searching for someone who can do this.” As you might have guessed, I’m a leading lifestyle family photographer in Warwickshire. My photos have appeared in the national press, and parents have been known to fly me abroad.
Why are lifestyle images important?
Particularly if the photo shoot is at your house and garden, the images incorporate the most important things in your life – your family and your home. All the things that define the meaning of “home.”
The lifestyle family portraits are designed to look like they were taken spontaneously, on a day when life was at its best. You can’t go back to being that person. The photos are more than a record of your children at that moment in their lives. They’re also an investment for the future, when you’ll have moved on and your children are older.
Lifestyle family photography helps you to freeze the moment and capture it forever in a way that’s natural, relaxed, and authentic.
Professional photos, in high quality displays, will last for generations. We all take more photos than ever on our phones, but do less with them. They languish on hardrives or in the cloud. Professional level albums, or framed prints on museum-grade materials will become family heirlooms of immense sentimental value.
What does a lifestyle photographer do?
A lifestyle family photographer will give your family something to do, and capture the looks and emotions between you all as you engage in the activity. It might be just walking along together, or playing hide-and-seek, playing cricket, or piggybacks – whatever reflects the way your family normally behaves. They will put your family at ease and capture precious moments.
The photographer will find beautiful settings with gorgeous light. They will know how to manipulate the light and the location to make everyone look their best.
They know how to get the best out of children of all ages, and are prepared for toddler tantrums, moody teenagers and everything inbetween.
The photos might be taken indoors as well as outside. Indoors is often overlooked. It’s another slice of life that’s so important to be able to look back on. It could be young children jumping on the bed, or making a den in the living room from cushions and chairs, or just looking wistfully out of the window. The photographer will know how to make the most of all these moments.
A lifestyle family photoshoot
What happens on a family lifestyle photography photoshoot ? Well beforehand you will have had conversations with the photographer about clothes, locations and what your family are like, what you do together, and what you had in midn.
The photoshoot may typically last 1-2 hours. At first the photographer will spend time getting to know you & your family, and gaining the trust of the children. This may involve some time playing, chatting and looking around before the photo shoot begins. Once the shoot starts, it will be natural and relaxed. The idea is to capture the family doing what they do on a regular day.
The photographer will suggest ideas but also be very open to what the children want to do and just letting them be themselves. It’s important to give the children some slack and not be too strict with them. The smiles and laughter will come naturally.
What about documentary photography ?
A lifestyle photography session is different to a documentary photography session. Documentary photography is about purely candid images, where the photographer is like a fly on the wall, capturing everything, warts and all.
Lifestyle photographers capture the moments of everyday beauty, family life and the connection of siblings.
In Summary
In a nutshell, a lifestyle photographer captures the lifestyle and feelings of your family. It’s not just another way to take photos, it captures the spirit of family life.
A lifestyle photographer is someone who specializes in photographing the everyday occurrences and feelings that a family experiences on a daily basis, and making them appear truly special.
I’m a leading lifestyle family photographer based in Warwickshire near Stratford-upon-Avon. I create beautiful, natural, outdoor images of families and children for discerning parents. My photos have featured in the national press and I’ve been flown abroad by some parents for their family photography.
There’s more information and images here or contact me here.