WHAT IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY & IS IT THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU? - BOISE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER
You know how when you buy that super rare colored car and the moment you pull out of the dealership you see 17 of that exact colored car on your drive home? (full disclosure, this has never happened to me as I have never bought a car off the lot :) ) Well…it’s the same with the term “lifestyle photography”, once you see it as a term used to describe a photo, you begin to see it everywhere…but what does it mean?
IN GENERAL, LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY SIT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PORTRAITURE AND DOCUMENTARY STYLE PHOTOGRAPHY:
While traditional portraiture is highly posed with everyone looking at the camera and smiling & documentary photography is completely undirected; lifestyle sits right in the middle. What makes lifestyle photography appealing to many is that it has the appearance of being unposed while capturing a more authentic connection between the humans being photographed.
WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU BOOK A LIFESTYLE FAMILY PHOTO SESSION:
(Okay. So, I can really only speak to what you can expect from me. Every photographer is different and has their own work flow. If you have booked a photographer other than me, I recommend asking them what to expect. I’m guessing it’s not too terribly different from me, but I guess you never know.)
First of all, I still always get that “money shot” - the one where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling. Why? I like to cover all my bases. At the end of the day, I want my families to be happy. Those money shots will often be the ones sent to grandparents or put on Christmas cards.
After that is out of the way, my main objective is to capture what I saw one photographer call “the feelings”, while also creating the illusion that people being photographed are unposed. I still direct my clients. I move them around and ask them to do simple things like look at each other or I might ask the mama to smell her baby’s head…stuff like that. Stuff that shows connection.
I also spend time letting things unfold. Once everyone is comfortable with the idea of being photographed, they naturally start interacting with one another in a more natural way. I capitalize on this time. (things may drift more into a documentary feeling here, but I will still give minor direction).
The end result for me is a bunch of photos that tell an authentic story about a unique family.
This. Is. My. Goal. I want to be in that sweet spot where things feel natural and real but everyone is still looking top shelf :) I want these photos to be put on display in my clients’ homes, to be treasured, and for everyone in the photo to feel confident and beautiful when they look at them.
IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?
Welllllll…if the above sounds like it’s up your alley than I say…give it a try! Check out the photographers Instagram and online portfolio and see if their work resonates with you. You can always ask that the get that “money shot” for you.
If you do choose this route, have fun with it! I can almost guarantee you will be ecstatic with the results.
