What IS a Lifestyle session?

You may have heard this term in passing. Lifestyle...Lifestyle, to me, means capturing the ordinary and showing the beauty in it. All those little moments in our everyday go by without a second thought, but what if we could really slow down and revel in that moment? That is what this style of photography does for you. This moment. This time that will never come again. Every person has a story tell, I simply freeze it in time for you to cherish. Embrace your journey; tell your story.

In the words of Lisa Tichane:

'My own take on lifestyle photography is a mix of authentic and staged. What I am shooting could actually happen in real life (this is the core definition of “lifestyle” in my opinion), however I would never have captured such a variety of images in such a short amount of time if I had not interfered. During a session, I create a diversity of opportunities that will generate real-life type of images which might not have spontaneously happened at that specific moment if I hadn’t been there to jump-start them.

Like in classic portraiture, I try to control a few things: light is the main one (I choose where I shoot to get the best light possible), location (I might move items or furniture to get a better shooting environment), and action. Like a documentary photographer, I won’t pose my subjects. I will give them something to do, or a game to play together, and then will let them BE. I want them to act as naturally as possible, and interact with each other as they always do.

Let’s try to sum it up by a quick list of DOs and DON’Ts.

What I do:

Always stay true to life, by photographing situations that could have happened organically.
Suggest starting points (games, situations) and let the magic happen!
Help families find photogenic clothes, while staying true to what they really wear everyday. They have everything they need in their closet!
Choose the best rooms/places in a client’s home (or on location if we are shooting outdoors) to control the light and get professional looking images.

What I don’t do:

Pose my subjects (I will never say: please bend your head that way).
Give shopping advice. I want them to wear what is already in their wardrobe, not something that will make them say 10 years from now: “Oh look, this is the dress I had bought for the photo session!” I want them to be able to say: “Haha! I can’t believe we were actually wearing this 10 years ago!”. This is what lifestyle memories are for!

Ask them to look at me or smile on demand. I want them to interact with each other. If they happen to look at the camera, it’s because I was interacting with them and said something funny, not because I asked them to do so.
Bring props. The only props that are allowed in the frame are those that are already in the family’s everyday environment, like a child’s favorite toy. I will sometimes use soap bubbles or balloons because they are naturally part of childhood, but to be honest, I really prefer a session without any prop, to fully focus on the emotion.'

 

What is a Portrait Session:

Photographer and photography style are always very unique just as each family is uniquely wonderful and beautiful.  I have a very hands on approach to creating a portrait session that is special just for you.  Together we will go over what to wear, location and how we will work together to capture the essence of who you are.  In the next section, please tell me a little bit more about your vision for our time together!