What is Lifestyle Photography?

Warren, Vermont Lifestyle Photographer specializing in Family, Maternity, and Newborn Lifestyle Photography

The term "Lifestyle Photographer" can mean so many different things, it may be hard to really know what your final images are going to look like. So I'd like to let you know what lifestyle photography means to me: it means telling your story, adding artistry to your images, and bringing out true emotions during your session.

There are a few different genres of Portrait photography: Classic "posed" portraiture, Lifestyle, and Documentary. Posed photography is simply that: Everyone sitting very stiff, smiling at the camera. Then there is documentary- the photographer does not prompt at all, they sit back and photograph as things naturally unfold. Lifestyle is kind of a mix between the two. At my lifestyle sessions, I will prompt my clients into a pose, but then sit back and allow them to interact in a natural way. Here, I asked the family to sit on the floor of their kitchen together, and allowed them to interact, love on each other, and captured genuine smiles and emotion.

This image on the right is just as nice, almost the same image really. But it is not emotive. Mom and Dad are looking right at the camera, and while everyone looks beautiful, they aren't interacting with each other. As a lifestyle photographer, my goal is to deliver images like the first photo to you. I want you to have images of your family being together, not interacting with me.

I may prompt you to do things that probably happens in real life, but rather than waiting for it to happen, I make suggestions that will fit within the time we have for your session. So I may ask you to snuggle with each other, look at each other a certain way, have your child give you a kiss etc.

Here, I had the little girl run back to me after picking flowers. The mom was already holding her little girl, but I asked them to look right at each other and asked mom to "breathe in her little girl." I asked the family to get as close as they could and look at each other after I asked mom and dad to kiss. This brought genuine laughter from the kids. I love to photograph movement, such as the girl running towards me, the mom's hair blowing in the wind, and you can just feel the family's movement in laughter.

For me, a huge part of lifestyle photography is the artistic use of natural light. I love to photograph near sunrise and at sunset if possible, although beautiful light can be found in some of the most unexpected places.

Indoors, I love to find the best light in your home to photograph your family and I love making use of backlight when possible. Check out my upcoming blog post on Newborn Lifestyle Photography for more on using natural light in your home for your session.

So there it is, Lifestyle Photography in a nutshell. I love this style of photography, so if you do too, check out the rest of my website and send me an email to book your session.

www.lincolngapphotography.com\email

Stephanie of Lincoln Gap Photography is a lifestyle photographer serving Warren, Waitesfield, Faystone, Moretown, and surrounding areas including Montpelier, Middlesex, Waterbury, and Middlebury Vermont.