What is Lifestyle Photography?…And Why You’ll Love it!

Lifestyle photography is about capturing the beauty of real life in a artful way.

Lifestyle “lives” in between traditional portraits and documentary photography. Traditional photography is the photography that is posed and everyone is always looking at the camera. Documentary photography is more along the lines of photo journalism, truly capturing life as it is, zero posing or intervening from the photographer.

What I love most about lifestyle photography is focusing on the love, connection, and joy between people. It’s about honest emotions. It’s about capturing who you are and how you interact with the ones you love; not one size fits all. Smiles are great, and I usually get at least one of everyone looking at the camera. But for me, the beauty of our lives is not in stiff poses and smiles on cue, the beauty of our lives is in the wonderful chaos of real life.

Lifestyle photography is lightly posed. That means I can set up people up in a the most flattering way possible to get the shot going. That also means I can get everyone together in different settings. For instance in family photos this means I can capture everyone together, just the siblings, just mom and dad, just mom and kids, just dad and kids, and each kid individually. From there I have my “tricks” that get everyone laughing and interacting naturally to capture emotions authentically. It’s truly the best!

In a lifestyle photo session I capture the details that start so many of our stories like “Remember when…”

The way your partner gently kisses your cheek, the way your toddler laughs with his whole body, the way your newborn's head can fit in the palm of your hand, spending time at your favorite lake, who they were senior year of high school - these simple things have so much meaning. I believe that a photograph has the ability to capture the heart of a moment that we can feel years after it's taken. That's why I capture seniors, families, and couples un-posed in an honest and authentic way.

Lifestyle sessions also allow me to create a laid back vibe in my sessions. You don’t have to feel like you are on the spot the whole session. I create a space to slow down and enjoy the little things. It feels more like laughing and playing, people tend to forget about the camera.

In fact, it’s perfect for kids because there is no pressure for them to stand still for a whole session!