You have probably heard the term lifestyle photography a lot lately.  As many photographers, including myself, define our style this way.  So what does lifestyle actually mean?  

To me, lifestyle photography is a style that is in the middle of documentary photography on one side and classic portraiture on the other.  

A documentary photographer will try to tell the story of real life, capturing images with trying not to interfere with what’s going on.  On the other hand, a classic portraiture will capture images in a setting that they have full control over (background, lighting, props, etc) and will be very specific on how their subjects pose their bodies.  Typically there is very little movement during a portrait session. 

So my take on lifestyle photography is a mixture of real and staged.  I set the stage by choosing the location and a time that will have beautiful light. I still pose families to capture portrait images where everyone is looking at the camera.  But after we get a couple of posed images out of the way I start guiding my families more to draw out real emotions.  I will give you some direction and then photograph what the natural response is after.  I use a mix of poses, movements, and games to create a variety of images in a short amount of time.   Lifestyle photographs often includes movement, loving gestures, and sometimes environmental storytelling.

Do you like Lifestye images?   Contact me for more details and availability for booking a session.