this is new territory for a lot of my clients. lifestyle photography is getting more and more popular and they’re just unsure of the whole process. so i’m going to talk a little bit about how to prepare for your lifestyle session in the home!

first off…this is google’s definition: Lifestyle photography is a kind of photography which mainly aims to capture portrait/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday. The primary goal is to tell stories about people’s life or to inspire people in different times.

this is so accurate! we are wanting to capture you in your environment. real life events or milestones. i like that 🙂

lifestyle sessions to me, are so free and fun and laid back! anything goes. i’ve done everything from a toddlers bubble bath in a kitchen sink to a newborn session in an almost empty home ready to go on the market!

a few tips for preparing for your in home session…

1} light, light, light!

we need natural light. in order to get the bright and airy look to the images…we need natural light! can we fake it with flash, yes, but it won’t look the same. we need windows…open windows 🙂 with light pouring in.

2} de-clutter

this is the easiest thing to forget. dusting is important, yes, but if i can tell my clients one thing to do before i get there…it is to de-clutter the rooms we will be shooting in

3} floors

this may seem obvious, but vacuum your floors. a few angles will be on the ground, the floors will make it into a lot of shots…so be prepared and clean them properly guys 🙂

4} the bed shot

if you have anything larger than a twin size bed, you better believe we will be shooting some portraits on it!!! please be sure to wash your linens, have linens that properly fit your bed and we need pillows! lots and lots of pillows! there’s nothing worse than shooting portraits on a big beautiful bed, with a gorgeous family…and no pillows!

5} neutrals

neutrals work best for lifestyle shoots…in my opinion. i’ve done shoots in homes with navy blue walls…it’s beautiful! but don’t send me an inspiration board with all white walls, white bedspread, etc. if your walls are navy blue, hunter green and crimson. it just won’t look the same!

6} snacks

these sessions take a while. there is a little ‘setting up’ for each shot. so please have snacks handy…kids {and most likely your husband!!!} will start to get hangry…yes, hangry 🙂 so please, prepare for this!

7} ideas and themes

have an idea or a theme for your session. some people want a kitchen shot with their kiddo having a bubble bath in the tub. make the session about that! what if you like to cook…have your session while baking cookies! there are so many cute ways to capture this!!! 🙂 please, get creative!