Lifestyle photography is my JAM! I am constantly documenting my own family’s daily life. I want to provide an heirloom for my children, something tangible of their childhood, and for me – that’s gorgeous photographs that tell the story of their youth.
I know that when I look back on my own childhood, the things that I remember most are the everyday, the little things that made up our life. I fondly recall our family traditions, and all of the silly things we did growing up. Dressing my little brother up as a girl? Check! Wearing my Walkman and dancing along to New Kids on the Block? Check! Swinging as high as I could on our backyard swingset? Check! Walking around the neighborhood to “explore” and making up stories for the houses along our road? All of those little details help to make up my life. Those are all things that I vividly remember. Imagine if I had high quality photographs of those things to go along with the memories?
So, why would you hire someone to come into your home and photograph YOUR everyday life? Can’t you just take these photos on your phone? Well, yes, you could. But hiring me guarantees that you have a professional to capture these memories. Someone who is confident in finding the best light in your home, capable of using my camera in all lighting situations, someone who understands capturing a photograph in angles that are pleasing to the eye and that focus on the moment, not the background. Hiring me also provides you with high resolution, edited images that best reflect your family.
Hiring a professional for lifestyle family photos also guarantees that all family members are IN the photos! Too often, moms aren’t in the photos, because we are the ones taking them! I’m guilty of this, even in my own work capturing my family. Your kids will also want to know that mom and dad were there! Someday, they will pore over the photographs that you are in, remembering every detail of your face, your hands, your smile. These photographs may help them recall your laughter, or your voice telling them “I love you”.
So what are some other benefits to choosing a lifestyle session for your family photos?
- You literally don’t have to do anything you don’t already do. Seriously. I will come to you, and take photos of you LIVING LIFE. And trust me – that’s not boring! There is so much beauty in a normal life.
- You don’t have to make the kids stand still and look at the camera. You know how when you schedule a photo shoot, and you’re stressed out because the kids won’t STAY STILL AND SMILE? That doesn’t happen in lifestyle sessions. Your kids are free to move around – I encourage it! They smile because they are doing things that they love, with people that they love.
- They’re perfect for the family member who hates getting photos done. No need to force someone into clothes they aren’t comfortable in and take them away from their happy place. I’ll come to you!
- You could stay in your PJs if you want! Seriously! If your family has a special tradition of waking up on Saturday morning and making pancakes together, I can come capture that! Stay in those PJs if that’s the real you! Stay comfy! Plus, you can’t argue that little kids in their pajamas aren’t some of the cutest things in the whole wide world!
- You get the chance to remember your kids the way that they really are. Typical family photos can be absolutely beautiful, but they don’t capture your kids true personalities quite the same way that a lifestyle session can.
- Its REAL life and REAL memories! When you look back at these photos, you will remember how you felt in these moments.
Sooo…..what should we do during our family lifestyle session? The possibilities are endless! Really, we should be doing something that’s meaningful to your family. Here are a few ideas:
Baking (cookies, pancakes, cake, etc)
Bedtime Routine
Playing in the yard
Trip to the park
Trip the Ice cream parlor
Trip to the Library
Out on the Boat
Playing board games
Morning/weekend routines
Doing arts and crafts
Playing in the sprinklers
Going shopping at Target (seriously!)
Decorating for the holidays
Swimming
The possibilities are endless! A lifestyle family photo session is truly a photo session that is designed to capture who your family is, and to provide you and your family priceless memories. I can’t wait to start photographing your family’s stories!
Old Fashioned Dreamer Photography 