How to do a Lifestyle Photo Shoot...

"Lifestyle Photography" is a term that lots of photographers use, and almost no non-photographers.  And the definition probably falls on a spectrum depending on who is using it.

To one photographer "lifestyle" is any portrait photography that isn't done in a studio.  For others, myself included, "lifestyle" is a family photography done in the home, that attempts to convey the the feeling of that family's "lifestyle".  Get it?

Either way, there's a sense of casualness, less prim and proper, more loose and go with the flow.

Any many, many clients adore the idea of a lifestyle shoot:  no finding/deciding on location, no real need for intense styling of all the family members, no drive time to factor in with littles, and best of all, you can do it any time of day, you're not limited to the Golden Hour (read: Witching Hour for anyone under the age of 6.).  Plus your kids feel really comfortable at home and you get to really enjoy family time in your own space.

But then it can also feel intimidating:  letting a professional photographer, who is oftentimes a stranger into your home?!  Your messy, chaotic house?  And what if the toddler throws a massive tantrum?  How much do I really have to clean??

So let's break it down.  First of all, the toddler can throw a tantrum at any time, amiright?  And as far as your messy house, 1. I could care less and 2. We pick out the two rooms with the best light ahead of time and we don't even go in the other rooms during the session, unless we want to.

And lastly, there is something about having someone else document your family in your home.  They see light and angles that you never saw before.  And Mom actually gets to be in the pictures.

Which is exactly how this shoot happened.  Michelle is an amazing photographer in her own right, she has plenty of AWESOME photographs of her children that she has taken, in their home.  But first, she isn't in many of them, and second, she wanted to see her home and their lifestyle through another lens, if you will.

And together, we made a bit of magic...

Smile and move on...

As Moms, we learn how to make life work.  We learn how to make sunrises fun instead of torturous.  We learn how to make frowning faces a game and how to find smiles instead of tears.  

And even when we can't (because kids do know their own minds and just exactly how to push our buttons), we also know how to brush our hands off, smile and move on.  We know how to find joy in the moment even if the moment is exactly opposite of what we had in mind.  And besides, we can remember it any way we want to.   

They Had Me At Suspenders

I am always very humbled when it works out that I get to photograph a large, extended family.  First, I know that everyone knows at least one great photographer so it's hard for everyone to settle on just one.  Then to get everyone in one place at one time pretty much requires an act of Congress.  Then get everyone in some clothes that actually look unified, and wait, cute?!  Now you're just talking crazy. 

But when it's all said and done, it's really a beautiful thing.  Because I've been in Grandma's house with my oldest son and watched him stare at that huge family photo and hear him ask, "That's me as a baby?!  And that's my cousin as a 2 year old?  Look how much hair Uncle Scott had!  And that's Uncle Brent before he went to heaven?"  And having that conversation in front of that picture, that is worth every ounce of endurance, patience, and investment.

Thank you, Butler Family.  So grateful I got to be a part of that big party of pictures.