I was really surprised at what some people considered lifestyle photography. I typed it into pintrest...the place I go when I want to learn more about anything....and I saw a lot of posed images labeled lifestyle photography. One of them was a photo of a nakie newborn in a birds nest with a flokati rug in it in the middle of a kitchen table. Don't get me wrong. It was a beautiful image. The lighting was spot on. The edit was breathtaking. But calling it lifestyle photography? How many times did you put your newborn on the kitchen table to sleep...naked...in a birds nest...in a bonnet?
So what is lifestyle photography? I think we have established it means different things to different people, but to me its pure. Its raw. Its real life. It is unposed. Sometimes it is unknown to the subject you are even taking their photo. There is no set up. No studio lighting. No backdrop. No special photo outfits. No preparation at all.
(I am trying to potty train my daughter. Perfect time for a lifestyle shot. She is watching video's on my laptop about potty training and she is cuddling her favorite doll. While potty training, her chosen outfits are leg warmers, a sweater, and socks. So many memories in just one shot!)
Lifestyle photography is photos of life. When you look back at the photo albums from when you were little, which photos do you study the most? The photos your mom had done at Sears or the memories? When I look at the photo albums, I study all the photos of Christmas morning. The photos of the Easter egg hunts my mom hosted every year. I have photos from when I was sick. Photos from potty training (we won't be sharing those ;) ). Photos that bring back memories. I study things in the background and bring back memories of my childhood home.
(This is a photo of my babies laying on my bed watching TV on daddy's cell phone. Mickey Mouse clubhouse is always better on youtube! I will always remember how much they both love watching TV on our phones and my laptop as opposed to the actual big screen!)
There is something so special and authentic about the raw, emotional, real life. A lot of people hesitate to take or have these types of photos taken. They feel as if their house is too messy. They think that the lighting isn't good. They are afraid of criticism. What others will think of them.
(Here is another one of my daughter's potty training style! And of course her baby is still helping her through all the good times! She is totally zoned out to the TV and just finished drinking from her cup. We had the potty in the living room and I love that it is in the background. Just another reminder of what we were doing at the time!)
That is not what it is about! I think we all owe it to ourselves, to our families, and to our kids to document these glorious times even if our house IS messy. Even if we didn't lose that last 10 lbs. Even if our hair is ratty, we aren't wearing make-up, and our clothes don't match! That is life! Beautiful life!
(This is from the night that I went in my son's room after bedtime and he was still awake...so I stole him away to play 2 rounds of Candy Land late at night. Just the two of us. He won both rounds! So much fun!)
I can't wait to put together a memory book for my family to remember all the fun times we have! I love documenting everything. All the good times. We have a lot of good times!
(I was cleaning her room. I walked out for a few minutes and when I went to come back in she was having a huge adventure. The little people Princesses were telling each other "hi", to go get some "eat eats" and to "go to bed!" )
When shooting lifestyle photography....shoot everything! The things that may seem like they don't mean much at the time end up being your favorite times! Focus on the details and also take wider angle shots that capture the whole picture and the surroundings.
It doesn't always have to have a face or the "perfect" composition. Its all about the memories. Life is so short. The memories are easily forgotten. Don't forget any of it! Keep those memories sacred! Pass them down to your kids when they are grown up. They will SO appreciate you for it!
Low light? High ISO? Go black and white! Not only does it compensate for noise, it can add emotion to a photo and help focus on the subject and not the distractions in the background.
Don't chimp! Don't look at every photo right after you take it. You might miss shots. Just shoot. Its better to overshoot than to miss shots because you were looking at the images on the back of the screen.
Don't be afraid to hire a photographer! A lot of photographers do lifestyle photography. Myself included. The photographer will come into your home for a period of time. Either a day or a few hours and shoot while you do your day to day routine. This is the BEST kind of shoot you can do!
People, kids and adults, feel more relaxed in their home. When you are taking photos in a natural setting just doing the day to day routine, everyone will feel relaxed and hopefully forget the camera is even there in the first place! The end result will be pure, raw and natural.
(this was taken in my bathroom with no windows. I used a high ISO of 650 to compensate for the one incandescent light bulb in my bathroom. She needed something to do while she tried to potty, so she brushed my hair! What an awesome memory!)
Every home (unless there are no windows) have pockets of natural light. It may not flood every room in every corner, but its there. Find it. Use it.
Backlighting creates for an interesting effect when shooting. Shoot from all angles. After you get the regular shots everyone would normally take, shake it up. Shoot different angles. Play with the available light. You can get some really interesting shots that way!
(You can see her fingers on his shirt where she has her arm around him. Also, I can see that they have the exact same hair color. They love to cuddle and watch TV together. Its so special to see that!)
Don't forget the details! Always shoot the details!
(Sitting on the potty, playing leap pad. She sure does love her leap pad!)
If you are interested in booking a lifestyle session you can email me at sashagrigsby@gmail.com. If not, I hope this has inspired you to shoot some of your own lifestyle photos! Honestly, you can't go wrong!
Thanks for reading!
Sasha Grigsby
Owner of Momtography: Photos by Sasha
