The term lifestyle photography is becoming more and more popular in recent years. You’ve probably seen self-proclaimed lifestyle photography on social media more than once.
What does it mean exactly? Does it merit exploring, and perhaps even adding to your website for photography? Continue reading to learn everything you need to about lifestyle photography. From what it is, to how you can become a professional at it.
What is lifestyle photography and what are the benefits?
Lifestyle photography is an artistic style of portraiture that captures real-life situations. This type of photography aims to tell people’s stories by using candid, upstaged images.
Although a lifestyle approach is applicable to any type of photography that focuses on people, many believe this style is best represented by family photos. The difference between candid portraits and lifestyle photography is the photographer’s involvement in the scene.
Do you want to learn more about taking these images? These ten tips on lifestyle photography will help you to get started and capture stories that are heartwarming:
Aim for authenticity
Plan ahead
Take pictures in the everyday places
Make sure everyone feels comfortable
Direct the action and not the poses
Anticipate every movement
Pay close attention to details
Join the conversation
Keep your camera nearby
Tell the story of your subject
1. Authenticity is the goal
It’s essential that you keep your lifestyle photos as real and natural as possible. It’s obvious that having someone follow you around with a camera of any kind is not something most people would consider normal.
In lifestyle photography authenticity means taking pictures that accurately reflect the lives of people. No posed photos, props or studio photography. If you want to give some tips, such as where to take the photos or what clothes to wear, it’s okay to do so. But your influence on the overall look of the session should be minimal.
Encourage clients to be as natural as possible. You don’t need to dress up the kids or pick up their toys before you arrive. This will make them more relaxed and comfortable, resulting in less forced shots.
2. Plan ahead
You can’t just show up and capture spontaneous moments. For a successful lifestyle assignment, you need to focus on two areas: technical and personal.
You need to know the client personally before the shoot. Find out what they like, dislike, their daily life, the activities they enjoy together and the topics that they are passionate about. You should go the extra mile in order to be able to hold a meaningful conversation with them. It is important to get the young subjects to feel comfortable and open up to a stranger.
For the technical aspect, you should learn everything you can about your location and be ready for any possible circumstances. If the photoshoot is at your client’s home, you could ask about natural lighting and choose an appropriate time to shoot. Make sure that you are familiar with your camera settings, because you will need to be able to adapt quickly to changes if you don’t have control over the subject.
3. Take pictures in the everyday places
In contrast to most other types, light isn’t a major factor in choosing a location when you are doing a lifestyle photoshoot. Instead, you should consider two factors: where your subjects are most comfortable and what place best represents them.
Spend their afternoons at the park, or do they prefer to stay home and create? Do they love to spend the weekends exploring the outdoors or do they prefer a relaxing Sunday morning at home?
You can answer all these questions in the planning phase and then use the information to choose the ideal location for your photoshoot. If you can, choose two or three locations to allow for different subjects’ interests. You’ll also have a back-up plan in case your first choice doesn’t pan out.
4. Make sure everyone feels comfortable
It is hard for most people to be open and honest in front of a stranger, much less one with a camera. It’s your responsibility as a photographer to make people feel comfortable in your presence. You can do several things to help you achieve this.
Begin by talking about a topic that they are passionate about. You’ll know this if you have followed the correct steps. You can do anything, from sharing fun facts about dinosaurs while the kids show you their room to having a coffee-break. Stick to lighter topics and let the children do the majority of the talking.
Take into account the daily routines of the children involved, which is often the case with lifestyle photography. If the children are tired or hungry, a beautiful setting at the golden hour of photography is not worth it. Make sure that they are having fun and take into consideration important times of the day, such as meals and naps.
Don’t let the client carry the burden of the scene. By talking to them about what you want and how you will get it, you can make them more comfortable. This list’s next step will show you how to guide the photoshoot and not ruin the purpose of lifestyle photos.
5. Direct the action and not the poses
Telling your subjects what to do rather than how to do something will help you to get candid lifestyle photographs while still giving them some guidance. Ask them their favorite game instead of telling them how to pose for a family portrait.
It will make their interaction more relaxed and natural, and perhaps they’ll even forget the camera. Don’t force the situation to change. Instead, let it evolve.
6. Anticipate every movement
Lifestyle photography is similar to wildlife photography in a sense. You want to be as unobtrusive as possible in a dynamic, fast-paced setting. You’ll quickly realize that a toddler is faster than a cheetah.
In a lifestyle session, the most memorable moments rarely last longer than a few seconds. You’ll have to be able to anticipate these moments and ready to take photos at any moment. You can capture moments before and after a moment by using burst mode. This allows you to create more meaningful photos.
7. Pay close attention to details
You don’t have to take a wide-angle shot for every picture you take. Some photos might not fall into the portrait category. To capture images that reflect your subject’s personality, zoom in on details that need a close-up shot. Pay attention to the little things that make the space theirs.
Lifestyle photos are more than just a portrait. Your clients will appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to find details outside of the obvious shots. You can get inspiration by browsing through portfolios of fine art photography or reading photography books like “The Photographer’s Eye”.
8. Join the conversation
In most careers in photography, people skills are essential. Lifestyle photography is no different. You may want to minimize your involvement in the photoshoot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t be there.
By talking to the people during the photoshoot, they will see you as more of a guest and less as a photographer. This is in your best interest as it helps them to stay relaxed and natural. It will also allow you to control the action, without having to appear out of nowhere and give orders.
9. Keep your camera nearby
Lifestyle photography has one rule: never put down your camera. You’ll discover that the best pictures are often taken in the most unexpected situations. It is even more important to capture these moments when you are trying to become a lifestyle photographers in Birmingham.
Keep an eye on what’s happening and be prepared to shoot, even during short breaks. Your client’s self-awareness will be lowest at this point, revealing raw emotions and their real nature.
10. Tell the story of your subject
Your clients don’t pay you to take a few nice family photos, but to tell their story. In exchange for tangible memories, they invite you to be a part of their lives. You’ll have to master photography storytelling in order to achieve technically perfect portraits.
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