Your Lifestyle Family Photography Session Explained
“Family is the anchor that holds us though life's storms”
Two things that feed my soul are chasing sunsets on beautiful beaches and fields where family can run, skip, twirl, cuddle and play and photographing family in the comfort of their home, having cup of coffee at the kitchen, watching kids play with their family dog, cuddling on the couch, making messes while baking cookies, reading a favorite book together. Lifestyle session tells a story of a certain point in time, documents authentic, raw, truthful moments of exactly who you are and where you are at that moment. My style is different from traditional portraits in that I do not have the family “pose” for the camera. I observe family’s interaction, and once in a while give a general prompt such as “cuddle momma”, “love on each other”, “snuggle together like it is Sunday morning”, then I step back and let the genuine emotion show and capture that.
Between each family, there are thousands of moments that happen every day, the little moments that we might not even notice, but subconsciously yearn to hold on to. The themes of the moments are collective, such as parent’s love for their child(ren), but every family feels and expresses those moments in their own way. I keep documenting until I am in the car driving away. There are so many in-between moments that happen between each family, and I am there ready to capture all that – dad carrying tired kiddo on his arms, mom gently stroking her daughter’s hair, tired toddler snuggling up on mom’s chest, a warm embrace to comfort upset child. My goal is for you to look at your images years down the road and remember your family as you were, see the beauty in the chaos, and re-live all those moments again. I want you to look at your photograph and feel all the feelings of that moment.
How to prepare for your lifestyle session
As far as preparing for your session, simplicity is the key. Don’t overthink it, life is not perfect and we are there to capture the true story of your family, and all the beautiful chaos that unravels.
You will not see any questionnaires on my website, because that is impersonal to me. I don’t want you to have to fill out a questionnaire like it is a job application and add another item to your to do list. I want to talk to you and get to know you and hear about your family. We will jump on a call or zoom and chat about life, your journey, your hopes and dreams, how you got to where you are today. We will talk about your family, your personalities, how you like to spend your free time and what makes you smile when you think about your kids. We will discuss what are the most important details you want to remember- maybe this is the month your toddler will get her/his first haircut and you want to remember the softness of his/her curls, or maybe it is last week of your breastfeeding journey. Whatever it is, there is always something that is happening in the moment that deserves to be remembered.
Then based on what is most meaningful to your family, we will pick a location for your family photo session that speaks the most to you, be it staying cozy in the comfort of your Tampa Bay home, or chasing sunset and playing in the sand on one of the scenic beaches in Clearwater or St. Pete, running down the field of flowers, walking the quaint streets of downtown, taking your boat out for a fun family day at sea – whatever it is, the possibilities are endless. During the session, just show up, embrace the chaos that insures, run, play and cuddle with your kids, be yourself and let me document your beautiful, chaotic, full of love life live. Your family – your story.
what to wear
As far as what to wear – same applies – Let's keep it simple. Wear what you are comfortable with. If you print photos, coordinate colors with the general style of your home. Warm, earthy colors work the best. Also laying on different textures looks amazing in photos – think lace, chunky knits, crochet. Natural fabrics such as linen are timeless. And again, keep it simple - we want attention to be on the people, not the clothes.
Learn more about me and check out my Tampa Bay Lifestyle Family Photography Portfolio. Contact me to tell your authentic family story and preserve the memories for years to come.
