LIFESTYLE PHOTO SESSIONS

Here’s some more info on my lifestyle photo sessions in case you were thinking about booking with me and needed to know more than what’s listed on my website! First of all, I’m glad you’re here and if anything please scroll all the way down to my complimentary “what to wear” section even if you don’t book with me! I am more than happy to share my wealth of knowledge as I’ve been photographing families for just under a decade. A lifestyle session is basically a mixture of posed and candid photos of you and your partner, your family, and your furry family member if you’ve got one! While i do specialize in a more journalistic storyteller vibe, I will always include posed photos so that you have plenty of options!

WHAT IS A LIFESTYLE SESSION??

My lifestyle sessions are a mix of candid and posed photos.  While the meaning of actual lifestyle photography is capturing you in your everyday moments, my goal is to capture you and your family/partner in real life moments having fun.  This can be done on location or in the comfort of your own home.  Do you have to be elegantly dressed?  No you don’t but the option is always there and if you can’t decide, that is what I’m here for, I would love to chat wardrobe with you!  The more comfortable you are in what you are wearing will bring out the real laughs, the genuine hugs, and the authenticity that speaks volumes of your family/partner.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Lifestyle portrait sessions are $600.  They are about 1-1/2 hours.  The timing of the sessions are different for everyone.  For the couples, this gives you time enough for two outfits and two different locations.  For families, this gives you and your kiddos time to warm up to me.  I absolutely love working with kids and have done so for over a decade so I know that each kid will react differently and some need additional time for portraits.  These sessions are limited to a family of 6.  If you have more family members than that, please let me know and I can give you a more detailed quote.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE PHOTOS?

After the session you will receive a sneak peek within two days.  A sneak peek is between 5-10 photos.  After that, you'll receive your final gallery within two weeks.  I don't withhold galleries so if it gets done sooner, you'll get it!  The images are all high resolution JPEGS that will be on a online gallery that you can access anytime and anywhere!  Your gallery online will have links to automatically order prints, canvases, albums, etc.  I am always available to chat and guide you towards other options if that's not what you're looking for.

HOW MANY IMAGES ARE INCLUDED?

I typically take over a 100 photos an hour so you will get that if not more.  I won't be giving you duplicate photos of poses or any unflattering images.  I meticulously go through each one and look at everything.  My goal is to give you the best of the best.  A unique part of my offering is that I don’t limit the amount of images I deliver. I edit every image that isn’t a duplicate, ones where you're blinking or other unflattering shots, etc.  If you have any further questions about your images, I am ready to chat with you about it!  I have many existing galleries I can send you if you are looking for references as well!

what to wear for your photo session!

Figuring out what to wear to your family photo shoot is not easy, and I know it can be stressful, so here are some tips!  First, you need to decide what kind of feel you are going for. If you are wanting a warm color palette, consider mustard, brown, rust, cream, burgundy, and taupe. If you want a lighter, more pastel palette, choose clothing that is neutral and light toned. Colors that would look great for this are cream, white, beige, gray, muted pinks and purples, coral, rose, and light blues. If you are looking for a more dark and moody look, choose some moodier colors, but mix in some lighter colors with it to keep it from looking TOO dark. Another idea would be to choose a couple pops of color, but keep the rest neutral.

  • This family chose soft colors and textures. The daughter's dress had lace details, and the son's and father's shirts were made of flannel fabric. They also knew they would be photographed in autumnal tones and wanted their clothing to complement that.

  • The colors for this family were based off of Mom’s skirt as you can see. Her skirt was the only printed fabric and although the daughter’s dress was pink, it also had some lacy textures on it as well. Also brown shoes!

  • This family based outfits off of Mom’s gorgeous printed dress. The daughter’s white socks also complemented the Dad’s and her brother’s white shoes. Everything matched well when photographed together and separate.

PLEASE DO:

Choose well-fitting clothing and something that you feel confident in. I would suggest starting with the pickiest person's clothing first, then build the everyone else's outfits off of that. You want to coordinate, but not match.  So I wouldn't recommend just saying "We're doing rust," and then going out and getting tons of the same colored shirts for everyone.  A textured knit sweater in rust, a gray shirt for another, a cream floral dress with mustard accents, pink and rust for another person, a mustard lace dress for another, etc. See where I am going with this? The goal is to look good together without being matchy-matchy. Change up textures and prints.  Texture is your friend.  Also, if you’re not feeling fancy, that is okay too!  You can still do this with simple solid colors and basic t-shirts.  Again, the goal is to complement each other well.

AVOID!

Stay away from thin, close together stripes (it has an odd effect in photographs), small plaid or buffalo prints (also looks weird in photos), large logos, cartoon characters, or words on your clothing, as it detracts from the main subject of the photo: you. Stay away from too many super dark colors, as it makes photos look dull (especially black, avoid black as a base color of an article of clothing unless it's pants). Also avoid neon colors like the plague, they make color casts onto skin and it's not pretty. Don't do this to your photographer ;). 

SHOES:

Don't forget to coordinate shoes! This is usually the thing most people forget about, and it really makes a difference.  Picking shoes for boys?  My biggest tip is brown shoes.  They always look good and even if they are different shades of brown, it will still go together well.  Stay away from athletic shoes and shoes with neon colors, even on the soles. Wear shoes that go with the style you are wearing. Unless your session is in your home or on the beach, and in that case, ditch the shoes!  As for the ladies, there are always plenty of options!

***There are special circumstances in which clothing can be loud or have neon colors but that is all very specific to what you are choosing and in that case, please touch base with me and I can help you with that. Sequins, fringes, tassels, I love all that so please don’t be afraid to play with textures and prints and most importantly, have fun with your clothing!