Finding a family photographer can be a daunting task. There are many to choose from and it can be overwhelming to decide what style of photography you want for your family portraits. I consider my family portraiture style to be lifestyle photography. But what exactly does that mean?
To me, lifestyle photography means capturing natural moments with a creative vision. It’s more orchestrated than documentary style photography, but much more real and emotive than traditional posed photography. My sessions are all about connection— capturing feeling, love, life— freezing this point in time for you, while still composing your images in a flattering and beautiful way. If you want photos that truly tell a story of your family, you are absolutely in the right place.
If you’re hiring me to do a lifestyle family photography session, you can expect to get lots of images showing your connection with your family— both physical and emotional. The “in-between” moments tend to be the sweetest ones and I love to capture those fleeting memories that truly tell your story. Those are the images that will really make you feel something when you look back on them later (though we can still grab some photos of everyone looking at the camera too). This featured session took place at home, but lifestyle sessions can be an outdoor family adventure too.
Though the majority of my finished images have a candid feel, that doesn’t mean you’re on your own coming up with what to do in front of the camera. You may be feeling like you are awkward in front of the camera, and there’s no way your family will just magically know what to do and have all these perfect sweet moments during your photo session. I still give a bit of direction during portrait sessions, from setting up “poses”, to encouraging you to interact with each other, to giving you tasks (like read a book to your kiddo, or tickle the baby, or walk together down the path). I do some coaching to make those moments unfold, and to have them happen where both the light and the composition can complement what’s happening to create a captivating image that will give you all the feels for years to come.
In-home sessions are particularly lovely because we can document things you do during your everyday— bath time, snuggling on the couch, reading together. There is such a wonderful beauty in the everyday— the things that tend to feel mundane but are really what our memories are full of. Not to mention, New England gets cold in the winter months, so an indoor photo session can be cozy and more comfortable for adults, kids, and babies alike!
So if you’re looking for a family photographer who can wrangle your family into memorable moments that feel authentic, intimate, and beautiful, I am so your girl! Though I am based in Massachusetts, I can make lovely portraits anywhere and often have clients in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and more.
Keep an eye out for another post soon that will highlight lifestyle on location newborn sessions, which I’ve recently added to my session offerings in addition to my Lunenburg studio sessions.
