Curious what “in-home lifestyle” photo sessions are all about? This post explains why your home, just as it is, is the perfect backdrop for capturing real, everyday moments like snuggles, reading on the couch, or baking together and why it works so beautifully for families, mamas-to-be, and even camera-shy kiddos.
First, let's start by answering
What is lifestyle photography?
Lifestyle photography is a style of photography that focuses on capturing candid and authentic moments between family members. The goal is to capture genuine emotions and interactions that tell the story of your family's life at this particular moment.
Lifestyle images are all about the emotion - the laughter, tears, and everyday activities that make up your family's unique narrative. These images serve as a visual diary of the simple moments that matter most to you.
How does in-home lifestyle photography differ from portrait or studio sessions?
Just like lifestyle photography, in-home lifestyle photography focuses on capturing candid and authentic moments between family members. And just as the name suggests, these interactions occur within the comfort of your own home!
In-home sessions generally emphasize the use of natural light (keep those curtains and blinds opened) and unposed, spontaneous moments (how your family normally and naturally interacts with one another with limited direction from the photographer). The focus is on capturing genuine moments rather than staged poses.
Portrait and studio sessions often rely on extensive lighting setups and poses where subjects are directed on how to place their hands, feet, and tilt their heads. The results tend to be much more formal.
Both lifestyle and portrait studio sessions are valid styles of photography but yield very different results. When you choose to capture family photos in your home, you are choosing to capture your family in an environment that is most comfortable and familiar to everyone. By virtue of the setting (your home), your images feel more personal and intimate. Every item included in the images is not simply a pretty prop purchased by a photographer, but a special memory that is part of your family's story. It's your daughter's very first stuffed animal, the blanket that grandma knitted, your son's favorite book, the dented couch cushion that reveals the dog's favorite spot.
When you look back on these photos 10 years from now, you'll not only notice how everyone and everything has changed, you'll also remember how your daughter couldn't sleep without that stuffed animal, how grandma knitted a blanket for each grandchild, and how your son memorized every word from that book long before he could read. You are unlikely to have such an emotional response to a portrait studio session, no matter how beautiful the image.
What do families do during an in-home lifestyle session?
This question causes families the most anxiety. Yet there really is no reason for concern. When I photograph your family, I aim to document real emotions and interactions between family members. This will include lots of hugs, kisses, and snuggles - and perhaps even a toddler mess or meltdown! All these interactions are part of normal everyday life, which makes them a part of your family's story. Most clients find that those imperfect moments are the ones that they treasure most.
Posed shots are minimal. While I may offer some general direction on positioning, my focus is on capturing the emotional connection that naturally exists between family members. When family members are focused on doing something, there is less concern over where to place one's hands. Think about the last time you read to your child. Did you have to ask how to hold the book? Likely not, as you were more interested in connecting with your child than where to place your hands. That connection is what lifestyle photographers strive to capture during a session.
This means you will rarely be asked to look and smile at the camera. Instead, I encourage families to engage in natural activities and interactions, like playing games, reading, cooking, or other family routines and activities that are meaningful to you. Documenting these activities creates a collection of images that feels spontaneous and unscripted; images that better reflect the real moments that your family experiences; images that your family will treasure now and in the future.
What kind of subjects are good for in-home lifestyle photography sessions?
Most people think that in-home lifestyle photography is only for maternity and newborns sessions. But in-home lifestyle photography is also perfect to celebrate and document engagements, the purchase of a new home (like this couple dancing in their empty kitchen), adoption of pets (the same couple a few months later with their furry new addition), multigenerational family sessions (please invite grandma and grandpa for a session!), and even personal branding for small businesses (the psychologist who is opening her own in-home practice). The key is to authentically and meaningfully tell the story of the family or individuals being photographed in an environment that contributes to that story.
What to learn more? Read Beyond Newborns: Different Types of In-Home Lifestyle Photography Sessions
