At-Home Lifestyle Photography
Hi,
I'm Lauren!
Family Photographer
I am so excited to get to work with your family! Thank YOU for choosing me to capture the love and joy of your family in a true and honest way.
This guide will serve as a way to prepare you for your at-home family session. It is my goal to make this a fun and enjoyable experience for you from beginning to end. Please make sure you read it in its entirety - there are a lot of tips that will help ensure we capture the true joy and genuine love of your family. Please share this guide with your spouse, too, so we are all on the same page.
The Experience
Lifestyle photography means that while I do take a few posed shots, I really just capture your family's natural interactions with some gentle posing guidelines. My goal is always to capture what your love feels like. My biggest tip is to get close to your family and keep smiling and laughing through out our time together. Don't look at the camera (unless I ask you to). Keep looking at and enjoying the ones you love! I want the essence of your family to shine through your photos, so even though this session does not take place at your home, I want you to feel comfortable to be yourselves.
Location
The main factor in choosing where we shoot is the light inside your home. Prior to your session, I ask that you send me pictures or a video walk through of your home so that I can get an idea of which rooms receive the best light. Seeing these rooms can help us when deciding what kind of activities we may want to incorporate into the session. While your home does not need to be spotless, it is best to have done a clean sweep of the entire home before I arrive. Read about my laundry basket trick in this blog post!
LIGHT
We have already determined that light is the biggest factor in a great shoot. With that said, natural light and artificial light to not mix well. It is helpful if you turn off all interior lights and open up all the blinds and curtains prior to me arriving to save time. Also, please note that since I am a natural light photographer, I do depend on the weather. Should the day of your session be a dark, overcast, or stormy day that causes the inside of your home to lose natural light, we may need to reschedule.
A few notes on clothing...
What do we wear?
- With the nature of how I shoot, your session will include a lot of movement and playing with your kiddos. Dress everyone in something that is comfortable to stand, sit, dance, and play in.
- Dress mom first! Now is not the time to try a new style. Put yourself in your favorite thing that makes you feel beautiful and coordinate everyone else around you.
- Casual clothes (this could be comfy lounging clothes, jeans and tops, or flow dress for mom) look most natural at home. As we discuss what parts of your family's story we want to highlight in your session, it will help direct us on how we should style everyone.
- Speaking of casual, ditch the shoes! Bare feet look best at home. Keep in mind, this might mean you want fresh polish on your toes - Mom I'm talking to you ;)
- I'm not afraid of color and/or patterns. If it's your style - go for it! However, super bright red, pinks, and oranges can create a color cast on your skin, so it's best to avoid wearing shirts in those colors.
- You don't want to be too matchy-matchy. Everyone has a unique personality, and it is great to let that shine in clothing. Add in different textures, small/large patterns, a few colors, etc.
- Make sure temporary tattoos, stickers, markers and such have been cleaned from skin. If they are left on, they will be in the final pictures (which is fine by me if you are cool with it).
- Mom, don't forget to clean up chipped nail polish on your fingers and toes. A quick trim and clear polish is great if you don't regularly have your nails polished.
- If your daughter is wearing a dress or skirt, please make sure she has on bloomers or shorts underneath.
- Lose the smart watches. They oftentimes can draw attention away from the main subject of the photo - YOU! Also, when you look back on these photos 20 years from now, they will probably look like outdated technology. Ha!
Think about "activities" or things that are meaningful to your family that we can do in areas of your home with the best light.
I let your child dictate the session. Yes, I have tips and tricks to get them to do certain things, but in the end, they are in charge. If they are happy and smiley, then great. If they are quiet and serious, that is great too. If they want to be held and refuse to look at me, that is also perfect. the goal is to capture them and your relationship with them just as they are, and i will definitely follow their lead.
let's play!
Some ideas of things that often photograph well are:
- tickling
- reading a favorite book
- snuggling a lovie
- playing Play-doh
- painting
- playing with Hot Wheels
- having a dance party
- taking a swimsuit bath
- sharing silly jokes
Doing what you. normally do in your home (yes, perhaps, in a slightly more glamorous way) will show the natural joy that happens in your home.
One of the best ways to lighten the mood at home...
Have your favorite music playing!
Is your little one hungry? Feed Them! Just try to Avoid missy stuff like chocolate, candies, or juices that could stain the face or mouth.
A few things to avoid...
Please turn off TVs and electronics at least 15 minutes prior to my arrival. Trying to pry an iPad from a kid is never fun and will amost always end in tears.
A few things to avoid...
In the time leading up to your session, keep things light and fun. Kids feed off of our vibe, and if you are angry or stressed, they will be cranky too. please don't fuss at your kids for not being perfect.
A few things to avoid...
The things that makes the biggest difference in a session is that YOU have fun. play music, be silly, tell your kids how awesome they look, talk about some fun games we should try. Take the pressure off and your kids will feel that positive energy. Just plan on rolling with it during a session.
A few things to avoid...
sometimes things can get pretty wild and fun and silly, and nothing spoils the fun faster than an adult yelling at a kid to smile at the camera. Please keep our session positive and upbeat.
A few things to avoid...
Resources
I know coordinating outfits can be a huge stress when you book a family photo shoot. I am available and would love to assist you as much or as little as you want in preparation for our session. Here are some Pinterest boards filled with some wardrobe inspiration, but I also create curated style boards (with links for easy online shopping) for families who desire more assistance. Take a look below and reach out if you want some specific guidance!
Questions?
The best way to reach me is by email or text.
If you have questions about wardrobe, timing, lighting, etc.
or need to reach me for any other reason,
please text me at 828-446-6110.
I can't wait to create magic in your home soon!
xo, Lauren
Caroline Bates
"Thank you for doing this for us! I know we will cherish these photos of our sweet newborn memories."
