The traditional family portrait - shot in a studio, with everyone posed in a neat group - is fairly easy to prepare for: pick out some nice clothes, show up on time, maybe bribe the kids with ice cream if they'll stand still for five minutes. The lifestyle family portrait, on the other hand, is a whole different animal. Lifestyle photography is all about spontaneous expressions and natural gestures; a successful lifestyle portrait tells something about the subjects beyond just what they look like. To achieve this, the photographer must help his clients to feel comfortable in front of the camera, and do whatever it takes to inject some life into the photograph.
If you've hired a photographer to make some lifestyle portraits of your family, there are a few things you can do in preparation that will help ensure the session goes smoothly, and that you'll get the amazing, evocative images you're after.
1. Get ready to let go. If you're a parent of young children, you know the stress of bringing the kids into an unfamiliar situation and expecting 'good' behaviour: toddlers and preschoolers tend to want to do their own thing, no matter what you say, and the more you try to force them to comply, the more resistant they'll become. That kind of tension obviously works against the goal of capturing happy, natural looking portraits. I tell my clients to, as best they can, give their children a free pass for the duration of our session together: if they don't feel like being in a picture right now, and would rather run a lap of the field instead, its best to just let them do that - it might turn into a new, unexpectedly awesome photo opportunity!
2. Get in the zone. In my role as a family photographer, I know I only need to have the kids in the right place, with the right expression, for a fraction of a second to make a great image; that image can't happen, though, if the parents are busily trying to manage the kids or are thinking about the supper menu. If mom and dad just concern themselves about looking at the camera and looking great, the photographer can focus on bringing out the best in the kids.
3. Get rid of the cheese. No one looks like they're smiling naturally when they 'say cheese', and not every picture needs a smile. Just be yourself, and let the kids do the same; a good photographer will work with you to get natural expressions before you know it.
4. Get comfortable. While a formal portrait may lend itself to suits and fancy dresses, great lifestyle photography demands that the subjects are comfortable. You might be rolling on the ground, running in a circle, or being leapfrogged over, so its not really a place for the Sunday best. Adults and kids alike should be dressed in clothes that allow easy movement, and that make everyone feel like themselves.
5. Get rid of the logos. Nothing dates an image like having a big logo or phrase on the front of a subject's shirt; further, human nature means a viewer will try to read the words before looking at the expression. If it's at all possible, skip the logos.
www.purplehousephotography.ca
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