Home Lifestyle Sessions are all about telling your story, and having something to look back on to remember the tender and beautiful moments from your life - who you are, who and what you love, YOU. The best way for you to prepare for one of these sessions is to personalize it as much as possible. This is usually very easy to do, as we will be shooting in your home, just remember that YOU are the guide, not me!
Best Time to Schedule
Pay attention for a few days in a row to the light in your home. When the sun comes up in the morning, when it sets in the evening and the general light in the house during the daytime. What time of day does each room feel the coziest, the warmest. When are there cool shadows and light that streams through your favourite rooms?
Once you have noticed some great light in your home, you need to decide what time of day you would like to schedule your photoshoot. We can shoot in any room of your home that you would like to, and I can make any lighting work if I have to, so no stress if we have a cloudy day where the light doesn't match what you've been picturing!
Activities
Whether you have a new baby in your home, or would just like a snapshot of a typical day in your life, make sure you include some of your favourite activities and regular routines that you would like for me to capture. And, with this in mind we will get some awesome pictures full of personality and emotion.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that in order to get these awesome photos that I know you're into, you all need to interact with one another as much as possible (of course there is also nothing cuter than a little one lost in their own adventure completely unawares that anyone is watching) ;)
Some Activity Ideas
Baking/Cooking
Snuggles
Storytime
Video Games
Bubbles
Board Games
Fort-Building
Pillow Fights
Baby Routines
Lego
Imaginary Play
Trampoline
Pool Time
Jumping on the Bed
Dress-up
Playing in the Snow
Making Coffee/Morning Routine
Make Popcorn
Having a chat in a favourite spot
Bed-time or Wake-up Routines
If you are planning something that may take a while, like baking, plan that activity for the last half-hour of your photoshoot as a surprise and end on a high note for the day as a reward for positive attitudes for you little ones.
What to Wear
I recommend wearing what you would wear at home...picked up a peg! Remember that a lifestyle session is about telling your real story, not to be published in a magazine...if your little ones like to walk around in their diaper and your favourite tube top, make sure I have an opportunity to capture that top notch moment!
It is good to do your hair, as you will probably enjoy the pictures of yourself more if you do, but if doing your daughter's hair is one of your favourite memories, make sure you leave that as an activity for when I'm there, so I have a chance to tell that story. It's always an option to have the little ones start a photoshoot in their pj's and get some pics of the getting ready routines.
My only suggestion would be to avoid neon colors and shirts with graphics.
Keep Your Schedule
If bath time, or lunch time, or bed time are part of the routine when I am there, by all means, let the schedule dictate our photoshoot! Remember, we are capturing your family's memories so anything goes! The less predictable for me the better.
To Clean or Not to Clean
Remember that your home is kind of like the 'fifth' family member - it has a personality too! So, if part of the story you want to remember is the chaos that was your home, by all means, laissez-faire! However, if you DON'T want to remember that your house is messy, then by all means clean it! No spring-cleaning necessary- while the camera can capture piles of laundry splayed around the house, it has a much harder time catching the dust in the bottom of the toy box.
Preparing your Self
Make sure you do these few things before your shoot, so you and your family can bring your best selves to your shoot:
get a good sleep the night before
make sure there are no empty tummies
Bring your A-game and best attitudes
If you need to bribe your kids, I wholeheartedly support you!
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Thanks for coming by,
xo Abigail: ART