The Salimeno Family
I use the term “lifestyle” to describe my work and wanted to talk a little about what that means. As humans, we like to label things though one person’s definition of a term may not be quite the same as another’s
Here is a condensed excerpt from Wikipedia: “Lifestyle photography aims to capture people in situations, real-life events in an artistic manner. The primary goal is to tell stories about people’s lives. Lifestyle photography is “posed” in a way that the photographer gives some direction and then documents the natural responses after. It is about telling a story through the lens and the legacy that is left behind because of it.“
While labels can be useful, what matters most is how a person feels about their portrait experience and the emotions their images invoke.
How I define “Lifestyle photography”
To me, lifestyle photography is a combination of traditional and documentary photography. In traditional portraits, the photographer is in charge of everything; light, background, clothing, poses, and props. A documentary photographer is a ‘fly on the wall’, capturing life as it happens without interfering in any way.
My goal as a photographer is to create images full of emotion. This does not come naturally to most people when they have a camera pointed at them so I help get the ball rolling. By doing this I am able to capture a variety of images in a short amount of time.
As with traditional portraiture, I try to control the light and location. For the best light and visual composition I’ll choose where to shoot. I help my families select outfits that photograph well while staying true to their own style. I offer posing guidance that unfolds into natural interactions (this is where the magic happens!).
What I want you to take away from this is that lifestyle photography is about connection. It tells a story. The photographer guides the session. How that guidance unfolds is the heart of lifestyle photography.
There you have it… my interpretation of the term “lifestyle” photography.
xo,
Theresa
