Tips: Photographing lifestyle sessions at home {Delaware & Pennsylvania Child and Family Lifestyle Photographer}

As a photographer, I am constantly presented with many challenges when it comes to the location, lighting, and backgrounds at my sessions.  And I pride myself in being able to flex and bend with these different situations.  When I have a session, it's done in one of three places.  Outdoors, my clients home, or in my home studio.  Okay, my home studio is more of a dedicated room, which technically is my dining room, but it's my office & studio now.  I wholeheartedly follow the sound advice of Tim Gunn, "make it work!".

Today, I am going to talk to you about working within your clients home for sessions.  I typically photograph in home sessions for maternity, newborn, and families (especially when they have large families...the largest being 37 people so far!)  I utilize much of the space in their home, and there are some definite go to shots that I do.  Homes are more intimate, and many clients, especially their children feel a lot better being photographed in their own space.  You can get your clients to relax more when they are in their own surroundings, and let me not forget the benefits of air conditioning indoors when you are having sessions during the summer!

Before the session, I always recommend my clients remove any clutter or objects that they don't want seen in the photos.  Particularly in the living room, the bedroom, and the nursery.  And if there are a couple of blank walls, with great window light all the better!

Walls are the perfect in home backdrop! Utilize them to their fullest potential!

Another favorite spot I like to photograph my clients in is their bedroom.  It's a simple yet meaningful location, especially when you are photographing a tiny little newborn on a giant bed.  If you have the whole family cuddling onto the bed, even better! For bed shots, I usually photograph straight on, and depending on the action from the side. It more so depends where the light source is coming from.

For bedroom shots, I always recommend that my clients either have an all white, down comforter, or a light, solid color comforter.  You want the bedspread to be as simple as possible as to not distract the eye from the subject.

Windows are also another favorite spot for me to photograph in. I totally adore back lighting, and windows provide the perfect light.  Typically when I photograph clients in front of windows, I tend to overexpose by two stops to blow out the light from the windows.  

I pride myself on making sessions work at any location that I am at.  Before going into a session, I typically have a layout of what I plan to shoot, and where. When I arrive, I usually ask for a tour around the house to see what works best, and how easy it is to transition.  Especially when having sessions with newborns, you don't want to move them around too much, especially the new mom.

In the end, make it work with what you have!  If you are a lifestyle photographer, and you don't have your own space for a studio, embrace that challenge and maximize it! Find different spots in the house that have gorgeous light, go in with a plan of attack so to speak so that you transition easily through sessions.  While it would be totally awesome to have your own studio, realize that you don't necessarily need one, especially if your focus is lifestyle photography.  The only thing holding you back is you, get out there and show your talent!

Pin It