As a Bethesda, Maryland family photographer that offers in home and outdoor sessions, I love sharing tips to families that will help them prepare for a lifestyle family session.
In this blog post I have written about some areas in your home that we can include for your next in home Bethesda family session.
living room/couch
We started this family session in the living room. Once we got a few everyone-look-at-the-camera shots we moved onto the more fun stuff!
As a parent to my very own young child I know the importance of getting cute photos of the children. These boys have a very strong interest in cars and trucks so naturally we included the toys into the session.
Lifestyle family photography isn’t about forcing everyone to be somewhere they don’t want to be and forcing them to do something they don’t want to do.
The lifestyle family sessions that I offer as a Bethesda family photographer are laid back and it’s understood that we have to be flexible and not have super high expectations for children. When we allow them to lead the activity everyone is happier!
entrance/front door
The front door is another area that I like to use when I’m photographing a family for indoor family session in the Bethesda Maryland area. There’s usually an abundance of natural light which helps to use for the images, while also allowing room to create more dynamic images with shadows.
I love the dramatic image of the little one standing in front of the door!
a window
When I’m photographing families for inhome sessions there are usually some amazing windows that can be used in an interesting way. I told this mama to sit in the window with her youngest so I could focus on her connection with her baby boy. We didn’t want to exclude big brother so we brought him into the photos too.
an area with toys or books
Kids will be kids and it’s important to have an area set up for the child to engage in an activity. This could be a social game like running, playing chase, hide and seek and/or dancing. It could also be a toy area such as a playroom or nook of a family room to embrace play.
We incorporated this special rocking horse and spent some of the session reading books outside to keep the boys interested and engaged.
outside
I knew upon being in this family’s home that we needed to use their sunroom for family photos. We gathered everyone on the floor and got this gem of a photo. Is it perfect? Probably not. Is it silly? You tell me! I love this one. Each family member is making a genuine expression and it helps to tell the story with two young boys.
While we were in the sunroom we took advantage of the time and got some photos of mom & dad and some with the kids.
The very last photo is included here to show really what to expect from a lifestyle family session. It can be chaotic! And I’m totally here for it.
Interested in scheduling your family photos? Send me a message!